These are the steps you should take if you get injured in an accident at work that wasn’t your fault:
- Your priority is to receive medical treatment for the injuries you’ve suffered, and it’s your legal right to get this. The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 places a duty on your employer to provide you with ‘adequate and appropriate equipment and personnel’ (in the form of a qualified first aider) to ensure you get immediate medical attention for an injury suffered in an accident at work.
- If the business you work for has ten or more employees, it must have an accident record book in which all accidents at work are recorded. Make sure you either record the accident yourself or witness someone else doing this on your behalf.
- Either take photos of the accident scene yourself or get a colleague or supervisor to do this for you. If you can, ensure this is done soon after the accident.
- Find out if any of your work colleagues witnessed the accident. If they did, get their names and phone numbers. Their account of the accident could be crucial to your chances of bringing a successful accident at work claim against your employers if you decide to claim.
- Whilst you are off work recovering from your injuries, you are entitled to receive Statutory Sick Pay. Some employers pay their employees wages in full in the event of an absence through injury or illness. Check your employment contract to find out what the position is in your case.
- If you decide to claim against your employer for your injuries and other losses (including any loss of earnings), get in touch with an expert accident at work solicitor as soon as possible, whilst the accident details are fresh in your mind
If you want to find out more about accident at work claims and how to start the claims process, visit the following page on our website: