Care Worker Injury Compensation – See If You Can Claim

209 questions have been answered on this subject, why not ask your own?

If you are a care worker, healthcare assistant, or work in a supporting role with vulnerable people, you may be able to claim compensation if you are injured whilst at work. At Direct2Compensation we are seeing a growing number of enquiries from the care industry. Typical claims involve soft tissue injuries, such as back injuries, as well as more serious ones involving criminal assault. Often an employer will be liable for such injuries if they have failed to provide adequate training, sufficient risk assessments or the correct equipment.

Table of contents

Common types of care worker injury

Given the often physical and demanding nature of the job, care workers often run a higher risk of injury than average, particularly those working in mental health with challenging and potentially violent patients.

Typical injuries sustained by care workers:

Common accidents leading to injury:

Any injury sustained by an employee at work may allow a claim for compensation to be made. To find out whether or not you have a valid care worker claim, read on for more information and then contact us to discuss the specifics of your situation.

What training should a care worker expect to receive?

Employers who are instructing people to provide care and support for people who are immobile or in need of assistance, have themselves a duty of care to ensure staff are adequately trained to work safely and that the risk of injury at work is minimised.

Whether in residential homes or the community, staff should expect to receive guidance in how to identify risks to health, be provided with manual handling training and advised how to lift and move their patient safely.

Lifting

Care workers should be advised as to the maximum weight limit that they should expect to lift manually, and be provided with lifting equipment such as hoists (and trained in how to use them) for any weight that exceeds safe limits.

Risk assessments

They should also be working to a strict risk assessment for each person they provide care for. The risk assessment should be carried out by the employer and should clearly state whether the work is safe for one carer, or if two are required. The risk assessment should also list what, if any, lifting equipment or tools are needed to enable safe working.

Violent patients

Any care worker who is likely to be providing care to service users who are known to be aggressive or violent should expect the employer to have undertaken appropriate risk assessments of the nature of the person requiring care.

Staff placed at risk should have received MVA training (management of violence and aggression) in how to safely restrain patients, and policies and procedures should be in place for handling such incidents. It is also important that the employer ensures adequate staffing levels are maintained so that care workers are not exposed to the risk of an assault that could otherwise be avoided.

Do you have a valid compensation claim?

If you were injured as a result of employer negligence or the negligence of a colleague, you may seek to make a claim for work accident compensation.

This would include if your employer has ignored a risk assessment, failed to ensure that you were adequately staffed or not provided proper working or the correct lifting equipment.

Likewise, if you are injured by way of an assault whilst providing care work, you could well be eligible to claim.

If successful, you can claim compensation for the injuries sustained – the value of which will be reached on the basis of medical evidence, and also recover any loss of income caused by the injuries through the special damages element of your claim.

What a care worker should do after an injury at work

As with any injury at work, it is vital that you make a report of the cause and type of injury with the employer at the earliest opportunity.

Most workplaces will have an accident book or accident reporting system. You should use that to make a report, listing the injuries sustained and any possible areas you can identify that would show employer negligence.

If you haven’t already reported the injury, or your employer won’t let you record it in the accident book, don’t worry, we can help you to do so.

You should also seek medical attention at an Accident & Emergency department, from your GP or NHS walk-in-clinic.

If you need any advice or help with this, please call us on 01225 430285.

How Direct2Compensation can help you

At Direct2Compensation we have an expert understanding of your rights after an injury at work. Our staff will be able to identify whether your injuries whilst providing care will enable you to pursue a claim for compensation against your employer.

We work with leading specialist solicitors who have a proven track record of success with claims from those providing care services. They will ensure that your claim is afforded the maximum possibility of success and that any agreed settlement will appropriately compensate you for the level of injury sustained.

We use expert medical professionals to write detailed reports that will be used to ensure that the injury element of your claim is fully appreciated and appropriately valued. We’ll also ensure that any lost income or costs caused by the injuries sustained (including future loss of income) will be recovered for you.

Direct2Compensation offer a simple and easy to understand personal injury compensation claims process and all of our solicitors work on a fully No Win No Fee basis.

How to start your claim

With Direct2Compensation, starting your claim for compensation or finding out more about your rights after an accident at work couldn’t be easier. If you’re wondering about your situation, feel free to leave a question at the bottom of this article or call us on 01225 430285, or if you prefer, we can call you back.

We’ll only need a few minutes of your time in the first instance in order to get the initial information needed to enable our specialist solicitors to discuss your specific situation with you in more detail.

209 questions have been answered on this subject, why not ask your own?

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    Questions

    Read on for questions and advice about claiming, plus care worker injury claim examples...

    I work as a home care worker. In June myself and a colleague went to a call where the lady has trouble standing and I did report this. The lady has a sofa that was very low down. When I was talking to the lady trying to help her, she suddenly pulled back, causing my back to be hurt.

    I reported this to the office to be told there were no complaints before. Sadly, my back just kept getting worse and I went to the Doctors. The GP gave me medication but even then the pain got worse. I have now been to the hospital and had an MRI scan which has shown that my L4 and L5 have started to bulge. This injury is causing so much pain in my back hip and all the way down my leg. I can only describe this pain as worse than having a baby. I can’t sleep at night through pain and I have trouble in the morning getting out of bed to stand on the leg. Also going to the toilet or getting in the bath is really problematic and painful.

    After complaints the lady’s sofa has now been raised. There is a hoist in her house, but the office have said that we’re not to use it as she doesn’t like it! There is also a profile bed, but this is in a corner not even made up?

    Ian Morris

    The injury you have sustained is clearly serious and the pain and discomfort that you mention is typical with such injuries. As such, investigating the potential pursuit of a claim for personal injury compensation is a reasonable and sensible move.

    Given your description of the cause of your injury, it would seem that there are questions to be asked of the employers in terms of whether they could have prevented the injury. Employers have a duty of care to ensure that their staff can work safely and in a job like yours, that can include them having to visit service users homes to properly risk assess the situation. In this case, the fact that you were not allowed to use the hoist and the sofa being unduly low indicates that there may be an angle upon which to pursue a claim successfully.

    Please call us on 01225430285 or provide further details on our website form so that we can look further in to this matter for you with a view to pursuing a No Win No Fee claim for personal injury compensation.

    Reply

    Hi. I work for someone I’m their own home who receives a 24hr a day care package from the local authority although she chooses her own carers. Recently aswell as 2 dogs that live in the room with her during the day and night she has introduced 2 small kittens into the confinement of the room in which we care for her as well as litter trays food bowls on our work desk etc. during a recent night shift I slipped in urine puddle that the kitten had left on the floor in my workspace/clients room. I was unable to see this as it was dark in the room and was on the walkway through the room. I have badly pulled the ligaments in my knee and sprained my ankle. The hospital say it will take at least 6 weeks to heal poss more and potential referral to a knee clinic. I am a single parent of 4 who now cannot work and cannot drive for at least 6 weeks. Do I have a claim

    Ian Morris

    Any claim in this scenario is likely to be against the person for whom you provide care services to. Unless they have insurance cover, it is likely to be unviable to pursue such a claim.

    Reply

    I’m a home care worker I was at my 4th call of the day last year and slipped on a very icy road that hadn’t been gritted I very badly broke my ankle in several places spent 9 days in hospital and had it surgically repaired. I’ve since had more surgery and require more surgery moving forward.

    Ian Morris

    Although you were injured whilst travelling between jobs, there will be no liability against your employer as they have not been negligent. Further, there is no negligence to attach to the local authority for their failure to grit the road surface and sadly, we do not see that you can pursue a claim for personal injury compensation.

    Reply

    I am a care worker who had to transport a resident to hospital via ambulance transport. As I tried to get in, I have torn a ligament in the back and front of my knee and may need surgery. Do I have grounds to make a claim?

    Ian Morris

    There is potential to make a claim and our Solicitors can review this for you.

    Reply

    I work as a care worker in the community, I entered someone’s property that I have never been to before. I asked my client what she would like for breakfast and got on with it, I saw a cupboard with a fridge in and entered there wasn’t any lights around in the cupboard so I wasn’t aware of my surroundings I turned around to walk out and fell down the stairs at the side of me. I wasn’t told by my employer that there wasn’t a light in there or even stairs to see I have hurt my back and sprained my ankle will I be able to claim?

    Ian Morris

    Is it a case that there was a light that didn’t work or simply no light at all? Do you know if your employer had previously visited the residence and conducted a risk assessment? If so, they should have informed you of the issues present.

    It could be the case that you can claim compensation for your injuries and any costs and I feel that we should obtain some further details from you so that our specialist Solicitors can advise you in more detail.

    Reply

    My wife has Multiple Sclerosis and has carers come to our house as she is disabled and has to be hoisted in a sling.
    Last November 30th, my wife fell on to the floor, falling out of the sling, with the carers at hand and broke her leg. My wife told me that she fell on to the floor, but the carers are saying she did not fall to the floor.

