Whether you work in a shop, restaurant, office, or construction site, your employer has a legal obligation to keep you safe at work. This involves having clear health and safety guidelines laid out to minimise the risk of accidents. However, workplace accidents do occur, and if you’ve unfortunately found yourself the victim of one, knowing what actions to take following one is important.
We appreciate that in the immediate aftermath of a workplace accident, you may not be in the right headspace. But, to ensure you get the right help, support and compensation, here are some crucial steps you should take.
Seek Medical Help
Your health and wellbeing come before anything else. Whatever the circumstances of your workplace accident, you need to seek medical help. Don’t delay in going to A&E and getting yourself checked over. After all, you can’t put a price on life. Even if you think you’ve escaped unscathed, you may be experiencing shock which can be potentially life-threatening. After receiving medical attention, you’ll be given medical reports detailing your injuries. These can be used as evidence in your workplace accident case.
Report the Accident
If you’re able to do so, you should report your workplace accident as quickly as possible. Don’t worry about getting into trouble or facing repercussions. Your employer will have health and safety guidelines in place that must be strictly followed. You need to have everything in writing as your report can also be used as evidence.
Hire a Solicitor
After seeking medical help and reporting the accident, the next step is to hire a solicitor to handle your workplace accident case. You shouldn’t pick the first solicitor you see. Instead, look for accidents at work solicitors. Spencers Solicitors can help as they have many years of experience dealing with personal injury cases and helping clients get accident at work compensation. Make sure your solicitor has excellent communication skills and knows the ins and outs of your case.
Gather Evidence
For your workplace accident solicitor to help you in the best way possible, you need to gather as much evidence as possible. From medical reports outlining your injuries to witness statements, the more documentation behind you, the better. Even if you don’t deem the evidence as useful, only a solicitor will be able to decide this. At your first consultation, bring along anything related to the accident.
Look After Yourself
Becoming a victim of a workplace accident can be emotionally and physically distressing. You may need to take time off work to recover or give up your job entirely. As you manoeuvre through your case, it’s vital that you look after yourself when injured. This includes getting a good night’s sleep, practicing relaxation techniques, and having a strong support network made up of family and friends to get you through.
Suffering a workplace accident is often a confusing and distressing time. Whether you’ve sustained minor cuts and bruises, or something more serious, following the steps above will ensure you make the right moves and get justice and compensation for what has happened.
