Injuries in the workplace are very common, and when many people get hurt in an accident or incident they aren’t sure whether or not they are entitled to make a claim. If you have suffered an injury the most important thing to do is to speak to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible – and read up on what the legislation behind what constitutes making a claim. The George Ide blog is a great resource for this, and you can read more here. Speaking to a lawyer will provide you with the advice required as to whether you potentially have a claim to be made.
With that in mind, here are five of the most common forms of workplace injury and a few details on whether you are likely to be able to make a claim for them.
Injuries from handling, lifting or carrying
One of the most common workplace injuries occurs when someone attempts to lift, carry or handle something. If handling, lifting or carrying objects is a part of your day-to-day role then you should be provided with training on how to do so safely. Injuring yourself in this way can be debilitating, with potential back or muscle injuries keeping you out of work and in discomfort for a significant period of time.
Can you make a claim? To be able to make a claim for an injury at work cause by lifting or carrying you would need to show that you were asked to carry or lift something that was too heavy or inappropriate for someone to handle safely. It is up your employer to ensure that you are not asked to carry out unsafe, so if it can be shown that the task was unsafe.
Slipping or tripping
Falling over, slipping or tripping at work is also extremely common and can happen in almost any workplace. Whether it results in a small injury or a more serious problem, it can leave you in a position where you can’t work or with a long recovery period.
Can you make a claim? There are many instances that you can make a claim for slipping over at work, however, you need to be able to show that the slip was caused by a regulation not being followed or by someone else making a mistake. For example if you lost your footing on a slippery surface that had not been clearly marked, you would likely be able to make a claim.
Hit by a falling or moving object
Any time that you work somewhere there is work be carried out on open levels above your head height, you can potentially be at risk from falling objects. For example, if you work in construction this can be a major risk.
Can you make a claim? If an object has fallen from height then it is likely to have been caused by another worker not following the proper regulations. If it the case that someone else was at fault for the object falling then you will be able to make a claim, as proper safety procedures will not have been followed.
Some people worry that they were not following the regulations properly so they will not be able to make a claim. An example of this might be if you were in an area clearly marked as requiring hard hats and you were not wearing one when the object struck you. However, in this case it is not that you wouldn’t be able to make a claim, however you may have to accept a smaller settlement for your part in the injury occurring.
Contact with machinery
It is your legal right to work in an environment that is safe, and many forms of machinery can present an injury risk. If you come into contact with machinery and it causes an accident you can be seriously injured.
Can you make a claim? It may be the case that you were not provided with suitable safety gear or that the machinery was faulty and this is what caused the injury. It might even be that you were not provided with suitable training.
Falling from height
Working at height can be very dangerous if you are not provided with the correct equipment or training. If you fell from height while working and have been injured, it’s a great idea to speak to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
Can you make a claim? If you employer provided you with the wrong equipment or you were not suitably trained, then you will likely be able to make a claim.