    My wife had her leg in a cast for 2 months. Can she make a claim for compensation?

    Ian Morris

    Whether your wife fell to the floor or not is not really the important issue. What is important is that she sustained a broken leg whilst in the care of professional care workers. As such there is a clear justification to further pursue a claim for compensation for the pain and distress caused to her by the injury she has sustained. Our Solicitors will be able to carefully evaluate the matter and if viable, pursue a claim against the care company for negligence.

    Reply

    Hi, I’m a carer working in supported living. Last week I was walking behind a lady in her flat that is prone to falls when she suddenly fell on top of me. My right arm and right side was injured. I filled in a incident report and reported it to my team leader and manager. I carried on with my job as the fall put me behind with my duties. I was back the following day and had pain in my side still but took my time doing my duties. The next two days I had off so I just rested, I still had the pain but it wasn’t that bad but by Saturday when I was due back on my way there the pain in my side started shooting across my back. I carried on to work anyway hoping it wouldn’t be too bad but by the end of my shift my legs and knees where aching, my ankles were swollen, I could barely walk. During the shift I was pushing hoists and other heavy equipment, even sliding people up the bed all while my whole body was aching and I couldn’t go home early because there wasn’t anyone to cover the shift so I had to force myself to get though the shift. I called in sick the next 3 days but now I won’t get sick pay. I also saw my gp who advised me to take time off. Would I be able to claim my wages as I was off due to the lady falling on me?

    Ian Morris

    To be able to recover your lost wages, you would have to demonstrate that the employer could and should have done something to prevent the accident happening. In this case, that would be if the employer had failed to carry out a proper risk assessment or if it was known that this individual fell regularly and more than one care staff member should be on duty with them at any one time.

    We would be very happy to get you an opinion from our specialist Solicitors as we have done a considerable amount of successful work for care and support staff injured in the way you have been.

    Reply

    I am a nurse in a community based hospital. I attended for my shift – day 5 in a row of 07:30-20:00. I suffered an acute bout of back pain causing incontinence, immobilisation, significant on-going pain and brief loss of sensation to one leg.
    I had recently returned to work following an unknown infection. Upon my return I was told I would have to pick up extra shifts due to an increase in patient numbers. I have emails to back this up.
    The last 18 months have been similar. Lots of extra shifts. The day previous to my injury I had to pay slide 3 patients.
    I associate my injury with perhaps the patient slides, extra shifts and stress.
    I am due to start a new job (promotion) but it is in the balance now due to my injury.
    Do I have a claim?

    Ian Morris

    To be able to make a claim, you would have to be able to identify employer negligence as the cause of your injury at work. In your case, your work is clearly physical and very demanding. However, those issues alone would not enable you to establish a causal link between your injury and employer negligence. We therefore need to consider whether you have been given the appropriate training, appropriate equipment and sufficient assistance with moving of patients where relevant.

    Reply

    I work in a care home and have been off work for a while now due to severe back pain/sciatica. I made my employer aware of this but was still expected to carry on pushing hoists and other equipment around on carpets etc which has made my condition worse. I was also expected to work alone. I technically still work there but have been signed off by my doctor for the time being as I can’t physically do my job in this amount of pain. Can I make a claim for compensation?

    Ian Morris

    If your symptoms developed within the past 3 years, you may well succeed with a claim for personal injury compensation against your employer.

    Reply

    I was taking an adult with autism out I’m employed to look after him. As we got to some steps outside I was trying to make him come down the steps and he pulled back letting me go.
    I lost my balance and fell forward down the steps grazing both my legs very badly and cuts to both.
    I went to see my doctor and was prescribed strong pain medication aswell as antibiotics because one leg got infected.
    Do I have a claim for injuries at work?
    I look forward to your help.
    Thank you

    Ian Morris

    You can only pursue a claim if you can attribute your accident and injury to employer negligence. In this case, we therefore need to consider whether you were appropriately trained to work with the individual in question and whether the employer had failed to ensure that you were aware of the risks posed to your safety when working with the individual in question.

    Reply

    I was a support worker for some agencies in the last few years gave up in October 2019. I seem to be suffering from painful hands and loss of grip and some times delicate elbows. From repetitive use of arms from working. Would you consider my case?
    Thank you

    Ian Morris

    We will gladly consider your case. Please provide further information via the ‘start your claim‘ page of our website and we can then advise you further.

    The prospects of you succeeding with a claim will be strengthened considerably if you ever reported any symptoms to your employer or made complaints about the work and risk of injury. Further, if you have attended your GP and the GP has linked your symptoms to the work you were doing, that will greatly help you too.

    Reply

    I fell down the stairs at work whilst carrying a tray. I am a live in Carer. I’m still waiting for attention from NHS 3 weeks later. I know I’ve damaged my knee seriously, but am having to work through it in order to get enough funds to fly to SA to get to my orthopaedic surgeon as not getting help here! Too boot they deducted £40.00 off my salary to get some help in the next morning to flannel bath my client. I only earn £770.00 as a 24 hour live in Carer!!!
    Not only am I in pain, it’s affected my hip and my back very badly as I’m not a youngster myself at the age of 61.
    Very disappointed to think I’m good enough to look after someone’s ailing mother, but when I’m injured, I’m not good enough to be looked after!

    Ian Morris

    In terms of a claim for personal injury compensation, we need to look at what caused you to fall and whether negligence can be attributed to a 3rd party (whether that be the employer or another organisation).

    You mention falling down the stairs. Was this because you misplaced your footing or hadn’t seen the steps or was it due to some other reason?

    Reply

    Hi I have been off work now for 6 months with a bulging disc and sciatica down one leg which as made my life change over night,I had pain in my leg first and then woke up in excruciating pain in my back and not been same since,I work in a care home and I know its the reason for my injury but I didn’t record this as I haven’t been back to work since it happened although I’ve been in care for 15 years and know what I’m doing I never had any manual handling training through this job, not sure what to do?

    Ian Morris

    As you’ve not been given manual handling training by your employer, the employer has been negligent towards you as a care worker where physical lifting and moving is a vital part of the workload. As long as your first episode of symptoms (or when you ought to have known that your symptoms may be more than just a minor strain and work related) is within the last 3 years, you have a right to seek to pursue a claim against your employer.

    Please call us on 01225430285 or use the ‘start your claim‘ page of our website to get further help from us. Once we’ve got a little more information, we’ll have our specialist Solicitors discuss your situation with you and pursue a claim for compensation and loss on a No Win No Fee basis.

    Reply

    Hi am wondering what to do as I am a team leader in a care home for disabled young adults, I work nights and I have been seriously injured at work through behaviour incident that happened more then once! I have reported it in the accident book and I also emailed managers to ask for extra staff to be put on due to lack of staff, I am now awaiting surgery to my neck due to this incident! Work have been paying me a wage of sick pay since I went off in March and are now refusing to pay me my full wage and are referring me for ssp which I can not live on and shouldn’t have to as this injury is through no fault of my own!

    Ian Morris

    This is a matter that should be put in the hands of our specialist Solicitors for detailed consideration at the earliest opportunity as there are clear questions to be asked as to why the employer failed to act on your concerns and make an effort to do anything to reduce the risk of injury.

    Reply

    Hi, we are considering an independent self-employed carer to help my mum. The carer hasn’t had manual handling training – if the carer sustains an injury as a result of caring for my mum, are we liable? Thanks

    Ian Morris

    If the carer is self-employed and is advertising their services, they need to take ownership of the responsibility for training. It may be sensible to have a written agreement in place that you/your Mother is not responsible for training and that the carer agrees to have responsibility for their own training.

    If however, you were to force or require the carer to work in a dangerous way that does not allow them to follow the training guidance or if you provide broken or disrepaired equipment for them to use (such as a broken hoist for example), you could face liability.

    Reply

    I’ve worked in the care system for 30 years, working in residential homes which we didn’t have equipment like what we have now. Was trained lifting technics Australian lift. We used to lift people visit many who were very heavy. I’m now having trouble with my back and leg. I have been referred to a spinal consultant as my MRI scan showed inflammation around the he spine. Would I be able to put a claim in?

    Ian Morris

    There are two potential hurdles in the way of you being able to pursue a claim for compensation against your employers successfully. Firstly, we need to consider whether you will be deemed to be outside of the 3 year claim limitation period. You must pursue a claim within 3 years of the date at which you became aware, or should have been aware that your pain and discomfort was work related. Therefore, you need to consider when you first felt the symptoms and when you first attended your GP regarding the same.

    Secondly, there is the issue of causation. Establishing causation is a requirement to succeed with a claim for personal injury compensation and in this case in simple terms, it means proving a causal link between the lifting and moving of residents at work and the back injury. In your case, establishing causation will depend on whether your Doctor lists the findings of the MRI scan as age related degeneration or repetitive trauma as a result of your work.

