Accident at Work Compensation Claims

Title
ALTHOUGH WORKPLACES SHOULD BE SAFE ENVIRONMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES TO WORK IN, ACCIDENTS AT WORK ARE UNFORTUNATELY ALL TOO COMMON

Whilst no workplace can be entirely risk-free, you are entitled to work in a safe environment, and your employer has a duty to safeguard your welfare at work.

If you suffer an accident or incident in the workplace, you may be able to pursue financial compensation with the help of one of our specialist work accident lawyers for:

Accidents involving faulty equipment
Injuries sustained as a result of manual handling operations and lifting heavy objects
Incidents as a result of the condition of the premises in which you were working, including slips, trips and falls
Exposure to dangerous substances or chemicals
Falls from heights such as ladders or scaffolding
Accidents involving dangerous machinery
Personal injury caused by incidents involving vehicles such as forklift trucks
Psychiatric and associated injuries resulting from stress at work
Injury sustained as a result of an assault or harassment from a person at work

If any of the above applies to you, or if you’ve sustained an injury at work in any other circumstance that wasn't your fault, contact our lawyers today. Our legal specialists are on hand to take your claim through to completion.

“I'd like to thank you both so much for all your work and dedication to my claim most of all believing me through all of it. I am happy with the outcome of compensation I received, I know claims can be difficult to prove.”

Prettys’ work injury lawyers offer the support and guidance needed to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. Our team focuses entirely on helping you along the road to recovery, ensuring you benefit from expertly tailored legal advice right from the moment you contact us through to the conclusion of your case.

There are many situations in which you may be able to make a personal injury claim; it does not matter whether you were working as a full-time employee, a part-time employee, a temporary worker, a self-employed contractor or were just visiting a place of business or employment at the time of the incident.

Why Choose Prettys?

Prettys’ team of solicitors understands the physical, emotional and financial impact accidents in the workplace can have. As a result, we take a client-focused approach designed to ensure you are fully compensated. Not only does this compensation cover the injuries or illness, but also any treatment and lost wages from the time you were unable to work as a result of the accident.

With many years of practical experience dealing with work-related injury claims, our specialists have helped countless clients secure the compensation they’re looking for. Offering practical legal advice tailored to your specific situation, Prettys acts as a valued legal partner throughout every stage of the process.

Start your No Win No Fee compensation claim today. Contact our personal injury team on 01473 232121, complete our enquiry form or email enquiry@prettys.co.uk.

Title
Useful Links

Road Traffic Accidents Slips, Trips & Falls Defective Premises Claims Animal Attacks Defective Products and Services Claims Criminal Injury Compensation Claims Health & Safety Investigations Insurance Sports Law Inheritance Tax Planning and Trusts Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection

Expert

Louise Plant

Senior Associate

Jade Boyle

Litigation Executive

Vanessa Bell

Partner

What people say

From the first meeting with Louise Plant, Prettys have been fantastic. Louise kept me updated throughout the process and has always been consistent in returning calls and emails and has always been happy to answer any questions. I have always felt reassured with Louise which eased my mind and caused less stress and anxiety. She is a lovely, approachable lady and I cannot express my gratitude enough to her for her hard work and achieving the right outcome for me.

A Client -

FAQs

Who can make a claim for personal injury?

If you have suffered injury as a result of someone else’s negligence or breach of duty, then you are entitled to bring a claim for compensation.

Can I claim if I am a child?

If you are a person under the age of 18, then you can still bring a claim, but the courts will need to appoint what is known as a “Litigation Friend” who is a person that can conduct the claim on your behalf. That person generally tends to be a family member or friend.

Can I claim for loss if I am the relative of a person who has died as a result of an accident / incident that was the fault of a third party?

If the case involves an accident that resulted in a fatality, then that person’s dependants may be able to bring a claim for the loss of that dependency, and the estate of the deceased may be able to bring a claim for personal injury on behalf of the person that has died.

When can I make a personal injury claim?

There are strict time limits involved in bringing claims for personal injury and these time limits depend upon the accident and injuries sustained.

Generally, the rule is that you have three years from the date that either:

(a) The accident and therefore the injury occurred; or
(b) From the date that you were aware that the injury sustained was caused by the negligence / breach of duty of a third party.

However, not all accidents and injuries have the same time limits applied to them.

For example, if you wish to bring a claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, you have two years to submit a claim, and accidents that take place abroad may be subject to different legal jurisdictions in which either shorter or longer time limits apply.

It is therefore important that if you wish to bring a claim for personal injury, you contact a legal representative as soon as possible who can advise you as to the appropriate time limits that apply to your case.

Can I get medical assistance to help my recovery through the claims process?

Generally, if it is the case that your injuries have been caused as the result of the negligence / breach of duty of a third party and they admit that they are at fault, then your legal representative can arrange for you to undergo treatment on a private basis that can aid you in your recovery from your injury / illness.

Additionally, it is noteworthy that there is a Rehabilitation Code that operates in personal injury claims that allows for the provision of rehabilitation to those that have suffered more serious and debilitating injuries, even if responsibility for the claim is denied.

Ask your legal representative about obtaining treatment such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy or counselling to assist in your recovery in conjunction with your claim being progressed if this will assist you to get back on your feet quicker.

How much is my claim worth?

There are often two parts to a claim for compensation that can be brought against a third party.

(a) The first part of the claim is called “General Damages” and this is compensation for the actual injury and therefore the pain, suffering and loss of amenity that you have suffered as a result of the accident / incident in question.

The extent of the value of this part of the claim will depend upon the injury itself, the extent of the symptoms that you are suffering, how much those symptoms have interfered with your home and working life and how long you are likely to suffer the symptoms for.

