What to do if you faced an Injury at Work
Injury at Work
People who have been in an accident at work should think about how they can protect themselves from some of the consequences. The pain and suffering of a personal injury is bad enough, but people can enter serious difficulties due to expenses, missed wages and severe health consequences.
So how can you protect yourself after suffering a personal injury in a workplace accident?
- Report the accident and ensure it is recorded
Businesses should record accidents at work that result in injury, no matter how small the injury is. This does not just apply to injuries sustained by employees – any accident that causes harm to a visitor, customer or member of the public should also be recorded. Firms should keep this information in an incident book, and should record the time, date and place of the injury and the name and contact information of the injured party.
Companies should also record whether or not the accident was reported to the Health and Safety Executive’s incident Contact Center. If the incident was an accident at work, then the report should also detail whether or not the worker was able to continue working or how long their absence was.
- Seek medical attention
You should seek medical attention even if you do not think the accident left you with personal injuries. People can often be unaware of the extent of their injuries, but health problems can rapidly worsen if sufferers do not receive prompt medical attention.
Follow the advice of your doctors to the letter. Take any medicines they advise you to take and participate in any exercises or physiotherapy they advise. Receiving medical attention will also help you in your workplace accident compensation claim.
- Make a claim for compensation with personal injury solicitors
You should speak to personal injury solicitors about making an accident at work compensation claim. If the accident was not entirely your fault, you can receive compensation for your pain, suffering and financial losses. Employers are responsible to ensure their employees are safe while at work and when they are negligent in this regard, people can make a personal injury claim against them.
Recovering your financial losses will ensure that you are not left out-of-pocket should you miss any wages or pay for medical treatment following the accident. If the accident was not your fault, you should not face any unnecessary financial problems as a result of it. Solicitors may also be able to secure a cash advance for you, so you can fund rehabilitation and deal with any lost income before it becomes a serious problem.
In the UK, the vast majority of employers are legally obliged to take out employer’s liability insurance to protect them in the event of a compensation claim against them, and this insurance company will handle your compensation claim. Employers cannot fire you or treat you differently because you have made a compensation claim against them, so you don’t have any reason to worry about contacting solicitors.
- Aim to get back into work as quickly as possible.
Remaining active is an integral element of the recovery process for the vast majority of personal injuries. Follow your doctor’s advice and aim to get back to work as soon as you can. Not only will this minimize your losses, but it will also help your body get back up to strength. For industrial diseases, you might need to take some time off to recover, but prolonged sickness absences are strongly associated with worse outcomes from illness and injury.
Going back to work will help to reduce the psychological health problems that can emerge following workplace accidents, as it will keep you active and productive. Your employer should also be eager to get you back into work, as absences damage business productivity.
Employers should be considerate of your personal injuries and should amend working practices so they do not cause your injuries to worsen. For example, if you’re making a back injury claim, your employer might minimize the number of heavy lifting or manual handling tasks you conduct. New work furniture or tools and equipment can also help people recover following a personal injury. Businesses can also change a staff member’s working hours, help them with transportation into and out of work, and support them should they require time off for rehabilitation treatments or medical appointments. In some cases, employers could consider setting up home-working arrangements, providing that the health and safety of the employee can be assured.
Taylor Watson is a blogger who works alongside a team of accident at work compensation. She has had his work published across a huge range of different platforms and media. She has previously worked as a content writer and a journalist.