    Reply

    I work for a stroke victim in her home and her sister pays us in cash. I hurt my back lifting my patient out of her recliner to put her on the potty chair. Do I have a viable claim?

    Ian Morris

    If the employer has not provided the appropriate manual handling & patient movement training, you would have a valid claim for compensation. If you haven’t already done so, you should record the injury in writing with the employer.

    Reply

    I am a Support Manager in a house of 6 individuals with learning disabilities. We had a service user move into the house just over a year ago. It was not told to us at the time about this service users behaviours and the extent they can get to. I only became the Acting Support Manager 5 months ago. The physical and agressive behaviour started soon after I became manager. I was not given much support from senior management even though I had been reporting numerous incidents. After dealing with an incident just before Christmas I turned to walk away from the service user as he was now calm. As I turned I heard my 5th metatarsal break in my right foot. I was in a boot for 6 weeks. Towards the end of this time I went to deal with another incident to prevent property damage and a large music keyboard was thrown and landed on my right foot. This in turn broke my bone further and caused bruising. I was PROACT SCIP trained but have not had a refresher in about 2 years. We have never been trained on how to sufficiently deal with agressive and challenging behaviours. I have been scratched, bitten and pinched by the same service user. I have pictures of these injuries. Please can you advise.

    Ian Morris

    We have specialist Solicitors that can advise you in such matters and potentially pursue a claim for compensation and recovery of losses caused by the injuries you have sustained at work. There are clearly questions to be asked of the employer in terms of training, support and reducing the risk of injury in the workplace. As such, we would recommend that you make further contact with us. We can then have our specialist Solicitors consider your situation and offer initial advice to you with a view to pursuing a claim should you wish to do so and if it is viable to do so.

    We offer a no-obligation and No Win No Fee service so you are able to explore your options without feeling pressured or concerned about costs.

    Reply

    Hi
    I was a community carer we get paid for client time and travel between clients I was working one day and was on a break when my manager messaged asking to go to a client house as other care staff were behind. I drove to clients house on my way to next client I had a rta and my car was flipped on its head. The insurance went against me as I couldn’t remember what happened. No bump to head just had whiplash was off work for 4 weeks ish and no dr believe I have fibromyalgia from this trauma off long term sick. So handed in my notice at work with immediate effect due to them claiming on a call if I handed in a sick note I’d be going against my probation and be sacked!

    Ian Morris

    Notwithstanding the distressing situation in which you find yourself, we do not foresee that you can establish a causal link between your employer asking you to cover an appointment and your accident.

    A defendant insurer will simply argue that you had a medical incident or some other sort of problem that caused the accident. As you have no evidence to prove otherwise, you are somewhat stuck in the position in which you are now.

    Reply

    I was involved in an incident at work which resulted in me being bitten and a trip to the hospital to be bandaged and requiring a tetanus shot. At my work there should be 3 staff to 1 service user as the service user is deemed as being quite challenging. Due to understaffing It is quite common for there to be only 2 members of staff and this was the case during the incident. Do I have grounds for compensation?

    Ian Morris

    Our specialist Solicitors will consider your situation in detail as there would appear to be questions to ask of the employer in terms of their failures to have the required staffing levels in place. As such, this could be seen as a failure on the employer to ensure your safety at work and a claim may succeed.

    Please call us on 01225430285 so that we can help you and have this matter considered for you.

    Reply

    I started work as a care assistant in August 2020 visiting people in their home.

    On two separate incidents within a few days of each other my clients fell and whilst helping them get up I aggravated an existing problem with my back. I did not receive any manual handling training until December, after these events took place. I am currently off work due to back problems and am not being paid.

    Ian Morris

    Did your employer ensure that you were properly trained in the moving and handling of service users and that you were made aware of the specific needs/risks posed in caring for the service users in question?

    Reply

    I work as a support worker in the community and fell down a service users front steps, which were in a state of disrepair, i went to a&e, had an xray and had a small fracture in my ankle, can i claim compensation from my employer?

    Ian Morris

    Was your employer aware that the steps were in disrepair? If so you could potentially pursue a claim against your employer for negligence in that they failed to take action to keep you safe whilst at work.

    The alternative option is to make a claim against the service user directly. However, as you can imagine, such action is less than certain and it may be the case that they are either uninsured or do not have sufficient wealth to face any claim.

    Reply

    I was doing a night shift in the community. It was a 10 hour shift and my 4th shift in this particular clients home. Early hours in the morning I went upstairs to use the bathroom and went coming back down I fell down the stairs because all the lights were off and I couldn’t see where I was going. As I was in someone else’s house doing nights I didn’t want to turn any lights on to disturb anyone and the wife of the client had informed me on the second shift that the client likes all lights to be off because it disturbs him. I now had a closed navicular fracture in my left foot and am scheduled to be off for 6 weeks. No risk assessments were made of this clients home by my employer prior to the care package starting. I’ve been told by another company I don’t have a valid reason for a claim but I just wanted a second opinion.

    Ian Morris

    Unfortunately, I don’t foresee a successful claim in this scenario. Whilst I can understand that the cause of your accident could have been avoided if lights were on, there was nothing in terms of the employer from stopping you putting the lights on. The courts would likely see this incident as being your own fault.

    Reply

    I’m a carer , my employer issued us with online health and safety course only. We’ve got few residents that sleeps on the matress on the floor with no bed , they are challenging and heavy. I’ve done my back , can I still sue my employer after leave work ?

    Ian Morris

    Providing training whether online or in-person, is only one aspect of an employers responsibility to ensure safety in the workplace. The employer must then also ensure that employees are given a working environment and practices that enable them to both follow the training and not be placed at risk of injury.

    I would argue that in your case, your employer has failed in their obligations. To lift and move patients when they are on the floor is probably unsafe and it could well be that you could succeed with a claim against the employer for the damage to your back.

    Reply

    I been care worker for 27 years so wear and tear of back this last year my back been hurting nearly every shift and I took pain killers thus july I was at home and my back
    Went got a slipped disc waiting for an op can I claim anything

    Ian Morris

    If you can identify a particular incident where your back ‘went’ and demonstrate that your employer had you working unsafely (no training, insufficient assistance, incorrect equipment or no lifting hoists etc), you can make a claim. However, if your injury has developed over time the issue of causation could be a problem. Most people will develop age degeneration as we grow older and your employers insurers will likely require you to prove a causal link between your work and the problem in your back.

    Has your employer ever provided training in the safe moving and handling of clients?

    Reply

    I work in a care home and recently had an accident at work which involved me tripping over a rubber mattress that a colleague threw down on the floor whilst I was. Carrying items across the room the matress was thrown down on the floor which I tripped over and felt pain in my knee straight away I was able to weight bare with a hobble but it become worse over the next 20 minutes so I went and told my line manager what had happened at that I was going to phone my GP to see if I could get an appointment I also asked about filling in an accident form which they told me I could do once I knew what doctor had said I got an appointment that same day and after examination the doctor told me I had pulled a ligament and there was fluid on my knee under the patella and the side of my knee and that I was unfit for work and gave me a note for 13 days. With a prescription of strong pain killers and stomach lining pills and told to elevate and rest and may need possible physiotherapy I informed work and again asked for accident form even to be emailed for me but was told I could fill in any nescesarrry forms when I come back to work , I have got SSP but would like to know if I can claim
    Loss of earnings

    Ian Morris

    You can recover loss of earnings by succeeding with a claim for accident at work compensation. Given the cause of your injury, it would seem valid and sensible to pursue a claim for compensation.

    You can make a claim against the employers insurance cover without jeopardising your position at work and our No Win No Fee service means you don’t need to worry about the costs of the claim should you fail to succeed.

    Reply

    Hello,

    I am unsure if I can claim but I am a carer and I have injured my neck, shoulder and back. I have worked many more hours than originally advised with no compensation, I worked alone a few times and I had asked for the right equipment or an easier way to go about things as I was fresh from training with no experience but I feel neglected. I have tried to only claim for the Chiropractor appointments I needed to have but no one is getting back to me and my funds are now exhausted, trying to live on the minimal Sick pay is stressing me out and really affecting my mental health. Please can someone help me.

    Ian Morris

    Our staff would like to speak with you on the phone to find out more about your injuries and how they came to be sustained so that we can advise you further and if appropriate, pursue a claim for personal injury compensation for you. If successful with a claim, our Solicitors will recover compensation for the pain and discomfort caused by the injuries, recover any lost income and the expenses for the chiropractic treatment you have had.

