If you have been injured while carrying out your occupation and it was not your fault, you may be able to make an accident at work claim. Our personal injury team are accident at work solicitors and are experienced in supporting employees with all severities of work-related accident. We can help to assess you have grounds for a claim, and then we can help you secure the compensation you deserve.

Your employer has a duty to protect you

Everyone deserves to feel safe at their place of work, but accidents do happen – in fact 441,000 people suffered an injury at work in 2020/21 – and employers have a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment, so when they fail in this duty you have a right to be compensated for the pain and suffering of your injuries and for any loss of earnings, medical treatment required and any ongoing rehabilitation costs.

What constitutes a workplace accident?

Essentially, this is any accident that happens in the workplace and while carrying out the duties of your employment, even if this is off-site. Work accidents range from suffering a small cut or a minor back injury from lifting, through to life changing and fatal injuries. Typical types of work accident include:

  • Falls
  • Trips
  • Slips
  • Burns (temperature, electrical, chemical)
  • Machinery Injury
  • Crush Injury
  • Falling objects

What does my employer need to do to protect me?

All jobs are different and the nature or location of your employment may present very few risks, such as working in a small office or shop. However, some types of employment present higher levels of safety risk, for example in manufacturing, chemical handling, warehousing or construction workers.

Your employer has a duty to put health and safety controls in place to reduce risk as far as is reasonably practicable, and they should do this by carrying out a risk assessment of every operational process in the workplace. Where an accident occurs, it is often because this process hasn’t taken place, the controls are not sufficient or the employer or a colleague has been negligent in their actions. In all these cases, the employer has lapsed in their duty to you.

If an employee suffers an injury at work it should be recorded in the Accident Book and retained for safekeeping. A serious accident which results in an absence from work of seven or more consecutive days needs to be reported under the RIDDOR regulations. There were over 51,000 RIDDOR accidents in the UK in 2020/21. All accidents should involve the employer analysing how the accident occurred, speaking to those involved and putting measures in place to ensure the accident can’t happen again.

If I claim against my boss could they sack me?

No. Under employment laws, your employer cannot dismiss you or discriminate against you, on the grounds that you are making a personal injury claim against them.

Contact the leading accident at work solicitors in Yorkshire

Ison Harrison are The Yorkshire Law Firm with 20 branches throughout Leeds and Yorkshire. We have close links with and understand our community, and we can offer a free initial consultation to assess the viability of your claim. We can assist with all types of accident at work, regardless of its severity and how it occurred.

For expert help with your accident at work claim, phone, email or send an online enquiry today.