Accidents At Work Compensation — Scotland

There are many different causes for an accident at work for which you can claim compensation:

• Dangerous working environments and practices due to negligence
• Insufficient personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Lack of risk assessments or appropriate training
• Unsafe manual handling procedures
• Spillages
• Poor safety regulations and procedures not implemented
• Faulty or dangerous equipment
• Manufacturing or design fault

You can contact Watermans for a no-win, no-fee agreement on your workplace accident claim. We’ll ensure you understand whether you are eligible for a work accident claim and how much compensation you are entitled to. We will notify either your employer or your employer’s insurance company of the claim, and the case will commence.

Work-related illnesses or diseases may develop after short or long-term exposure to harmful substances in the workplace. This is also an accident at work that you can claim compensation for. You can make a workplace injury claim for the acquired illness if you are eligible. It is best to make a case as soon as possible, as you are at financial risk.

If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident at work that wasn’t your fault, it is time to speak to a specialist personal injury solicitor about a personal injury claim.

There are many different types of workplace accidents, ranging from moderate to severe injury. We’ve listed the most common workplace injuries, some of which you may not be aware that you can make a compensation claim for:

• All crush injuries
• Leg and foot injuries
• Head injury or serious brain injury
• Severe wrist injury
• Moderate to severe shoulder injury
• Broken and fractured bones
• Industrial diseases (cancer, asbestos poisoning, etc)
• Repetitive strain injuries
• Burns — minor injuries included
• Muscle damage and soft tissue injuries
• Loss of sight or hearing

If you have suffered an injury during a workplace accident, you can claim a compensation award, especially if you have financial losses as a result. You can make the claim for work injury compensation as the injured person or a relative can seek injury compensation on your behalf (particularly in the case of severe brain damage).

If you want to make a work injuries claim, but you were partly at fault for the accident, you can still make a claim against your employer.

With these kinds of work accident claims, you split the liability of the accident. In this case, the amount you receive in workplace accident compensation will be adjusted according to the proportional blame.

You can make a compensation claim within three years from the date that the accident happened.

Watermans recommends that accident at work claims be made as soon as possible. We are here to help you assess whether you are eligible for a claim and how much compensation you should receive and to guide you through the process.

Unfortunately, accidents at work occur every day in Scotland. These accidents can happen anywhere, from construction sites and factories to warehouses and even offices. Every workplace has its own unique risks, some bigger than others. Whatever the job, the employer is expected to protect employees against these risks.

There are a few exceptions when it comes to the time limit for an accident at work claim:

• If your accident at work claim is for a serious injury at work that caused brain damage or are unable to make the accident at work claim yourself, there is no time limit for your claim.
• If you want to make an accident at work claim for an incident that occurred overseas, you may have less time.
• Minors under the age of 16 cannot represent themselves, so a parent or guardian can make the accident at work claim on their behalf. Once they turn 16, they have three years to make accident at-work claims.
• If you are making an accident at work claim for an illness acquired at work, you have three years to make the claim from the date of diagnosis or from when you ought to have been aware of the connection between the diagnosis and your work. In these cases, it is essential that you seek urgent advice as the time limit is not always very clear.

In order to get the best work injury compensation, you need to ensure you have access to sufficient evidence to prove your case.

These are some examples of evidence you can use to make a successful work injury compensation claim:

• Witness statements from those who saw the work injury happen
• Medical records from an independent medical assessment with all the details of your work injury
• Proof that there were inadequate risk assessments in the workplace
• CCTV footage or photographs of negligence
• Accident Book extract

You can only make a successful claim if you have evidence that the workplace accident was the employer’s fault or due to the negligence of a fellow employee. Work accident compensation claims are unlikely to be successful without sufficient evidence.

Employers’ Liability Insurance protects your boss when you make a claim for financial losses, and the insurance company will investigate workplace accidents for proof that they were not negligent. If they are successful and you do not have sufficient evidence to back your claim, you will unfortunately lose the case.

Watermans provides services on a no-win, no-fee basis for the accident-at-work claim process. So, in the event that you lose, you will not have to pay us any legal fees.