    Reply

    My husband fell through a chair provided by his care home employers for break time use. It was very old and left outside, the fabric ripped as he sat down and sent him straight through to the floor. He was taken to urgent care who confirmed muscle damage, he also was passing blood in his urine so damaged his kidneys too. a few days later he started to get sick but we just thought it was the flu, it turned out that he had pneumonia (the pain from the accident was masking the pain caused by the pneumonia) and is currently in hospital with a chest tube in his chest cavity to drain the pus and fluid between his lung and ribcage. The respiratory specialist has said that pneumonia can be caused by trauma. Work have refused to pay company sick pay (he will be eligible for it in January however!), only SSP, we have had no contact from the HSE regarding an investigation into the incident (it’s been almost 3 weeks now) and we are positive the chair he fell through (which is in our possession now) has not ever been risk assessed or inspected. He is now looking at another 4 weeks minimum off work with only SSP to support our family as I am partially disabled.

    Is there anything we can do?

    Ian Morris

    We can help your Husband to make a claim on a No Win No Fee basis for compensation against the employers insurance and seek to recover compensation for the pain and distress caused by the injuries sustained with a view to including the onset of pneumonia in to the head of claim if a causal link can be established (which would seem possible given the comments of the respiratory specialist) and also any loss of income or other incurred costs caused by the incident.

    Your Husband has 3 years to make a claim (although it is always wise to avoid delay and act sooner rather than later with any claim). To start the claim, please either call us on 01225430285 or you can use our ‘start your claim for compensation’ here if you prefer.

    Reply

    I am a Dom carer, I hurt my back while on shift , I was in severe pain, shaking and feeling dizzy with the pain, I phoned on call to tell them and said I needed to go home as was in agony, they told me there was no one to cover so I had to work for a further 2 and a half hours in agony, which I believe has made my recovery a lot longer than normal , when I’ve hurt mY back before I have stopped and rested and been back to normal in couple of days, at present I have been off 3 weeks and still in pain

    Ian Morris

    How did you hurt your back? Has the employer failed to provide manual handling training or not provided the correct equipment to enable you to perform your duties correctly? If so, you could make a claim against the employer.

    Reply

    Hello, I support people with learning disabilities and some of whom show challenging behaviours. Today I was pulling out a chair for one of my service users and as I was pulling it out, she punched me in the wrist with all of her force. I filled out a behavioural form as I was told too by my senior, and then left work 6 hours before my shift was meant to end, to attend our local walk in centre. I am now in a splint with tendon damage (which is painful). I have been told that I will not be paid for the rest of today’s shift, and subsequently if I have any time off sick, I will get SSP.
    Earlier on in the day, before this happened, I was kicked by the same service user, in front of my manager and her deputy and was told that this is ok as it part of her behaviours etc.

    I understand that a part of my job is to support people with challenging behaviours, but I have never had any training in my care job that teaches me how to deal with violence due to their condition, we are told to just accept it as it part of there condition and is written in their support plans that they may display this type of behaviour at some point.

    My question is, should I lose the pay for the rest of my shift today? We are not usually paid for being off sick (apart from SSP), but not sure where I stand as this was an accident that happened at work?

    Ian Morris

    Sadly, your employer is acting legally in withholding pay for any unworked hours or for any future missed work. Clearly, they are not acting in a moral way, but they are within their rights.

    My initial view is that your employer has been negligent in their failure to provide you with adequate training to minimise the risks of injury posed by the people you work with. Your employer has an obligation to ensure that you are given guidance in handling aggressive or violent service users so that you can reduce the risk of injury.

    This is certainly a claim we would be happy to help you pursue. Our specialist Solicitors have assisted numerous support workers injured when employers have failed to provide training or risk assessments and you could recover compensation for the injury to your wrist and any lost income caused by the injury if successful.

    Reply

    Hi
    I was working at a care home through an agency, an elderly client who was very unstable on their feet continuously pulled on my arm to keep themselves from falling which ended up with me hurting my back. At that moment I thought I had just pulled a muscle and I did not think much about it. My manual handling training had expired nearly two months ago and as a part-time worker I felt a bit out of depth. I had notified some staff on call about my training but kept getting phone calls for shifts and placed in different places.I now have constant trouble with my lower back and my GP has referred me to physio. My back now hurts almost all the time and I now get cramps and tired easily.
    Do I have grounds for a claim?

    Ian Morris

    As you had advised that your training was out of date, there are grounds to pursue a claim for compensation.

    Reply

    I was assisting a resident back to his room, he walks with a Zimmer frame with one carer. As he was turning to turn into his room, he fell and knocked me over and landed on top of me. I have been to a walk in centre who have said pulled ligaments in my back and I have had an X-ray On my knee. They think it is broken but need a second opinion so am awaiting confirmed results. I don’t know how long I will be off work for and will be losing money. I am also in a lot of pain. Am I entitled to anything?

    Ian Morris

    Clearly, the cause of your injury was an unfortunate accident and is not the fault of the resident who fell on to you. However, if the employer has not adequately risk assessed this resident or if you have not had the appropriate training or supervision in assisting them, you could have a right to seek compensation for the injuries and associated loss of income.

    We would be happy to discuss your situation with you so that we can find out whether or not we can pursue a claim for compensation.

    Reply

    I’m a Certified Nursing Assistant. The other aide that was there to help me get everyone dressed and ready for the day etc was laid off, so I’ve been doing it alone – even the heavy lifting every morning.

    All of us aides are saying the workload is a lot, I worked Thursday and Friday and I woke up Saturday morning and couldn’t turn my head to the right and had horrible pain on my right shoulder and side of my neck. It’s now Sunday night and it’s still painful. Could this be from my job?

    Ian Morris

    There is every likelihood that the muscle/soft tissue injury causing you the pain and limited range of movement in your neck and shoulder is related to your workload and the heavy lifting you are doing.

    Our advice at this stage would be two things. Firstly, seek medical attention for the injury and have it noted on your medical records. You should also speak with your Doctor and state what work you do and how the pain has developed after much heavy lifting at work. Secondly, it is important that your injury is recorded with the employer in their incident reporting system. You should record the injury as work related and make note of the lack of help given the reduction in staff.

    We would like to help you further with a possible claim for compensation as a result of the injury to your neck/shoulder. If you would like to take this further, please call us on 01225430285.

    Reply

    My partner was working as a Carer in a non nhs mental health facility. There was a new admission which after several weeks had a psychotic episode and the police were called to handle the situation. Upon arrival the police informed my partner that the new admission was hepatitis C positive. There had been no information or safety guild lines put in place and when questioned the manager said she was unaware that the new admission was hepatitis C positive. Would she be able to make a claim against this gross dereliction of health and safety in the work place?

    Reply

    I work in a care home for a charity. One particular client has dementia and often hits and grabs staff. I have multiple cuts from his nails and bruises from him hitting. We are not MVP trained and haven’t received any training on how to deal with clients having dementia.

    Ian Morris

    The lack of training from your employer is certainly a potential area of negligence. Your job presents obvious risks of injury given the vulnerable and confused state of those people you provide care for. Therefore, it is foreseeable that you may sustain injury and as such, the employer is obliged to ensure that you are appropriately trained and guided in minimising those risks.

    We would like to investigate your claim further.

    Reply

    Hiya I have fractured a toe and got soft tissue damage to my foot after attempting to hoist a resident where he pulled on bar dragging the bar over top of my foot causing the injury I now have to wear a boot for 6 weeks do I have a claim?

    Ian Morris

    There is a possibility that you could succeed with a claim for work-related soft tissue injury compensation. Please call us on 01225430285 so that we can find out a little more and then get some advice from our specialist Solicitors for you.

    Reply

    Hello,

    I work as a carer and injured my back and shoulder whilst doing manual lifting and moving on my previous shift. I have been at this job for 10 months and the family initially trained me how to handle and manoeuvre. My injury occurred when I told them I was in pain but they requested that I continue my duties and a further injury was sustained. After my injury I was in severe pain and unable to complete the last day of my working shift – we then had training by a recognised body and they confirmed that it was clear how I had sustained an injury as the training I had been given was not adequate to safeguard me from injury. The trainers suggested ways that would make the handling safe for both me and the person I was taking care of. My employers said that they did things differently and that I should not change how I do the care even if I am shown differently by the trainers.

    I was in pain for my 3 weeks off shift, visited the Doctor who sent me to physio, then I was given a sick note as my back was not healed enough to return to work. I have no work contract so I received only statutory sick pay. Now I have returned to work, it is clear that none of the practices suggested by the trainers have been put in place and my employer expects me to continue as normal. I am still in pain with my back and I don’t know what to do. If I leave I will lose money and will not be able to get a new job until my back is healed. Also I am concerned that I would not get a good reference for future jobs, even though I have done nothing wrong. This is my first care job. I appreciate your advice.

    Your faithfully,

    Ian Morris

    Pursuing a claim for personal injury compensation is a legal right that is afforded to every worker injured in a non-fault incident at work within the UK. If you were to make a claim, your employer could not legally discriminate against you or provide a poor reference for doing so.

