Work Accidents & Illness

It is the responsibility of your employer to ensure they follow the correct Health & Safety Legislations to reduce the risks of work accidents happening in the workplace.

Your employer is required to take the appropriate steps to make your working environment safe. If they fail to comply with Health and Safety Legislations and you have an accident at work or become ill as a result, then you could be entitled to make a Personal Injury Claim for compensation.

Common work accidents and illnesses include:

• Falls and slips on poor ground conditions or wires running across a floor.
• Falling from high locations such as ladders, rooftops, trees or scaffolding.
• Back and neck injuries from lifting heavy items.
• Cuts from machinery, tools or saws.
• Chemical burns when safety clothing and glasses are not provided.
• Auto accidents when you are driving for work, either in your own car or a company car.
• Repetitive strains from doing the same activity over and over again, like typing.
• Vibration illness from using machinery.
• Hearing loss from loud machinery, vehicles or music.
• Asbestos-related illnesses such as cancer or COPD from coal mines, schools, roofing or pipework materials.

Reporting Accidents and Incidents at Work

Accidents at work can result in serious injuries. You may be hospitalised or have to take sick leave as a result of the accident, which can then lead to a loss of earnings. You may also need to get physiotherapy and rehabilitation, which you may need to travel to in order to ensure you receive the best medical advice and treatment. Therefore, it is important to recover that money.

Who Pays the Compensation for an Accident at Work?

Some people worry about claiming compensation when they’re involved in an accident at work because they worry about the financial impact their claim could have on their employer and their employment.

All employers are required to take out employer’s liability insurance, so if you make a claim and it is successful, the compensation is paid out by the insurance company, NOT your employer. It is AGAINST THE LAW for your employer to discipline or dismiss you for making a claim, if this happened you would then have grounds for a second claim for Unfair Dismissal.

How Hopkins Solicitors Can Help?

Here at Hopkins, we offer a friendly, face-to-face, first-class personal injury legal service. We work hard to get you maximum compensation as quickly and effectively as possible, on a NO WIN, NO FEE basis to help you get you back on your feet again.

LISTEN TO OUR RADIO PROGRAMME ABOUT WORKPLACE INJURIES

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI)
Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is a term used to describe the pain felt in muscles, nerves and tendons caused by repetitive movement and overuse. It’s also known as work-related upper limb disorder.

Vibration Claims
Using vibrating machinery in the workplace, such as road drills and tools, can cause health problems. The parts of the body that can be affected are the hands, fingers, elbows and sometimes even the full arm.

Asbestosis Claims
Asbestos was used in many industrial jobs from 1945 through to 1999 before the substance was prohibited. If you have been affected by asbestos, read on to find out more about what we can do for you.

Deafness Claims
Noise-induced hearing loss is caused as a result of being exposed to high levels of noise for long periods of time, which often happens in the workplace in industrial jobs such as factories. Your employer has a legal duty to supply you with the correct hearing protection to protect you against hearing problems.

Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI)

Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is a general term used to describe the pain felt in muscles, nerves and tendons caused by repetitive movement and overuse. Types of RSI are Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Tendonitis.
RSI is related to the overuse of muscles and tendons in the upper body.

Certain things are thought to increase the risk of RSI, including:

• Repetitive activities.
• Doing a high-intensity activity for a long time without rest.
• Poor posture or activities that require you to work in an awkward position.
• Cold temperatures and vibrating equipment are also thought to increase the risk of getting RSI and can make the symptoms worse.
• Stress can also be a contributing factor.

A variety of jobs can lead to RSI, such as manual labour in an assembly line, at a supermarket checkout or general office work. But in today’s modern world, the main causes of RSI are typing at a computer and the use of modern technological devices, such as mobile phones or tablets.
It’s often easy to pass off an injury as your own fault, but your employer has a duty of care to provide you with a safe working environment. This includes making sure you have the correct equipment and training to avoid RSI injuries.

If you have been diagnosed with a repetitive strain injury and would like to discuss if you have enough evidence to place a claim against your employer.

Contact our work accident legal specialists to book your FREE 30-minute consultation.

If we feel you have grounds for a valid claim, we will take your case on a ‘No Win, No Fee’ basis, so you won’t have to pay anything upfront, and you won’t pay any legal fees if you lose your case.

We also have a partnership with Physiodirect, which are able to get you started straight away on the path to rehabilitation, again at no upfront cost to yourself and without the long NHS waiting lists.

Vibration Claims

Using vibrating machinery in the workplace, such as road drills and tools, can cause health problems. The parts of the body which can be affected are the hands, fingers, elbows and in some cases, the entire arm.

Using vibrating machinery over long periods of time can cause these parts of the body to go white, also known as blanching. It can also cause numbness, pain and pins and needles. A loss of grip is often a common side effect alongside being unable to use the hand or arm affected due to severe pain.

Vibration injuries can affect your life in many ways. You may find you are no longer able to do a manual job or your leisure activities. You can also lose money as a result of this.

You may find that your symptoms are worse in the cold weather and that they are less severe in the summer months. Light exercise and keeping warm are ways to help reduce the symptoms in short term. However, you should seek legal advice as you may be entitled to compensation.

If you are worried that you may have been affected by using vibration machinery at work and think you may be entitled to compensation please contact our specialist team today.

Asbestosis Claims

Asbestos was used in many industrial jobs from 1945 through to 1999 before the substance was completely prohibited. For thousands of workers employed in the shipyards, railways, textile mills, car assembly plants, construction and many other industries where blue, brown and white asbestos was extensively used, the mounting evidence of detrimental effects was kept hidden.

The horrific consequences only came to light up to 50 years later when the first mesothelioma or asbestosis symptoms started to appear.

When asbestos is disturbed, it releases small particles of fibre that, when inhaled, are extremely hazardous to our health. These particles can cause scarring in the lungs causing inflammation that can lead to a mass developing. It can cause breathing difficulties and chest pain. Often people who get asbestosis are more likely to develop lung cancer, also known as mesothelioma.

Signs and Symptoms of Asbestosis:

• Shortness of breath
• A tight chest
• Tiredness
• Coughing or wheezing

If you have been subjected to working with asbestosis and have any of the following symptoms seek medical advice and contact our specialist team to help get you the compensation you deserve.

Deafness Claims

Noise-induced hearing loss is caused as a result of being exposed to high levels of noise for long periods of time, which often happens in the workplace in industrial jobs such as factories. Your employer has a legal duty to supply you with the correct hearing protection to protect you against hearing problems.

If your place of work runs loud machinery and you do not have the correct protection your hearing may suffer as a result. The level of noise which is bad enough to affect someone’s hearing can vary from person to person, however, there are guidelines as to how loud noise should be before it would be considered a risk to someone’s hearing. The length of time you are subject to the noise can also make a difference to your hearing.

Locations Where Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Is Likely:

• Factories
• Building sites
• Industrial units
• Military bases/other related locations

If you think your hearing is suffering as a result of a noisy working environment, speak to our specialist team today.