If you’ve had an accident at work, it’s wise to keep your wits about you. You must follow certain procedures and look out for your own interests. Here’s what to do, when your employer is negligent and you sustain a personal injury:
Health and Safety
Your employer must tick all the health and safety boxes. One of your company’s requirements is to keep an accident book. You must your report your accident – even if it’s small – to your employer and get the incident written up, as soon as you’re well enough to do so. Your employer has a duty of care over you and your co-workers, so they should do everything in their power to keep you safe at work.
Obtain Evidence
You don’t have to go Sherlock Holmes on your place of work, but try to amass as much evidence as you can that your employer was negligent. If it’s impossible to do this yourself, then see if you can enlist a co-worker to collect evidence for you. Focus on getting photographic evidence and eye-witness accounts. Without evidence, you’ll struggle to get together a case.
It often helps to get perspective, so try to include a ruler or a penny in the photo.
Receive Medical Care
Even if your injury is minor, immediately go and see a doctor about it. Your diagnosis is important and you should follow your doctor’s instructions. Even small injuries can turn out to be completely debilitating with time. Plus, you will need this document to support your case.
Be On the Right Side Of The Law
First off, you need to know your rights. It’s advisable to seek out a solicitor for advice, as soon as you’re well enough. Time is of the essence. The longer you leave it, the less likely you are to be successful with your claim. You should aim to claim within three months of the accident.
It’s best to deliver the legal work to your solicitor. Often, your representative will go through mediation with your employer and will come back with a satisfactory amount of compensation – many companies prefer to settle cases like this amicably. Sometimes, an agreement can’t be reached, and you have to prepare to go to court. Listen to your solicitor’s advice at this junction.
The Court Case
More often than not, you will have to see an independent medical professional, to confirm your injury. Your accident at work solicitor will assess all the financial losses incurred by your injury, such as lost wages. He or she will also give you an idea of how much compensation to expect from the hearing.
Don’t Be Afraid
Many people don’t claim against their employers because they’re frightened that they might lose their position. However, it’s against the law to be fired for making a claim, and you’ll be within your rights to take them back to court to claim unfair dismissal.