    Given the apparent failings of the employer to provide adequate and correct training and then requesting that you ignore the training that you have subsequently been given, it would appear that you have valid grounds to pursue a claim against your employer for your back injury. If you would like to look further in to this and attempt to pursue your claim, please call us on 01225430285.

    Reply

    Hi I was in work today, I’m a care worker and I’ve hurt my back and I’ve now had to go to a&e because I’m in severe pain, this was with lifting a patient with another colleague, it’s hurting to walk and hurting to even sit, hurts more to sit.
    Just wondering how I can go about a claim?

    Ian Morris

    Has your employer provided manual handling training and an environment that enables you to follow such training? It could be the case that a hoist or lifting aid should have been provided and there is a potential to make a claim for personal injury compensation.

    Please call us on 01225430285 so that we can find out more and present your claim to our specialist Solicitors.

    Reply

    I started a new job in caring for the elderly in their own homes, an elderly client who was very unstable on their feet continuously pulled on my arm to keep themselves from falling which ended up with me at A&E and signed off work. I now have constant trouble with this arm and have been referred to physio. My boss harassed me so much I ended up handing in my notice whilst on the sick. I also had no moving and handling training. Can I make a claim?

    Ian Morris

    As you were not given moving and handling (manual handling) training, your employer could have been negligent. As such, so long as your injury was documented with the employer (recorded in an accident book or injury reporting system), you should pursue a claim for compensation. Please call us on 01225430285 to get further help.

    Reply

    I work in a care home with several residents all who have challenging behaviours and autism, I was attacked by one resident going through a behaviour and was alone while monitoring him. I was struck around the back and side of my head and felt fine initially, accident book was filled out and the next day I feel a non stop pulsing headache (nhs direct suspected a concussion, confirmed by paramedic who called me back) I went to the doctor on Monday who also confirmed this and signed me off for the next 2 weeks. The headache is still there after 2 weeks and my employer has given me ssp of £140 while deducting nearly £500 from my pay for something that was not my fault.

    Ian Morris

    Sadly, your employer is within their rights to not pay you – even though you are off work through no fault of your own. Legally, employers are not obliged to pay sick pay and may place an unwell or injured employee on to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if they cannot work. Whether or not you receive your usual salary whilst off work depends on the employer and the contract that they afford their staff.

    In your case, the only way you could recover your lost income would be by succeeding with a claim for personal injury compensation as a result of the incident at work. You could only succeed if you can demonstrate that the employer was negligent and failed to prevent an incident that may have been avoided if they had taken the appropriate steps. In this case, did the employer properly risk assess the resident that injured you and the risks that they posed to you? Were the correct policies being followed when you were with the resident? Had you been properly trained? Were the correct staff members on duty etc?

    Reply

    I was walking past a lift door and someone coming out of it swung it open so hard it knocked me to the floor and split my head open .I currently work in a care home and it’s a manual lift.

    Ian Morris

    Although it is unclear as to whether or not you could succeed with a claim for this incident, we would be happy to look further in to it for you. Hopefully, the incident was recorded in the employers accident book?

    Reply

    I am a nurse working night shifts at a care home. I sustained a back injury due to assisting a resident who had a fall during my shift. There was a shortage of staff and I only had one agency carer with me who didn’t know any residents or routines. In my unit, we are contracted to have two nurses at night and must have three carers supporting us. However the Manager neglected the needs and left us exposed to the risk of working without the right amount of staff. I feel that I was put under so much pressure and when my resident had a fall in the middle of medication with no staff to assist and I was the only nurse on duty and one agency carer who had no clue what to do. This put a risk to my PIN number, my profession and also caused me to suffer the back injury. I informed my Manager about the injury being caused and that I was massively understaffed, yet she messaged me to continue working as I was! She proceeded to tell me to continue to do the manual work, even though I was in excruciating pain (to the extent that I had to go to A&E).

    This injury has traumatised me and put at risk not only my profession and well-being, but also to my 30 residents who were all my responsibility. I am a single mother and this job is important to me. I am now afraid that I will have to limit myself at work as I can’t bend and I am in constant discomfort. My manager knew we were understaffed in a unit that has demanding residents and is always busy. However she neglected this issue and me as an employee. Am I able to make a claim?

    Ian Morris

    Whether or not having the correct amount of staff on duty would have made a difference and prevented you from being injured is a matter that would need to be considered. However, if you are right in saying that the unit is contracted to have at least two nurses supported by 3 carers, then there is a right to make a claim.

    We would be happy to speak with you and obtain some further initial information and present your claim to our Solicitors for detailed consideration.

    Reply

    I work in a supported living house with a service user who has autism and challenging behaviour. I sustained a back injury from him jumping on my back. (This happened to another staff member before but no new risk assessment was done). My colleague that was on duty has received no training so could not assist. The premises are not suitable for the service user, there is only one exit and that is not accessible when he is showing behaviours. Our protocol is to lock ourselves away but because the premises are so small there is not time to do that.
    I informed management, went to a&e and have had numerous gp appointments because I’m getting a lot of pain and am now on lots of painkillers, waiting for an appointment for physio also. Have been off for almost 6 weeks.
    Management have been awful, haven’t had hardly any communication with them and they are not paying me full pay so now I’m in financial difficulty.
    I have handed my notice in as I feel so let down by them and disgusted by the way they’ve shown no support to me.
    Do you think I’ve got a case?

    Ian Morris

    There is certainly a claim to be investigated here. The relevant criteria to warrant further investigation are met in that the incident was recorded, you have sought medical attention and interestingly, as this had happened previously, the employer could well have failed to take appropriate action and provide risk assessments.

    Reply

    Hi I’m a care assistant and just over a week ago comin out of a clients house it was dark and raining alot of moss on footpath and hole in the path all of which contributed to me slipping and falling, I attended hospital have sprained my ankle and some bone has broken off my knee cap, I’m Waiting for mri scan to see exactly what’s going on. My boss admitted it happened at wk, can I make a claim? thank you.

    Ian Morris

    Do you have any photographs of the cause of your slip (the algae/moss)? It would be very helpful to have such evidence to provide support to any possible claim.

    There is certainly a claim to be investigated, but it will need the evidence of negligence proving that the path is slippery and needs attention in order to help get this moving.

    Reply

    A lady who has behaviour that challenges broke my finger whilst I was supporting her, my employer has given me all training available, is:team teach, positive behaviour support, etc. I also follow her care plan that states she needs 1 to 1 support that I was also following, she has not got capacity and has profound learning disabilities, as I feel everything was in place am I entitled to compensation??

    Ian Morris

    If your employer has undertaken all that could reasonably be expected of them in terms of training, risk assessments, provision of a care plan and you were correctly qualified or trained to work in such a scenario, it is unlikely that you could pursue a claim as your employer has not been negligent.

    Reply

    I work in care and last night my neck has been injured by a client who wrapped his arms around it and pulled me closer to him to give me a hug as I was helping him to get undressed ready for a bath. I have informed my manager and was going to fill the accident form this afternoon but I was unable to go to work. I haven’t seen a doctor yet as they’re fully booked today but will try tomorrow. What else can I do please?

    Ian Morris

    It is important to ensure that a written report of your injury suffered at work is made with or by the employer. If you have not already done so, put the details of the injury and incident in writing and ensure that your employer has a copy. You should also seek medical advice to ensure that the nature of the injury is assessed and appropriately noted on your medical records.

    Once this is done, you should allow a period of 7-10 days to pass whilst you see how serious or otherwise your injury is.

    Reply

    Hi I was working in a care home on a unit of 17 people with either mobility issues or dementia on my own at night. It was so busy with bells going off all night and I could not cope with all the work on my own. I had to walk at a hurried pace during the night to get to all bell calls as i was worried a resident may have had a fall or ill. I do not know how but i ended up with what i thought was a sprained ankle. i went home, went back to work, was in agony, turns out i had a stress fracture and 3 tendons damaged. I have been off work 11 weeks and still in agony, i will not be able to go back to this job due to the damage of my foot. I will be off work for another 8 weeks until i go back to hospital, do you think i may be able to make a claim against the care home for my injury as i was working on my own and clearly needed another carer with me?

    Ian Morris

    The likely problem you will face with such a claim is one of proving a causal link (causation) between the fact that you were busy at work and the injury sustained and that the injury would have been avoided if another staff member had been on duty.

    That said, it would be prudent to present the scenario you have described to our specialist Solicitors in order that they could consider whether or not there is any merit in pursuing your employers for compensation. If you would like to seek their advice on this matter, please get in touch and we’ll obtain advice for you.

