Accident at work - where do I go from here?

irishjohn

Thank you for the additional information as requested. Seems like there are two versions of it now - but nonetheless - you should not find yourself disadvantaged by an event which was down to avoidable negligence on the part of your employer and absolute care and attention on your part.

The only person who knows and fully understands the event, its cause and its outcome will be you. All I can advise is - seek advice from a reliable source, rhather than here. Give them the facts - not embellished facts, back it up with witness statements about how careful you were and how careless your employers have been, include fully documented reports on how the accident has impacted upon your existing back problem and the effect that will have on your ability to live a normal life both in the workplace and elsewhere. And then put your trust in the justice system to ensure fair play.

Regrettably we all know that there are people who will exaggerate to feed their greed, don't diminish yourself by joining them. Be honest and you will be able to look yourself in the mirror.

pinkshoes

JUNIOR wrote: »

IF YOU'RE INJURED AT WORK CLAIM its that simple . Thats why they have insurance

Why? IF the OP doesn't end up out of pocket and it's just a week of aching, why claim??

We're going to reach the point like in the USA where everyone claims for everything, health and safety gets so ridiculous no one can get on with their job, insurance premiums will become HUGE (no doubt everyone will have to then have their own individual insurance), and only the rich will actually be able to afford them.

If were paralysed in a car crash caused by a drink driver, then THAT is worth making a claim for.

myothercarisaferrari

are you expecting to have a job to go back to if you sue them?

JUNIOR

pinkshoes wrote: »

Why? IF the OP doesn't end up out of pocket and it's just a week of aching, why claim??

We're going to reach the point like in the USA where everyone claims for everything, health and safety gets so ridiculous no one can get on with their job, insurance premiums will become HUGE (no doubt everyone will have to then have their own individual insurance), and only the rich will actually be able to afford them.

If were paralysed in a car crash caused by a drink driver, then THAT is worth making a claim for.

A WEEK OF PAIN THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED ! Like i said in the op if you,ve got no decent advice dont bother , this is your opinion and that counts for nothing

bap98189

So ths situation as I understand it is that in a big office, someone left a box on the floor sticking out from a desk. You then didn't see it, tripped, fell and hurt yourself.

Never mind whether or not you are entitled to compenstaion, my question is this - do people think the company should be considered negligent in this case? If so, what reasonable measures do we expect them to put in place to ensure it does not happen?

JUNIOR

bap98189 wrote: »

So ths situation as I understand it is that in a big office, someone left a box on the floor sticking out from a desk. You then didn't see it, tripped, fell and hurt yourself.

Never mind whether or not you are entitled to compenstaion, my question is this - do people think the company should be considered negligent in this case? If so, what reasonable measures do we expect them to put in place to ensure it does not happen?

http://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/index.htm

Keep walkways clear , pretty simple

dickydonkin

What a leech.
It was a minor fall.
Unless you end up with serious long term damage accept this and move on. Your pre existing injury was just that. Pre existing
Is it any wonder our economy is going to !!!!.

What an unbelievable comment to make - I despair at times I really do.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman, as a former Health & Safety Officer, let me enlighten you. I have seen the consequenses of such 'minor falls' and I can assure you such incidents can change the life of the injured person AND his/her families for ever. See this. http://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/step/general/Intermediate/11167CED-8DD4-4535-99BE-D857B67DA7EE/HSLCourseTemplate/7/slidetype1_59174.htm

Many long term health issues are indeed caused by "Minor Falls" and similar types of accidents, however, the situation described is actually classed as a trip.

Now lets asssume that the person tripping over the item was a pregnant woman - obviously, the implications could have been much much worse, nonetheless, such a seemingly inocuous incident does have the potential to cause long term musculoskeletal problems even in relitavely healthy people. Whether the injured person had a pre -existing condition is irrelevant in respect to the cause of the accident. Furthermore, a seemingly minor trip hazard can result in people placing their hands/arms/body into machinery which can cause very serious injury or indeed a fatality.

On the face of it from the version of the incident posted, it would seem likely that the company were negligent. Housekeeping procedures, training of staff, slip,trip fall awareness training, risk assesment and general monitoring are all crucial in ensuring that incidents like this are avoided.
Obviously, there has been a shortcoming in one or more of the above.

As indicated in an earlier posting, Form 2508 should have been sent to the HSE within 10 days of the incident and is reportable under RIDDOR as it is classed as an 'over 3 day injury'. You should get a copy of this soon and check it to ensure the details are correct. It may be beneficial to your subsequent claim.

Also, ensure you have a copy of the internal accident report and again, make sure that the details are correct. I also hope there are no long lasting effects of the incident.

As for the silly person describing you as a leech, let me tell you a story for that persons benefit.

Many years ago, one of my pals who drove a truck for a living was involved in an accident - not his fault - due to a 'boy racer' failing to negotiate a bend in the road in icy conditions. The car hit his 32ton tuck head on and the driver was killed on impact - his arm was hanging off as my pal went to his assistance.
My mate was so shocked by this incident, he could not drive the truck again and he was on 'the sick' for some months. His boss, obviously peeved at having to pay sick money contacted his union official and suggested that he was 'milking' the situation.
Unfortunately, some weeks later, the pshycological impact of the accident was such that he took his own life, leaving a wife and young family, so my advice to
LinasPilibaitisisbatman is to reserve your own counsel and don't assume that any compensation claim is phoney without knowing the full facts.

Have a look at this - but beware, it is quite shocking
http://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/step/general/Intermediate/11167CED-8DD4-4535-99BE-D857B67DA7EE/HSLCourseTemplate/7/slidetype1_45854.htm#L45854

aj2703

That was very shocking... But all to real. Just goes to show you what could happen at anytime in any situation.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman - You are a moron.

maninthestreet

You have been prescribed pain killers, which would indicate the injury is not serious, and you are expected to recover from it reasonably quickly without the need for any further medical treatment. It's never a good career move to sue your current employer.

Snakeeyes21

Op i take it you have eyes. You use them to see where your walking.
hows it the employers fault that you were walking backwards and tripped over?
i tripped down some steps yesterday because i over stepped, should i sue the council? Or should i accept it was my fault for not looking where i was going?