Becoming a victim of an accident at work can be quite confusing and distressful. Not only that you are worried about what would be the injury side effects, but finding reliable information on what to do is also hard.
Hopefully, any kind of mishap will not happen, but in case it does, you may find this article helpful and that the confusion that occurs in such an event can be lifted. Maybe, it can also give you a clear picture of which steps you should take.
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Inform Your Colleagues
Make sure that in case you were working alone in the place where an accident has occurred, you inform your colleagues on what has happened. If you later decide to claim compensation, this would be an important step to make.
Sometimes your employer as well as their insurance can not dispute the occurrence of the accident. That can quite often be the case, and if you want to prevent it, it would be wise to follow this advice.
Have in mind that sometimes, employers may put a lot of pressure on other workers, which may result in them being persuaded in denying the accident ever occurred.
That does sound quite awful, however, by obtaining evidence that is firm, insurers and your employer will not be able to oppose your claim.
So, it is not only important that you act faster than them in such a situation for your personal gain, but also because of their protection. By informing them of what went wrong, they will know how to avoid potential risks themselves.
Should You Seek Professional Advice?
If you have decided to pursue compensation for the pain and discomfort that you have to go through by having an injury at your workplace, and your employer is making your life difficult by trying to prevent you from achieving such a goal, or has gone to the extreme and fired you, you should take legal action.
To receive the best results possible, it would be advised to seek counsel from an experienced lawyer or your local bureau. As specified by the experts at TruittLawOffices.com, it is important to have an aggressive advocate on your side; they will represent you and will fight for you.
Solicitors may also assist you to take action, especially in the case that the injury or sickness at work was a result of the employer's negligence.
Owners of companies have a responsibility. They must ensure a secure and safe environment for their workers. If that doesn't apply to your workplace, you may have higher chances of winning the case.
Ultimately, the successful personal injury claim can gain you a settlement that is proportionate to your injury.
Use the Accident Book
All companies should own an accident book. Due to performance targets, some workers may not be so keen on recording accidents in it. If you injure yourself, it would be out of great importance that you do not act as the majority would.
You should not let the pressure get inside of your head, and the misfortune that has happened to you goes noticed and unreported.
In case that the employer is refusing to record what has occurred in the accident book, the wise thing to do would be to write to him via email that you have tried doing such a thing yourself.
A move like that cannot be denied, since it is considered evidence, thus your boss will not be able to deny such a request.
If by any chance, he still does not want to take action on such a matter, the next thing you could do is resign and claim for constructive dismissal – see more info. Have in mind that pursuing such an act needs specialist advice, so it would be best to consult your lawyer.
Inform Your Superiors
This is similar to the first step. After the accident where you have received an injury, you should immediately report it to your employer as well. Naturally, follow your company's protocol in the matter.
Your boss is legally obliged to report the accident to the Health and Safety Executive in case circumstances were serious.
At this stage, it is not important to seek who is to blame. In some cases, if the event is not reported you may be breaching the staff manual of the organization you work for.
Regardless if you blame yourself or the employer or your manager blames you for the accident, legally it is not always the company's fault for what has happened. That is why the best thing to do is to report it at once and then consult experts on what comes next.
All accidents that may happen at work, whether they are injuries or are connected to sickness are stressful. Often the blame is shifted between the employer and the employee. However, by being aware of what you can do and educating yourself on the matter, you will be able to protect yourself as well as possible.