    Reply

    I’m a home carer and had a fall in the clients premises. I was hanging washing out but had to climb through a disable ramp as there is no other access to the washing line and fell while doing this and broke my foot. I’ve raised concerns with my employer and so has other staff as we’re doing things in there that has not been checked, and the response we get is that we have to keep the customers happy. I documented my accident in the care notes but haven’t not filled no accident report out at the office and haven’t been ask to I attend a&e and was put in cast for 3 weeks with non-weight bearing and now I’m in a boot and using crutches for a further 4 weeks until my next trip to fracture clinic to see what the next step is. I’m in a lot of pain and are unable to drive or work so I’m on sick. I was wondering have I got a case to claim compensation against my employer for loss of earning and my injury?

    Ian Morris

    For us to be able to offer a realistic insight in to whether or not you can make a claim for compensation, we would like to see some photographs of the area where you fell and look at whether or not the nature of the exit to the outside area is inherently dangerous. If so, it may be possible to pursue a claim against your employer.

    Summer

    I worked in a care home and was injured while transferring a service user from their bed to their wheelchair. She had been aggressive while getting her washed and dressed and was lashing out with her arms and legs. She was still grumpy when we got her to sit on the side of her bed. The only manual handling training we had was with a hoist. We never received any training on how to handle aggression even though we had reported back previously that she had been aggressive and she was not the only service user that was aggressive in the home. When I helped her to stand she was unsteady on her feet and therefore to guide her to her chair I put one of my arms around her back and the other out in front of her about an arms length in front. Unfortunately she ended up grabbing my arm in the elbow crease. I shouted out in pain and my colleague who was new to the job helped put her in her chair. I carried on working. I reported it to the nurse on duty who said he could see where she had grabbed me on my arm but didn’t seem concerned or gave any advice on how to treat it. I also put it in the accident book. As it was a weekend there was no manager and had I gone home sick there wouldn’t have been adequate staff. On the Monday my middle finger was numb, I had pins and needles in other fingers and in a lot of pain in my arm. I went to the doctors and they referred me to minor injuries as they were worried I had dislocated something as I was in agony and my elbow was very swollen. Everything checked out fine at the hospital. I was given pain killers and signed off work. After a week or so I went to see an oestopath which was agony. No one phoned me to see how I was, I knew I would only get ssp so I asked after three weeks if I could come back and do something else. I was also becoming depressed. When I went back the only thing my manager said to me was hello! I did 6 hours cleaning for one week. Luckily I found another job which was still care but no physical lifting or heavy duties. I made a claim with dwp and my claim was approved. However it’s coming upto a year since I had this injury and I’m still suffering. I’ve been doing cleaning and lifting and my pins and needles are back really bad and pain in my elbow. I’m now having massage therapy to help. I was told that had I left it any longer it would have developed into a lesion. Do I have a claim?

    Ian Morris

    Your former employers failure to act on reports from you (and others) of the need for specialist skills training to handle aggression from service users or training in the moving of them without the use of a hoist could well see you able to succeed with a claim for compensation for the injury to your elbow and the ongoing pain and problems that you are suffering with.

    Given the fact that the incident was recorded in the employers accident book and medical attention was sought by you, you have every right to pursue a claim for compensation and our initial view is that the scenario you describe is a matter that our specialist Solicitors would wish to pursue on a No Win No Fee basis for you.

    Reply

    Can I sue my private home care employer for getting hurt with a broke foot?

    Ian Morris

    Please explain the nature of your work, how you were injured and where. We can then advise you as to whether or not the situation is something that would warrant further detailed discussion with our specialist Solicitors.

    Reply

    Hi, I had a fall in a clients house there is a drop step that leads from hallway into kitchen. I’ve only been in this house once before, am a carer in the community. I let myself into this house and walked from hallway heading into the kitchen, before I knew it I was on the floor. I fell off the drop step which isn’t visible. I have a chipped bone in my left foot, pulled my rotator cuff on my left shoulder, badly bruised my right leg. I have photos of my injuries. I also went to a and e who confirmed my injuries plus my drs. I did fill in an accident form. I don’t have photos of the drop step as my main priority was to go to a and e as i was in agony and am still suffering now. The accident happened friday 2nd august. I left the company I worked for on 7th August as I was meant to start my job 8th August 2019, am currently on crutches and awaiting appointment to go back to the hospital, can you help me please?

    Ian Morris

    The employer you were working for should have risk assessed this ‘hidden’ drop in floor heights and warned all staff. As long as your accident was reported to the employer, you could look in to making a claim against them with our help.

    Ruth

    I’m a care assistant in the community, when leaving a client’s house I fell down the uneven steps outside and broke my foot, this was in October last year, I’m still not able to drive and so my job as it’s still broken and waiting now for a MRI scan after already having a CT scan. My employers are now bullying me to get back to work and drive even though my dr has stated not to. I’ve now been diagnosed with depression. I have not got a photo of the step as after I passed out I was more interested on getting to A and E. I am still in considerable pain and still injured 5 months after. Would I have a case at all??

    Ian Morris

    In the scenario you describe, it is most likely that any claim would be against the clients house, rather than the employer. The employer would not be liable unless a colleague had previously reported that the steps were dangerous or if the employer failed to risk assess the clients house.

    You do have up to 3 years to pursue a claim for personal injury compensation, but given the nature of your accident it is likely to be the case that photographs of the steps will be needed. If you can return to the site and obtain some photographs of the steps and email them to us along with your contact number and a brief description of what happened (why you fell, whether it was dark etc), we can then give you our opinion.

    Reply

    Hello I was working in a care home i injured my knee on a metal bar that is used for weight lifting in the middle of the night. I told my employer who simply ignored me days later i’m still in pain and my leg is swollen. Is this employer liable?

    Ian Morris

    Depending on where this metal bar is situated and whether or not it is an obstruction in a walk-way or other unsuitable area, will depend on whether or not you can make a claim against your employer.

    For us to consider your claim further, we’ll need some more information and to discuss the accident you have had at work with you. If you have not already done so, it would be sensible to make a report of your accident at work in the accident book.

    Reply

    Due to me not being replaced when i rang in sick as a live-in carer, nor being granted two hours off, i carried on working out of duty. 48hrs after phoning in sick i went home. Within 24hrs i was admitted to hospital for 12 days with a severe pneumonia.
    Am i eligible for a goodwill financial gesture? For physical and emotional distress I endured, loss of earnings during hospitalisation and 10 weeks recovery, prior to returning to work.
    How do I calculate this?

    Ian Morris

    Your employers actions or inaction in this situation would most likely fall under employment law with regards to whether or not they have breached their obligations towards you. Whilst you were clearly already unwell and cannot ‘blame’ that on the employer, there could be a case here. However, as it is not one of personal injury, we cannot advise you and suggest that you make contact with an employment law specialist at the earliest opportunity.

    Reply

    I was collecting a client to escort to a local community club. On leaving I slipped on his front path and broke my leg, would this be covered have been told will be off work for approximately 6 months.

    Ian Morris

    Your employer may bear some responsibility in this matter, but it depends on the nature of your fall and the cause of your slip. The employer would have a responsibility for carrying out a risk assessment for the work you were tasked with doing and the location in which you were expected to work.

    Reply

    I am a carer employed by an agency. My client a disabled lady ran over my foot with her electric wheelchair with her in it.
    Do I have a claim?

    Ian Morris

    There is a potential claim here, but whether or not it would succeed is unknown at this stage.

    Reply

    I suffered a slip disc and was off work for 7 weeks. I’m a home care worker and was assisting an elderly lady from bed to chair with another worker and using a Zimmer frame on a Saturday the lady was pulling and trying to sit in the chair before we reached it the ladies daughter pushed the chair forward so we could sit her down as her legs started to give way I reported this to my managers Monday morning. The previous week 5 other care worker also reported they was struggling with this lady and they think she needs a hoist. I carried on with my duties then the Tuesday morning I could not get out of bed I was in so much pain. Wednesday I phoned NHS help line who sent an ambulance and went to hospital they x-rayed me discovered it was a slip disc. Even though other care workers had been reporting the moving and handling risk nothing was done or put in place until the Tuesday morning when I phoned in sick, they told the lady she had to have bed care only until sufficient equipment was in place. There was also no care plan or risk assessment in place and our company had this lady on their books for 3 weeks before the accident happened. I have gone back to work reducing my hours as I only get statuary sick pay and is not enough, am I entitled to any compensation?

    Ian Morris

    This is a commonly raised cause of injury at work – care workers are often working to very tight timescales and not always given the appropriate support or assistance. In your case, there is a valid claim to investigate. That does not mean that you will definitely succeed, but there is sufficient in what you say regarding your back injury at work to warrant taking this further.