If it is the case that you recover quickly and completely, then the value of this element of your claim is likely to be less than that of a person who has suffered permanent, painful and restrictive symptoms that are likely to continue indefinitely.

(b) The second part of your claim is referred to as “Special Damages” and this is compensation for the financial losses that flow from the injury and symptoms suffered.

Examples of special damages include:

Loss of earnings and pension
Care received (often from family members or friends)
Travelling expenses (for example to attend upon your GP or other healthcare providers)
Treatment and medication expenses
Any home adaptations required
Vehicle repairs
Damage to belongings

Claims for special damages can include costs / expenses that you have incurred in the past, or costs that you will incur in the future as a result of the injuries that you have sustained arising from the accident or incident.

Again, the extent of these losses will depend upon the extent of the injury that you sustained, and therefore the impact that this injury has had in terms of your home and working life.

What evidence / information can I gather to help with my claim?

In terms of both proving that a third party is responsible for your claim for personal injury and then in terms of supporting your claim for the injury and financial losses that you have suffered, the following are useful pieces of evidence that you can gather to support your claim:

Details of the relevant parties involved in the accident, including details of the vehicles and drivers if you are involved in a road traffic accident or details of the landowner if you have an accident on someone else’s property.
Photographs of the accident location, vehicles involved if appropriate and the injury and damage caused.
Details of any witnesses including their telephone numbers – the accounts of others who have witnessed the accident can back-up your claim
Keep your own record of the incident – this can include writing down what happened, drawing a map / plan of the accident location
Keep records of all expenses that you may have incurred as a result of the incident and injury sustained, for example, loss of earnings, travel expenses and any medication costs.

What is the claims process?

a. We provide a free initial consultation to discuss your case with you and to decide whether it is something that we can assist you with.

b. We will then investigate your claim further if necessary, and then submit your claim to the third party and ask whether they will accept responsibility for your accident/illness.

c. We will then consider the extent of the injury that you have suffered and will proceed to instruct appropriate medical experts to provide further evidence dealing with the injury/illness that you have sustained as a result of the accident/incident.

d. Once we have obtained, if possible, a final opinion in respect of the extent of the injury/illness that you have suffered, we will then look to advise you in respect of the value of your claim, and make appropriate recommendations in terms of a settlement.

How long will my case take to settle?

It may only take a few months to settle your claim for personal injury if responsibility is accepted quickly by the third party and your recovery from your injuries is such that Prettys can value the matter swiftly and proceed with your claim to settlement.

Accidents / incidents that cause more severe injuries and symptoms and which result in the client requiring extensive and ongoing treatment before we can obtain a final medical opinion and prognosis may take much longer before a settlement can be reached and the claim is brought to a conclusion.

Can I obtain interim payments to help me if I am off work following an accident / illness or if I require medical treatment?

If the third party admits responsibility for your accident and it is apparent that the injuries / illness that you have sustained are a result of that accident or incident, then we can look to obtain interim payments on account of your compensation to assist you whilst your case is being pursued.

These payments can also be obtained to pay upfront for any recommended treatment or immediate needs that you may have and to assist with your recovery.

Will I have to attend court?

The vast majority of cases settle without proceeding to court. In certain cases, for example when responsibility for your accident is not accepted by the third party or if there is a dispute over the value of your claim, then it may be that you would be required to attend a court hearing. However, if this is the case, Prettys will ensure that you are fully supported in taking part in the court process.

Do you deal with accidents involving members of the Armed Forces?

Yes. We have experience of dealing with road traffic accidents, accidents at work, and in general accidents involving members of the Armed Forces in the course of their service with, and have extensive experience in dealing with the MOD to enable us to investigate and pursue a claim for personal injury accordingly.

What is a “No Win No Fee” agreement?

The majority of the personal injury cases we take on at Prettys are on a “No Win No Fee” basis. This is a contract between the client and Prettys that confirms that if we are not successful in pursuing your claim for personal injury against the third party, we will not seek to recover the legal fees we have incurred from you.

At Prettys, we will not take on a case unless we think that we have a good chance of succeeding with the claim against the third party, and we will be upfront and honest with you at all times in respect of the progress of your case, and therefore whether we can continue with the matter going forwards.

If you would like any further information about the terms upon which we could conduct your claim for personal injury, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Accidents / Incidents at Work

Title
ALTHOUGH WORKPLACES SHOULD BE SAFE ENVIRONMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES TO WORK IN, ACCIDENTS AT WORK ARE UNFORTUNATELY ALL TOO COMMON

Why Choose Prettys?

Title
Useful Links

What people say

FAQs

Our People

Request a call back

Dispute Resolution | Data Protection | Employment Law | Conveyancing | Family Law | Corporate and Commercial Law | Construction | Real Estate | Wills, Estates and Trusts

Latest Articles

Louise Plant

Joe (Joseph) Jordan

Sheilah Cummins

Liam Hendry

Accidents / Incidents at Work

Title ALTHOUGH WORKPLACES SHOULD BE SAFE ENVIRONMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES TO WORK IN, ACCIDENTS AT WORK ARE UNFORTUNATELY ALL TOO COMMON

Why Choose Prettys?

Title Useful Links

What people say

FAQs

Our People

Request a call back

Dispute Resolution | Data Protection | Employment Law | Conveyancing | Family Law | Corporate and Commercial Law | Construction | Real Estate | Wills, Estates and Trusts

Latest Articles

Louise Plant

Joe (Joseph) Jordan

Sheilah Cummins

Liam Hendry

Title
ALTHOUGH WORKPLACES SHOULD BE SAFE ENVIRONMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES TO WORK IN, ACCIDENTS AT WORK ARE UNFORTUNATELY ALL TOO COMMON

Title
Useful Links