I was having a coffee with an old colleague and a friend of theirs who I’d never met before, let’s call him Bob, and the inevitable question of “what job do you do?” came up. Now, surprising as this may be for some of you, working for a personal injury firm isn’t always met with smiles and requests to hear more about it. No, more often than not I receive the evil eye and sometimes a verbal slating of why what I do equates to everything that is wrong with the world. Therefore I’ve learnt to be somewhat evasive on the subject, often simply responding by saying I work in IT or digital marketing.
On this occasion I used the latter which led Bob to say “digital marketing, is that twitter and blogs and things?” I nodded, and fearing where this line of questioning was going I starting searching my brain for a quick change of topic, but I was too late “so what’s your latest blog about?”
On explaining I was writing one about having an accident at work, Bob told me he’d had an injury at work; he tripped over some exposed cables at work and broken his leg but would never have claimed as it’d make things uncomfortable at work for him especially as he was quite good mates with the boss and would often have a pint with him on a Friday after work and wouldn’t want to see him out of pocket.
I’ve talked before about people being too scared or ashamed to make a work injury claim because of the stigma around personal injury and so Bob’s response was not surprising to me, (and perhaps his work related injury didn’t cause him too much trouble and so claiming work accident compensation wasn’t relevant) but it does include misconceptions that need clarifying:
Your employer has a duty of care for you when you’re at work; if they fail in this duty and you are injured at work then you’re entitled to make a personal injury claim.
Your employer is legally obliged to have Employers’ Liability Insurance which will cover claims of this kind. Meaning your claim should only have a small direct impact on your employer such as a slight increase in their insurance premiums.
It is illegal for your employer to discriminate against you in any way, if your working life is made intolerable or you’re sacked as a result of having made a claim then keep evidence of any problems and consult your solicitor as you may be able to claim further compensation for unfair dismissal.
What to do if You Slip, Trip or Fall at Work
If you have suffered as the result of a slip, trip or fall at work then have a read of one of our previous posts “5 Actions to take after a Slip, Trip or Fall”. By following these steps and gathering evidence of the accident through photographs and witness details, you’ll stand a better chance of being successful in making a personal injury claim.
We Can Help
If you, a friend or a member of your family, have suffered a personal injury or illness as a result of a slip, trip or fall at work then you may be entitled to make a personal injury compensation claim. Our friendly specialist advisors can talk to you about your situation and see if you have a valid compensation claim. There is no charge for this service and you are under no obligation to claim with us.
If You Have a Genuine Claim, Contact a Genuine Company
May I Claim, is a trading name of R Costings Limited and our CRM number is 25770
If you’ve had an accident that wasn’t your fault and suffered an injury - you can trust us to handle your claim professionally.
Call us now on 0800 756 7774 and talk to us to find out if you have a claim - or fill in our Quick Claim form (on the right of this page).
http://info.mayiclaim.co.uk/personal_injury_compensation_claim_news/bid/321147/An-Accident-at-Work-Claim-Does-Not-Mean-Losing-Your-Job
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