    Reply

    I’m unsure what to do, I was at work last Friday in an aged care facility. I injured my back due to manual handling and behaviours from a resident, there was no side rails on the bed which when we were rolling the resident assisting to cares the resident was grabbing onto my self pulling my back towards her and became quite resistive when asked not to do so .
    Her behaviours have been well documented and management are well aware also have been asking for side bed rails for a long time as most other people in the facility have them so the resident doesn’t feel the need to grab onto us staff. It has been ignored from numerous staff until mused got injured on Friday and now bed rails have been put up straight away.
    They were not on due to their being none in stock they say, though it was a major hazard.
    My doctor suspect I have pulled my quadratus lumborum which is causing it to have spasms when I’m on my feet for a long period of time, and have been given pid medication to maintain the pain as my doctor said it should ease over time.
    I was told I was ok to go back to work, I turned up to my shift today and have been taken off the roster and my permanent shifts.

    Just not sure on we’re to go with this as my manager and ceo are not easy to speak to.

    Ian Morris

    The employer appears to have been on notice that this particular patient was a risk and that bed bars were needed. That they have then failed to provide them does not necessarily mean that you will succeed with a claim, but it certainly indicates that a claim should be made in order for them to have to provide a substantive defence.

    Reply

    I work in a care home and I got hit by one of the residents am I right shoulder and I twisted my back and now I’ve got a nerve stuck and I’ve been in so much pain and I can’t do much and I’m on painkillers and I’ve been off now for 6 weeks I went into work the other day and they said I couldn’t do nothing about it if I wanted to claim

    Ian Morris

    Your employer is not in a position to advise you as to whether or not you can pursue a claim. If your employer has failed in any of their risk assessment obligations or not adequately assessed the resident and the nature of their risk to staff, you could succeed with a claim.

    Reply

    I was attending a client I moved forward to retrieve a bin bag and caught my foot in it as it was over a track between the floor and carpet area. I fell down heavily and broke my femur. The client actually placed the bag on top of the tracking so I was unaware bin bag was caught, I have been off work for 8 weeks, I have had a major operation, I suffer from pain daily. I uncertain I can claim anything as the client it seems is innocent.

    Ian Morris

    Our Solicitors are of the view that you have a claim worthy of further pursuit. Of course, we can never guarantee success in any claim but we can and do guarantee our No Win No Fee service, so you face no risk by seeking compensation for your nasty workplace injury.

    Reply

    I am a carer, whilst at a clients house I noticed that I’d made a mess on their carpet (leaves and grass brought in on my shoes). After all their personal care one of their son’s friends came in and said about the mess so I got out the hoover and cleaned it up. However, I felt my back go and got very hot sweating, shakes and vomiting. I phoned my boss who was great at the time offering to take me to A&E, now I have been to hospital and been told that I have deep gluteal syndrome and urgent referral to physio she is now saying that it’s not in the care plan to do the hoovering and that I should of left the mess. Is there anything I can do as I now can’t work

    Ian Morris

    If you are not required to perform housekeeping duties by your employer, there would be no reason for them to have expected you to use a vacuum cleaner or provide any training or risk assessment of the use of such equipment. If this were the case, then I don’t think you could possibly hold the employer liable for your injuries.

    If however, the use of domestic cleaning appliances is part of your work and your employer has not trained you in manual handling and the use of such equipment, you may be able to take this further.

    Reply

    One of the residents broke my hand, I’m just wondering if I have a claim there as I’m off work?

    Ian Morris

    Please use the ‘start a claim’ page of our website so that our team can make contact with you to further discuss your accident at work. This will allow us to be able to get a better understanding of your work and therefore advise as to whether or not you can make a claim against your employer for the injury you have suffered.

    Reply

    I work in a care home, just before Christmas last year I tripped over a lead coming from a residents chair that he left on the floor. I fell to the ground heavily injuring my knee, wrist and shoulder. My knee and wrist are fine, I have had physio on my shoulder as I have damaged the muscle, my employer said he will not cover the cost of my physio (£90). I am still in pain with my shoulder three months later, can I make a claim?

    Ian Morris

    It is not clear whether or not you would succeed with such a claim as the employer may have a reasonable defence in that the accident was not caused by their negligence. However, there is also a reasonable prospect that such a defence could be over turned as there may be an argument to make that the employer ought to issue a notice to residents of the risks of cables as a tripping hazard.

    We would be happy to look in to your claim for compensation and speak with you to find out more about what happened and what your employer has said. If you can succeed with a claim, you would be able to claim compensation for the injuries, with the shoulder injury clearly ongoing and more serious. You would also be able to recover the cost of any physiotherapy treatments and loss of income if relevant.

    If you’d like to speak with our staff, use the ‘start a claim’ page of our website to send us some further details and your contact information. We can then call you to find out more and help you to understand your rights and how we can assist.

    Reply

    I fell down the stairs at a patients house, while I was doing my nursing visit in March 2017. The day after my fall my work sent me back to the patients house. My work knew the safe hazards and could’ve given me a warning. I injured multiple parts on my body. I had a surgery in July 2017. I continue to have physical, mental and emotional pain. Do I still have time to make a claim?

    Ian Morris

    Under UK law, you are still within the 3 year claim limitation period so would have a further 11 months to make your claim. The issue you will have is proving negligence in your case. You state that you fell down the stairs and as such, you will only be able to make a claim if you can prove that there was a hazard or fault on the stairs in question. The other issue is whether your employer has any negligence in this matter? It could be that you will have to claim against the property owner if at all.

    Reply

    I’m a healthcare assistant. I was helping a resident when he punched me so hard in the back of the head. They were 2 witnesses(colleagues). I was so in pain and made a report. I was confirmed that day by a colleague and the nurse that the patient is racist and had been involved in racist incidents in the past with another worker of African origin. I have never been told that the guy was racist. I went to my GP the following day and was put on rest for a week. After a week, I went back to work still not fully recovered and 2 later, the pain in my head started again at work and I was taken to hospital from work where the doctor confirmed that I’m suffering from concussion. I haven’t been back to work for a month now. Do I have a case here? Thanks.

    Ian Morris

    Given that your employer appears to be aware of the risks that this particular resident poses to any worker of a BAME background, there is a clear argument to be made that they were aware that your safety was at risk if you were working with them. The employers failure to warn you of this risk or to ensure that your safety was protected as far as possible, the employer could be guilty of employer negligence and a claim for compensation may succeed.

    Concussion is a serious injury with upsetting and troubling consequences and it is right that you need to rest and recover properly. Of course, at this stage we couldn’t guarantee that you would succeed with a claim as we don’t yet know what defence your employer would present. However, you do have a legal right to make a claim without it having any impact on your right to work and as we work on a fully No Win No Fee basis, you’d face no risk in exercising your legal right to make a claim.

    ANGELA Jarvis

    I work in a school unit which has not (as far as I am aware) had a health and safety inspection carried out. I plugged my laptop in to the wall and tripped over the trailing wires falling forward into the table hurting my leg and fracturing my wrist. I reported it straight away. I was told that I can’t claim as I knew the wires were there and it was my own fault. I disagree as yes I knew the wires were there, but there was no where else to put them. There were no wire guards etc. The whole building I’d in poor state of repair. I attended hospital a few days later due to the pain. I was treated and put in a cast for 4 weeks. I went back to work after 3 days as we were short staffed. My sister has been taking me to and from school as I can’t drive. No one at school has done anything for 4 weeks until I contacted my union and told them. They have now done a risk assessment and the site manager has said there should have been things put in place that clearly wasn’t. What do I do next. I feel ignored and that I am not important. If it was a pupil it would have been very different.

    Ian Morris

    There could be a claim to proceed with here and your employer/management are not able to tell you that you cannot make a claim – they are not legal experts and have no place in deciding who was at fault.

    In your case, you mention that there is no alternative option to place your wires in a way that does not create a tripping hazard in the workplace. As such, a claim could proceed. However, you do admit to knowing that the wires were present, so you may have to accept an element of responsibility – this is called contributory negligence.

    Please speak with our staff to find out whether or not we can help you make a claim.

    Reply

    I’m a healthcare worker. I hurt my arm while doing personal care I now have tennis elbow and carpal tunnel and have been left unable to work. Can I claim?

    Ian Morris

    You have a right to make a claim if you have developed injuries as a result of the work you have been doing. The success of such a claim will depend on the actions of the employer and whether or not they have provided the correct training, support and equipment to enable you to work as safely as possible.

    In your situation, the best course of action at this stage would be for you to use the ‘start a claim’ page of our website to make further contact with our expert staff. We know your rights and know how to identify any areas in which your employer has failed in order to start your claim for compensation.

    Reply

    I am a care worker and got my nose broken by a resident whilst doing my job. Do I have a claim?

    Ian Morris

    Under UK law, your employer will have a responsibility to ensure that each and every resident is risk assessed and that any staff working with the residents is correctly trained and made aware of the risks that a specific resident presents.

