If you suffer an accident or injury at your place of work, while going about your job, you could be entitled to receive some degree of compensation. However, in order for this to be the case there are a number of factors which would need to be accounted for. Firstly you would need to be able to prove that you had the accident while at work, and secondly you would need to prove that negligence on the part of your employer was the reason for the accident.
The first step is to find proof supporting your claim. Ideally you should look to try and secure corroborating evidence such as hospital records and witnesses to the accident. The next step is to prove that the accident happened as a result of your employer failing to meet adequate standards of workplace safety, rather than as a result of carelessness or recklessness on your part. You will need to be able to show how you received your injuries, and how your employer was in breach of guidelines concerning the health and wellbeing of employees. You should report an injury as soon as possible, after suffering it, as the failure to do so could affect your claim by damaging your credibility.
Despite being legally entitled to make an accident at work claim, many people still feel reluctant to do so out of a fear of losing their job. However, if handled correctly, through a solicitor trained in this area of the law, things do not need to become polarised between the claimant and the employer. If you have a job with a high risk of accident or injury – such as on a building site – both you and your employer should have the correct insurance cover to provide financial protection and compensation for the inability to work.
