Can I Claim For An Accident At Work

By Clare Westwood

It is a well known act that more accidents occur in the workplace than anywhere else. Just under half of all accidents occur in the workplace now. It can be awkward for employees to pursue a claim against their employer as often repercussions are feared. Worries over repercussions should not deter people from claiming though as all employers have to have Employer's Liability Insurance in order to cover them for events like this.

There is often a crossover between negligence and liability with workplace injury claims. There are laws which state that employers much comply with both criminal and civil prosecution.

One of the first things to do when you suffer an accident at work id to make sure that you will receive statutory sick pay if you are going to be absent from work. Statutory sick pay is paid for up to 28 weeks, if you are still unable to return to work after this period then you may wish to consider applying for other benefits such as incapacity benefit.

The accident should be logged in your employers accident record book, having an accident book is a legal requirement for any company of ten or more people. If there is no accident log book then you must inform your company in writing of the accident.

To claim for your injuries you need t be able to prove that your employer casued the accident due to negligence- ie failure to take reasonable steps to prevent it happening. Employers must provide the following; a safe environment for working in, training on how to use equipment and suitable equipment for the job.

The employer must make sure that the people working for them are competent at what hey are doing and are not putting anyone at risk around them. If you have had an accident at work it is always a good idea to seek legal advice on what to do next.

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