When to Seek Legal Help from an Accident Work Lawyer

If you have been injured in an accident at work, you need to speak to a work accident solicitor about the incident. This is because you could be entitled to claim compensation for the damages you have incurred. In this article we take a closer look at when and why you should speak to a specialist work accident solicitor.

Who should contact a work accident solicitor?

Employers have a legal duty of care towards their staff. This means they are obliged to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees while in the workplace. If this duty of care is breached and a worker suffers an accident because of it, there will be grounds for a work accident claim.

There are many different ways in which a workplace accident may occur. What's more, it can happen in any working environment; it is not just construction sites and agricultural work that poses a risk, as offices have just as many potential hazards that need to be addressed. For example, if you work in an office, it is important for an employer to ensure an employee does not slip on a wet floor that has been recently cleaned. They should, therefore, devise a system whereby cleaning is undertaken during quiet periods of the day, and put up warning signs while the floor is still drying. This would be considered a reasonably practicable way to address the risk. If such precautions are not taken and an employee does slip on a recently cleaned floor, he or she will be the victim of a work accident.

If you believe your work accident was caused because your employer did not take reasonably practicable steps to reduce the risks in your workplace, you must contact a solicitor to discuss your legal position. After a short consultation a solicitor who specialises in work accidents will be able to suggest whether or not you are able to make a claim against your employer.

However, you should not delay when seeking expert legal advice. Most claims must be made within three years of the event, so ideally you should contact a solicitor soon after the accident has happened.