Can I claim compensation for an accident at work?
If you have been injured in the last three years and the injuries you suffered resulted from your employers, managers or other employees failing to follow health and safety rules you are entitled to make a claim. Your accident may have resulted from one of the following:
- Dangerous working practices
- Poor or non-existent workplace risk assessments
- Limited or non-existent personal protective equipment (PPE)
- A spillage that could have been prevented
- A fall from height
- Poorly maintained equipment
What are my rights if I suffer an accident at work?
The law states that you should always be provided with safe and suitable work equipment. You should also receive proper training to complete your required tasks and work alongside other correctly trained employees who will not put you in any risk. Making a claim will not affect your employment rights.
Will I have to pay to make an accident at work compensation claim?
Our personal injury cases are handled on a No Win No Fee basis. This means there will be no cost to you. [link to our no win no fee page]
Why Choose Osbornes Law for my accident at work claim?
At Osbornes Law we have one of the largest personal injury teams in London led by Stuart Kightley, Managing Partner and Head of Personal Injury Department.
Stuart is recognised by his peers for building a strong specialist team of personal injury litigators who have helped thousands of employees over the years to gain the compensation they deserve.
Osbornes Law is an active supporter and campaigner for the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) – an organisation fighting for the rights of injured people. Other organisations supported by the team include Headway East London, Spinal Injuries Association and the Limbless Association.
Stuart’s team includes specialist and highly experienced personal injury litigators with a strong track record of obtaining the right care, treatment and compensation for their clients.
Successful outcomes for our clients involved in an accident at work
- Our client was a builder suffering psychological reaction following needle stick injury from discarded syringe. His employers failed to take action to prevent drug users using working on site. Damages awarded: £20,000.
- An abattoir supervisor was hit be a fork lift truck and suffered significant complex injuries. Following the accident our client had permanent reduced walking ability, only able to walk with sticks. He was not able to return to employment. Damages awarded £4.75 million.
- We represented a labourer who sustained burns to his ankle when liquid nitrogen leaked from pipe he was working on. His injuries required plastic surgery. Damages awarded: £100,000.
- A machinist suffered a fall when tripping over cable from her sewing machine. As a result of the fall she suffered. Damages awarded: £70,000
- A self-employed carpenter suffered a complex ankle fracture whilst working on a building site. The injury left him with permanently restricted mobility. Damages awarded £2 million.
What our clients say about us
“I honestly recommend Osborne’s Law to all my friends and family as I was very pleased with their professionalism and high customer service”
“Osbornes were absolutely brilliant and got me the compensation I deserved, Thank you for all your hard work and help”.
Case studies
Accident on a residential property site
Our client worked as a carpenter/bricklayer on a building site at a residential property in North London. He was asked to cut down some larger timbers to a smaller size using a skill saw to allow them to be used as roof timbers. His employer had not provided a work bench and our client had to adapt and used a table used for scaffolding. As a result, his right dominant hand became tired and he swapped hands to continue. Whilst swapping hands his right hand came into contact with the blade of the skill saw.
He sustained a partial amputation to his right index finger, middle finger, right ring finger and right little finger. His fingers were surgically attached with K wires and re-vascularised. He underwent hand therapy.
As a result of the accident our client was permanently restricted in future work activity due to his injuries and could not return to carpentry. He managed to find work as a cleaner on various building sites.
The Defendant’s insurers denied liability throughout and alleged that the Claimant had two jobs with them. The first was as an employed “surveyor” on site for which he was paid a fixed sum of money per month, despite our client not speaking English to a good level of understanding.
Allegations were also made that our client worked on a self-employed basis as a bricklayer/carpenter and was paid cash in hand on a daily basis. They alleged that our client was not an employee, the defendants did not owe him any duty of care and that he was responsible for his own method of work on the site.
Essentially, it was argued that our client was the author of his own misfortune and that he was substantially contributorily negligent and, as a consequence, any damages awarded should be substantially reduced to take this into account.
Osbornes Law issued proceedings for the Court to determine the issue of liability and at the procedural hearing stage an offer of settlement was made which was rejected. After negotiations the claim settled.
Damages awarded £100,000
Construction Site Accident at Work
Our client suffered numerous fractures to their left leg requiring surgery.
He was working in a room on a construction site that had a number of metal rails and other equipment all over the floor so, limiting the floor space where he could work. Our client had asked his supervisor the previous day if the area could be cleared but nothing happened.
Our client was fixing boarding to the walls and ceiling but, was only provided with step ladder and not a working platform. As a consequence, he had to hold the board and the drill and fix one with the other whilst standing on the ladder, which was not correctly positioned due to the metalwork strewn across the floor. Our client lost his balance and fell from the stepladder.
We were pleased that our client made a good recovery from his injuries but he did continue to suffer with low level pain in his knee and shin. He changed his employment to avoid the use of ladders and ceiling work and was able to return to work on a full-time basis after a short period of absence.
Damages awarded: £50,000.
Accident at Work: FAQs
What type of accident can I claim for?
Every workplace is different but, here are some examples of the accidents you can claim for:
- Forklift truck accidents
- Catering And Kitchen Injury
- Factory Accident
- Garage And Motor Repair Injury
- Nursing Injury
- Tree Surgeon And Gardener Accidents
- Construction site accidents
- Accidents In The Office
- Ladder accidents and falls from heights
- Scaffolding Accident Claims & Injuries
- Needlestick Injury
- Train & Railway Accident
- Warehouse Loading Injury
- Farm accidents
Is my employer responsible for my work accident?
Every employer is required by law to have employer’s liability insurance cover to make sure they can pay for any incidents in their workplace resulting in injury. The insurance cover taken out means the firm is not affected financially by the claim.
What level of compensation would I be entitled to following an accident at work?
The level of compensation you will receive depends on a number of different factors. These will include – the severity of your injuries, your care and rehabilitation needs and loss of earnings as a result of your time away from work. Our personal injury solicitors provide an initial free consultation by telephone to discuss your situation, gain details of the injuries sustained, how you and your family are coping and other factors relevant to your claim.
What rehabilitation and other support services are available following an accident at work?
The aim of a personal injury claim is to put the person back into the position they would have been had the accident not occurred. Depending on the type of injury sustained this is not always possible.
At Osbornes Law we are committed to supporting our clients to helping our clients recover from their injuries as far as is possible and also as quickly as possible so you can get your life back on track.
We are experienced at obtaining rehabilitation at the earliest opportunity for our clients. The Rehabilitation Code sets out how the parties involved in a claim should deal with rehabilitation. Securing rehabilitation through this route means that should your claim be unsuccessful you would not be required to repay any monies you receive for treatment under the Code.
Additionally, our personal injury solicitors will also seek early interim payments from your employer’s insurer to help fund treatment and living expenses. We are also able to advise on welfare benefits which may be affected by interim payments made.
If you have been involved in an accident at work and wish to discuss your current situation and circumstances, please call 020 7485 8811 or complete our online enquiry form.
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