Steps to Take if You Suffer A Personal Injury at Work

Posted on 2 December 202431 January 2025 by Lacey Solicitors

Although statistically most accidents occur at home, many people in Northern Ireland spend a significant amount of time at work. If you’re injured on the job, it’s crucial to follow the proper steps if you plan to seek compensation.

Workplace accidents, whether a trip, fall, slip, or serious injury involving equipment, can be devastating and a real source of anxiety. Often, people neglect to address these incidents, even though they can cause lasting damage.

Workplace accidents can lead to serious injuries, such as broken bones, crushed limbs, or amputations. If this occurs, you have the right to seek legal representation and consider a compensation claim. Taking this step not only supports your recovery but can also help prevent similar incidents in the future.

What To Do if You Are Injured At Work

After an injury at work, your priority should be recovery. Take the time you need to heal and consult with your doctor and any specialists they recommend.

During this time, keep a detailed record of the incident, photograph your injury and progress, and save all related receipts. This documentation will be valuable if you decide to pursue a compensation claim with your employer’s insurance.

What if My Employer Doesn’t Have Insurance?

By law, all employers in Northern Ireland must have Employers Liability (EL) insurance and be insured for at least £5 million. Most insurers automatically provide cover of at least £10 million.

Employers’ liability (EL) insurance enables businesses to meet the costs of damages and legal fees for employees who are injured or made ill at work through the fault of the employer. Employees injured due to an employer’s negligence can seek compensation even if the business goes into liquidation or receivership.

The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) is responsible for enforcing the law on EL insurance and have issued guidance for employers. An employer can be fined up to £2,500 for each day that they do not have appropriate insurance.

Lacey Solicitors in Belfast can carry out checks against an employer to establish whether or not they have insurance if you have been injured at work.

Steps to Take After an Accident at Work in Northern Ireland

If you’re injured at work, taking the right steps is crucial to protect your interests and strengthen your compensation claim. Here’s what you should do after a workplace accident:

STEP ONE – Seek Medical Attention
If your injury requires hospital care, ensure you take a colleague with you. This helps prevent your employer from denying the accident occurred.

STEP TWO – Report the Injury to Your Employer
It’s important to immediately report the injury to your employer. UK businesses are required to maintain an accident record book. If your employer fails to document the incident, follow up with an email detailing the accident, the time it occurred, and any medical treatment you received.

STEP THREE – Document Your Recovery
Record your recovery journey by taking photographs or videos of your injury and its progress. Keeping a daily log of your healing process helps illustrate the pain and suffering you endured, which can be essential in a legal claim.

STEP FOUR – Collect Witness Statements
Gather contact details and statements from anyone who witnessed the accident, as well as anyone who accompanied you to the hospital. This evidence can strengthen your case when pursuing compensation and can greatly assist your legal team.

By following these steps after a workplace injury, you ensure your rights are protected and can make it easier to pursue a compensation claim for your injuries.

Injured at Work? Seek Legal Advice

Lacey Solicitors, with offices in Belfast and Dublin, is a leading insurance and injury law firm. We represent both insurers in defending claims and innocent victims of injury. Our unique position, acting for both claimants and defendants across Ireland, gives us valuable insight into each case, enabling us to deliver tailored and effective legal solutions for the best chance of success.

If you have been injured at work, contact Lacey Solicitors using our online portal for trusted personal injury legal assistance.

What You Should Know About NI Work Accident Claims

Posted on 29 October 20245 December 2024 by Lacey Solicitors

NI work accidents occur when your employer fails to make your workplace a safe working environment. Work accidents can have serious repercussions, leaving you unable to work, losing income and in pain.

Making a claim for compensation will help you recover your losses after a trip, fall, fall from height, manual handling accident, or any other form of accident at work. Lacey Solicitors are an experienced team able to provide you with representation to guide you through your work accident claim.

Here is what you need to know about NI work accident compensation claims before you begin.

Eligibility: Are You Eligible for a Work Accident Claim?

Before you can bring a claim for compensation after an accident at work, you must meet the conditions which make you eligible. Firstly, you must make the claim within three years of the date of the workplace accident. Next, you must prove that your accident happened due to a third party’s negligence.

