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Seeking compensation in industrial injury claims

07Aug

Each year, over a million people suffer from work-related injury or illness and in 2009/10, 152 people were killed at work. If you have been injured at work as a result of your employer’s negligence, you may be able to make a claim for compensation. Employers have a legal responsibility to take steps to protect workers from work-related injury and illness. This includes undertaking thorough risk assessments, providing protective equipment and ensuring machinery is safe to use. If you would like advice about claiming compensation, speak to Macks Solicitors. They have many years of experience and are experts in this area.

Risk of industrial injuries higher in first six months

05Aug

Statistics indicate that workers have a doubled risk of industrial injuries in the first six months of employment. In fact, workers are about as likely to have an accident in the first six months as during the whole of the rest of their working life. This additional risk may be because workers are unfamiliar with a new workplace, they may lack experience in that area of work or they may keep quiet about potential hazards because they want to impress new colleagues. Employers need to take steps to protect workers from dangers in the workplace from their very first day.

Does the UK have a work injuries compensation culture?

04Aug

The Association of British Insurers published figures in 2005 which indicated that around 60,000 people receive compensation from their employers every year. Government statistics indicate that a further 20,000 people a year receive Industrial Injuries benefit, which is a ‘no fault’ compensation scheme provided by the government. As a percentage of the total number of illnesses and injuries every year, this figure is quite low. In 2009/10, there were 555,000 cases of new work illnesses and 233,000 reportable work injuries. Concerns that the UK is developing a ‘compensation culture’ where compensation is awarded to undeserving cases seem unfounded.

Injured at work after ladder accident

03Aug

According to HSE figures, there are 12 fatalities a year, on average, as a result of falls from ladders at work. An additional 1,200 workers suffer major injuries. Ladders are the most common agent involved in work injuries and account for more than a quarter of all falls from height. Falls from height are the most common cause of fatal injuries at work and also cause a significant number of major injuries and over-three-day injuries. Steps can be taken to make working with ladders safer. Employers need to provide suitable equipment and make sure workers are trained. Employees need to check equipment and work safely.

Government cuts threaten to increase workplace injuries

02Aug

In October 2010, the government announced cuts to the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) and to local authorities. These cuts mean that there will be fewer visits to workplaces and a lower capacity to provide guidance to employers. The Young Review, published in 2010, has also been called a “missed opportunity” by the TUC. It focuses on areas where health and safety rules have been used unnecessarily rather than focusing on reducing injuries and fatalities. These two factors have raised concerns that the number of injuries and fatalities occurring in British workplaces will increase rather than decrease in the near future.

Injury or illness at work: Making an accident at work claim for compensation

01Aug

very year, thousands of people are injured at work or suffer an illness as a result of their work. The different types of injury and illness that they suffer vary dramatically. An injury is usually the result of a single incident, such as a fall. An illness may not be attributable to a single cause and may have built up over time, such as stress. In 2009/10, work-related ill health was the cause of more days taken off work than work injuries. The employer may be considered negligent if the injury or illness was ‘foreseeable;’ that is if they should have known the risks and could have done something to reduce them.

Personal injury at work blinds welder

29Jul

The eyes are extremely complicated and delicate. If they are damaged, this can result in partial or complete blindness. Manual occupations such as construction have a higher risk of injury to the eye. Eyes can be damaged by foreign objects, by a blow to the eye or by an explosion. Scratches or grazes to the cornea (also known as corneal abrasions) affect about 3 in 1,000 people every year in the UK. It is important that workers at risk from foreign objects entering their eyes, eg. splinters, are given adequate eye protection. If an employer fails to protect their workers, they may be considered negligent.

Car Accident Advice

28Jul

Every year, thousands of people are injured or killed in car accidents. There are ways that you can protect yourself, particularly making sure you wear a seat belt whenever you’re in a car and staying alert to hazards on the road. If you are involved in an accident, seek medical advice if you have been injured. Try to exchange contact details with any other vehicles involved and any witnesses. Also write down as many details of the accident as you can remember. Then speak to a solicitor with many years of experience about making a car accident claim.

How to prevent work injury

26Jul

Both employers and employees have a responsibility to do what they can to prevent work injury. Safety equipment such as goggles should be provided where necessary. If manual handling will be required, workers need to direct their full attention to the task and employers should ensure that they have received the correct training. Care also needs to be taken to avoid slips and trips by cleaning up spillages, using appropriate cleaning products, replacing worn or torn flooring, removing obstacles from pathways and ensuring lighting is sufficient. If these steps are followed, many work injuries can be prevented.

Fear of angry employers should not prevent a work accident claim from being made

24Jul

A main factor which contributes to employees not making a work accident claim for an injury that they have suffered at work is that they are afraid that their employer will be angry and may even stunt their career path progression. This article proves this not to be the case as it is true that many employers do not look unfavourably upon work accident claims being made against them. Most are glad that a problem has been highlighted and dealt with for the future.

Car accident claims on the up as road rage rises in hot weather

23Jul

Car accident claims rise with the hot weather, so reports show. This article describes how car accident claims are related to the road rage induced and exacerbated by hot weather. Road rage will inevitably cause more accidents and the victims of these accidents are right to make a claim in a bid to gain compensation for their unnecessary injuries and also try to stamp out the road rage which the roads of the UK seem to suffer from. If you have been the victim of road rage, then you may be entitled to make a claim.

64 holiday claims after salmonella poisoning at Costa del Sol hotel

23Jul

Concerns have been raised about the safety of a hotel in a Spanish resort after a number of guests were struck down by food poisoning whilst on holiday, including eight members of the same family. Guests reported that there were poor hygiene standards and the buffet was often not heated through and was open to the elements and passing birds. Many of the guests suffered from food poisoning. Some cases were so severe that they required hospitalisation. A group of 64 people are now putting in a claim for compensation, saying the holiday company should not have advertised a resort known to have problems of this kind.

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