What Should I Do After An Accident At Work?
After an accident at work it is likely that you are going to be in pain and potentially traumatised. We thought it would be helpful to give a guide on what we think you should do after an accident at work.
Report The Accident To Your Employer
One of the first things you should do after being in an accident at work is tell your employer about the accident. Tell them what has happened. This can mean reporting it to your supervisor or your line
manager so that your employer is aware of the accident and that you have been injured. It is also important that you ask for an accident report form to be completed. Your employer has a duty to first of all prevent accidents and protect you from being involved in an accident. They also have a duty to record any accidents properly. This means that an accident report form must be filled out after an accident. This ensures that if you have been in an accident it is properly recorded. A note is taken of it. Ensuring that your employer cannot try to deny an accident had occurred later. Or even trying to say that they were not notified of the accident.
It is also important that you ask for a copy of the accident report form.
If you are very badly injured or very badly hurt it may not be at the very top of your priority list. It may be that by far the most important and urgent thing to do is to seek medical treatment. An accident at work can cause very significant injuries. Therefore it may be that getting to a hospital is by far the most important thing you can do.
However, once you have recovered sufficiently it is important that you then ensure you contact your employer yourself to make sure that the accident has been properly recorded. Ensure that an accident report form has been filled out.
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Do Not Admit Fault
After an accident you may be confused or you could blame yourself for the accident. We have had cases where employers have asked an employee to sign a statement or sign documents in the immediate aftermath of an accident. This is not always in your best interest. You need to be very careful about what you are being asked to sign. It may be worthwhile having a specialist work accident solicitor review any documents that your employer asks you to sign in the cold light of day. Rather, than signing something in a heightened state whereby you are injured or upset.
Any documents that are signed by an employee after an accident can have significant bearing on the outcome of a case and an employer can try to use that to deny an accident was their fault and try to reject the claim.
Therefore, you need to be very careful what you sign or what you agree to. Often employers ask for a summary of the accident circumstances for their records. It is essential that you give the circumstances of the accident when you have had a chance to properly consider what happened in a calm state rather than in a traumatised state just after an accident has occurred.
Take A Note of Witnesses
It is important to note who saw what happened and who can verify the circumstances of the accident. You do not have to immediately ask them for statements or to talk to them about the accident. However it is essential to keep a note of who saw what happened in case they need to be spoken to in due course if your employers are questioning who was responsible for the accident and who was at fault.
It can be common for an employer to deny responsibility for an accident. We have dealt with numerous cases where employees have been blamed for the accident themselves by their employers. The reality is that if a claim is made against an employer then it is referred to their insurance company. It is important therefore to ensure that any witnesses to the accident are recorded. We can speak to them on your behalf and take statements from them if required if the circumstances of the accident are challenged.
Get Medical Treatment
This is can very often be the first thing that needs to be done after an accident. It depends on the seriousness of your injuries. Obviously if you have suffered catastrophic injuries which require immediate and urgent medical treatment and a hospital stay then this is obviously your first priority. However, if you are injured and you are able to deal with the points above after an accident which are reported to your employer do not admit to fault and take a note of witnesses. It is then important to seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
This is important because first of all it ensures that you are getting the right medical help and assistance after an accident. It also it records the fact that an accident occurred at your place of work.
Expert Work Accident Solicitor
We are Solicitors that specialise in Accident at Work Injury Claims. We can help you claim compensation at no cost to you.
Call us now on 028 9002 5511 or use our Free Online Enquiry.
At McGee Solicitors we are experts in representing clients in accidents at work compensation claims. Our team has the expertise to obtain the best possible outcome for you.
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After an accident you may be considering whether or not you are able to make a claim for compensation or not. You may be wondering whether your employer was at fault and whether you are entitled to compensation after an accident. In those circumstances it is essential that you speak to a solicitor who has experience and specialises in work accident claims.
After a work accident some people think that they may be in the wrong and they may not be able to claim against their employer. That is why we provide a free consultation so that you can discuss your case with us free of charge.
We can discuss the circumstances of the accident and give you an idea as to whether you can make a claim or not and whether you would be entitled to compensation. This would not cost anything. It is worthwhile speaking to us in the first instance to see whether you can make a claim or not.
Compensation Calculator
To help give you an idea of how much compensation we have created a Compensation Calculator. Click on the link below to see how much compensation your claim may be worth.
We have helped many people who have been involved in work accidents. These include those who have sustained burns due to a lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to those who have been seriously injured in terms of losing fingers or sustaining life changing injuries.
One of the most recent cases we dealt with was a man who worked as a joiner. He was working in a factory and sustained a very serious shoulder injury when doing a job which required 2 people to do. He required surgery on his shoulder and sustained long term loss of power and loss of motion in the shoulder. This was as a direct result of the accident. He came to us and was unsure as to whether he had a claim or whether it was worthwhile proceeding with it.
After speaking to our client it became clear that the accident was directly caused by the fact that 2 people should have been doing his job rather than him on his own. This was what caused the injury to his shoulder and the life changing fall out from it. It became clear that he was unable to continue to work as a joiner. He would therefore sustain a significant loss of earnings as well as a huge impact on his day to day life.
Our client decided to proceed with a claim. He was successful and was awarded a significant sum of compensation.
This is a good example of someone who is unsure about whether they have a claim. Whether the circumstances of the accident was caused by their employer or was it their own fault and whether it is actually worth their while proceeding with it.
He was able to talk to us in a relaxed setting. He was put under no pressure as to what he wanted to do. We advised him as to what his rights were in terms of making a claim and his ability to do so. He decided that it was best for him and his family to make a claim for the accident at work.
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What Should I Do After An Accident At Work?
We have dealt with cases where after an accident an employer can try to put an employee under pressure not to make a claim. Or putting pressure on them to accept that they were in the wrong. This is totally unacceptable and wrong for them to do so. Some people may also be worried that they could lose their job after an accident.
These are all common concerns and issues that can arise after a work accident. We would encourage you to speak to us if you have been in a work accident and any of these issues have arisen. We can talk to you. Hopefully allaying some of your fears and concerns you may have. Giving you a better idea of what your options. Letting yo know what your rights are after an accident. This means that you are in a much better position in terms of making a decision regarding what you want to do.
The reality is that is employers have a duty of care to their employees to ensure that they are safe at work and a safe work environment is provided. This basically means that an employer has to take reasonable steps to ensure that you are kept safe at work.
This duty of care is very significant for an employer and they have to take it seriously. We have found in dealing with numerous work accidents that sometimes if someone does make a claim for compensation then it can force an employer to make changes to the work place. Ensuring that the environment is safer and that there is no repeat of a similar accident.
An accident at work can cause physical and psychological injuries but also financial loss and hardship for you and your family. McGee Solicitors specialise in work accident claims, we have done this for many years. McGee Solicitors have helped many people who have been in that position. We provide a very high standard of service keeping you constantly up to date with your claim. Ensuring that the very best service is provided so that your claim is given every chance of success. Our experts work hard to ensure you get the most compensation you can in the circumstances.
Compensation Claim
There are a large variety of different types of accidents at work. Therefore, different types of injuries that can be sustained. To give you an idea of the kind of different elements that can be claimed for we have listed below some of them:-
- Injuries sustained
- Psychological injuries and upset
- Loss of earnings
- Other out of pocket expenses that can be attributed to the accident
You may also be wondering how much compensation you can get for an accident at work claim. Again, this can vary largely because of the different types of injuries and the seriousness of them. Obviously, an accident that requires hospital treatment, pain and suffering that goes on for years is going to be worth a significant sum. Whereas, an accident involving some minor scarring on a hand will be worth less. Nevertheless, you will still be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
Accident Compensation Calculator
We have created a Compensation Calculator. Click the link below to get an estimate of what your Accident Claim could be worth:-
Contact Us
If you have been in an accident at work contact us for a Free Consultation. Call us on 028 9002 5511 , or email us on info@mcgeesolicitors.co.uk to arrange a free consultation.