What Compensation Can You Get for a Work Accident in Belfast?

Medical expenses, any lost income, and the price allocated to your pain and suffering are all considered when you make a claim for compensation after an accident at work. The level of compensation awarded to you in respect to your pain and suffering varies but is designed to measure the hardships you have endured thanks to your NI/Belfast accident.

What is the Process for Making a Claim for Work Accidents in NI?

From Antrim to Fermanagh the process for making a claim for compensation after a workplace accident in NI is the same. The process for making a claim is as follows:

Make yourself safe
Seek medical attention
Report your accident, including using an accident book to record it within the workplace.
Contact a work accident claims solicitor near you
The solicitor will investigate further
You will go through a medical assessment to review your ongoing needs.
You will enter into negotiations with the third party – this part is why you need that solicitor.
You may go to court, you may settle out of court
You will receive compensation for your claim if you succeed

No Win, No Fee Work Accident Claims?

Unfortunately, no win, no fee agreements are prohibited within Northern Ireland. While no win, no fee compensation claims might be the norm in England and Wales, they do not apply in Northern Ireland.

If you are successful in your claim, then your court or solicitor costs will be covered by the other party involved. This means it is always worthwhile making a claim for compensation after an accident at work. Consult a solicitor to discuss whether or not it is worthwhile making a claim.

Experienced Work Accident Claim Solicitors Near You

Do you live in Belfast? Are you a resident in Northern Ireland? Whether you live in Armagh or Derry you can find the help you need through Lacey Solicitors. We can give you expert guidance and insider knowledge on how to proceed after an accident at work. If you have been injured by a work vehicle, have mishandled hazardous substances due to lack of training, or are injured using poorly maintained equipment, you may be eligible to make a claim. Contact Lacey Solicitors to discuss your options.

Work Accident Claims in NI: The Basics

Posted on 29 October 20245 December 2024 by Lacey Solicitors

Have you had an accident while you were at work? Did it seriously impact your health or your ability to earn? Has an industrial accident changed your life? Making a work accident claim could help you secure the financial resources you need during your recovery.

Having an accident in the workplace can leave you with health concerns that you do not know how to deal with. If you feel you do not know where to turn in the event of a workplace accident, then seeking legal advice could be your best course of action.

Forewarned is forearmed. If you understand the process of making a work accident claim in Northern Ireland, then you are better equipped if it happens to you.

What is A Work Accident Claim?

When you are injured in the workplace through negligence or a breach in the duty of care your employer has towards you, then you may make a claim for compensation for your injuries. Your employer has a statutory duty towards you while you are in the workplace. This duty, broadly speaking, is to protect you from any harm the tasks they hire you to complete might cause.

Can You Make a Workplace Accident Claim?

To make a claim for compensation after an accident at work in NI, you must make the claim within three years of the date of your accident taking place. If you meet this criteria, then you must also prove that your employer broke their statutory duty towards you. This breach of their duty to care for you while on their premises or conducting work-related activities must have resulted in an accident.

What is a Statutory Duty of Care?

The Statutory Duty of Care is part of your employer’s responsibilities towards you while you are working for them. Your employer has a duty to ensure your health and safety while you conduct work related activities. Your employer must take all possible reasonable actions to protect your safety. An example is making machinery safe, implementing risk assessments, and ensuring that you have the correct safety gear for the job.

Failing to protect you from harm while you are performing tasks on your employer’s behalf is a breach of this duty. If you make a claim for compensation after a work accident in Belfast or the surrounding areas then you must prove that your employer breached this duty.

Types of Workplace Accident

There are many different kinds of workplace accident. If you experience any of the following, then you should seek legal advice:

Slips, trips, and falls which could have been avoided
Falling from heights and injuring yourself, for example by falling from scaffolding.
Lack of protective equipment can cause injuries, disease, or worse.
Failure to implement appropriate safety measures, particularly in regard to machinery and safe operation.
Lack of training – those expected to operate heavy equipment without appropriate training cannot be blamed should something go wrong.
Old or ineffective equipment such as blunt tools
Contact with toxic or hazardous chemicals
Lifting and carrying incorrectly
Fleet or vehicular incidents