    If your employer has failed to advise you that this person could be violent or if they have not assessed the risks of that person, you could well have a valid claim for accident at work compensation.

    Reply

    I work in a care home for the elderly with dementia, do I have to report accidents that occur with the residents? I have worked in care for over 20 years and never heard of this as we report to the care quality commission, could you please advise.

    Ian Morris

    It would be very wise to make sure that any accidents involving residents or yourself are reported and recorded properly. This would protect your own interests should any action follow and if you were to be injured, would enable you to have a better chance of succeeding with a claim for compensation should you decide to pursue one.

    Reply

    I work as a certified nursing assistant (cna) and when I got pregnant I told them my doctor advised me to not be lifting more than 22 pounds. I was then told by both my supervisors that they’ve had pregnant women work full duty up till the day they deliver, and that I will have to continue to do my regular duties until I had a doctor’s note. By the time I finally got the note I was about 15 weeks pregnant. Well the day I turned 19 weeks I started having lots of bleeding due to placenta abruption which can happen from lifting heavy weight. I’m wondering if this would be a workers comp claim considering the only time I lifted heavy weight was when I was working – lifting, pulling and pushing super heavy residents. We were also understaffed almost everyday so I was also putting a lot of stress on myself and my body working there pregnant and lifting weight I shouldn’t have been lifting in the first place. I really think the start of all these problems with my pregnancy started with my work. Does it sound like I have a case?

    Ian Morris

    UK law would require your employer to ensure that you are properly trained in how to lift safely (manual handling training) and that your physical health is taken in to account when work tasks are provided. If your employer has failed to train you and placed you at risk of injury, you may well have a right to make a claim for compensation.

    Reply

    Can I claim compensation from my work? I am a carer & I was attacked at knife point while at work.

    Ian Morris

    If you were attacked at knife point, you may have to make a claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority scheme, rather than via the employer. However, if the employer has been negligent in failing to ensure that you are appropriately equipped to deal with the risks of your job or that you were not trained in such matters, you could pursue a claim against them.

    It would be sensible for us to speak with you to find out a little more about your job, your training and what assistance/equipment your employer has provided to minimise the risks of such injury. Please call us on 01225430285 or use the ‘start a claim’ page on our website to get in touch with our specialist staff.

    Reply

    I am a carer in a private family home looking after a lady. I’m employed by a company who manages the care of the said lady. I have had a fall over the family dog. I have broken my shoulder in 2 places so am unable to work. I have a zero hours based contract but have worked at this family home since 2014 full time.

    Ian Morris

    Has the employer who placed you at the location carried out a risk assessment of the workplace? Was the dog considered within that risk assessment?

    Reply

    I fell in work 5 weeks ago, resulted in snapped quad tendon which I had an operation to repair. I was working as a community carer with a new client which started day before accident. No care plan was in place just brief note saying what to do. Did what i was suppose to do, after finishing the task when to turn light on, no light came on. Apparently the light works on whichever switch was used last with the lights – 3 switches for same light, one at bottom of stairs, one on top of stairs and one outside bedroom door. Surely this is gross negligence on part of the client and care manager as it was not stated in my note?

    Ian Morris

    The scenario you describe certainly seems unsafe in terms of not advising you as to how the lighting works. Whether or not that would lead to a successful claim is something I couldn’t comment on at this stage as further information would be needed. However, given the injury you have sustained I would recommend making a claim for compensation and contacting us for further assistance with the same.

    Have you reported the accident to your employer and completed an accident book entry?

    Jacqueline

    Yes I did fill in an accident report form, but did not know at that time about the switches.

    Reply

    I had an accident at work whilst doing my community care job. It was a new client, the assessment was made on a saturday afternoon and i was told to go there at her teatime call, on arrival the assessor was leaving. Everything went fine on the saturday teatime and bedtime call, went back to do the same routine on sunday, as i went back sunday bedtime call, the client was already upstairs in her bedroom. Went upstairs, no light was required as still light so I could see clearly. When leaving the bedroom to come downstairs the light switches would not turn any lights on, missed a step and ripped a tendon. Without any knowledge to me the 2 switches upstairs, one outside bedroom door and one on landing work as one, whichever one is turned off 1st thats the one that should be turned on. This was not noted in the risk assessment. Where do I stand on this?

    Ian Morris

    If the employer knew about the lighting issue and the need to ensure that the switches were set correctly so that any employee upstairs would be able to switch on the light to descend the stairs, then there is likely to be a claim.

    Reply

    I’m a care assistant in a care home and was sliding a resident up the bed but the slide sheet is too small for the resident and ended up with muscle damage in my back. I filled in an accident form and no manager has contacted me in any way. I’m on extremely strong painkillers and I have tried to contact my employer and still no-one has contacted me. I have pictures to prove the equipment is too small for that person and also proof of the accident form that has been filled in with the time and date of when I filled it out straight after my back injury.

    Ian Morris

    Our initial view on this is that you would have a valid claim for compensation in this matter. Given the inadequate equipment (slide sheet that does not fit the patient need) that your employer has provided, it is likely that you could establish employer negligence. If so, you would succeed with a claim in this matter.

    If successful with your claim, you would be able to obtain a settlement for the injury you have sustained, recover any loss of income or incurred costs and also obtain the cost of appropriate rehabilitation therapies in order to assist your recovery.

    You can use our ‘start a claim’ service on our website to pursue your legal right and make a claim for compensation.

    Reply

    I lift a CP patient who is unable to bare weight on her own. I was trained, in her specific case, to lift her as she has her arms around my neck, essentially hanging from my kneck. I do this abut 6 to 8 times per bathroom need, because her body brace comes off and back on each use, and in other situations. I started having kneck pain and non stop migrains. After calling in many times and 2 weeks of unbearable headaches I called in and went to the hospital. At the hospital the Dr. Told me I was lifting wrong, no one should lift people this way. She believes pain is due to this causing spasams. She tells me to take the remainder of my 2 days off but if not okay by then call in, absolutely no lifting people this way, without machines, and gives me a missed work excuse. I notified work of everything and told them I would only be able to use a lift making me unable to do some things for patient. They understood. My first day back with client, the prior caregiver did not show up to lift her, like we’re not supposed to, to dress her, put brace on, etc before mt arrival. Work was informed and told me I would need to. This is impossible to do correctly with the lift, and come to find out so is putting on her brace she needs. For 9 hours I lifted her over 20 times. I reminded work this was not good, and pain was back to getting worst again. The next day I called in to second shift due to horrible pain because of day before shift. They argued with me and asked for my Dr.s no lift order. It’s a No lift rule! I’ll go back and get specific letter from Dr. In the meantime, if I don’t get fired, I’m losing money, in too much pain to do much, and stressed. Any help, advice, or knowledge to whether my work was in the wrong???

    Ian Morris

    Whether or not you have been trained to lift this patient safely, you have clearly suffered an injury through this work and have been told by a Doctor to stop the lifting.

    There may well be an argument against your employer in that they have not provided a hoist or lifting machinery and therefore placed you at risk of injury. Whilst more investigation work needs to be done, my initial view is that you should contact us so that we can discuss your situation in more detail and get you in touch with our specialist Solicitors about your claim.

    Reply

    I work in a care home on the dementia unit, we have a resident that nine times out of ten throws his meals and juice on the floor, he has done this for a considerable length of time and all the staff have said someone is going to slip one day because we have residents that walk around the dining room, but nothing was ever done about this. At teatime this resident had ate his tea and drank his juice and not threw them so I went to the table to gather the pots I slipped and fell on my left hip and hand ( the resident had got someone elses juice and flung it on the floor) a co-worker helped me off the floor and I went to ask the manageress for an accident form, she asked why and I told her I had slipped in the dining room she told me to get my senior to fill the form in, as it was a computer form (we do not have an accident book)she did not ask if I was hurt. I tried for 4 days to get the senior to fill in an accident form with no joy, I eventually went in on my day off and got another senior to do it. I was bruised on the hip , my wrist hurt and my small finger and the finger next to it felt like pins and needles. I went to the urgent care unit and was told that I had probably stunned the nerve in my wrist which was causing the pins and needles, and it should ease off, it has been 5 weeks since the accident and my fingers still have pins and needles and i am unable to lift anything without pain in my wrist. I am still getting pain in my hip which is affecting my sleep. I now have an appointment to see my doctor because of this. I have remained at work because they are short staffed but have avoided lifting as much as possible, My manageress has never enquired about the accident or my injury even when I went to the urgent care unit, she was not pleased that I had to leave work to go. the resident still sits in the dining room flinging food and drinks and no risk assessments have been done or any other action taken. It is like the accident never happened.

    Ian Morris

    You may well have a valid claim for compensation and we would advise that you use our start a claim form so that we can contact you to further discuss this matter. It could be that your slip on a wet floor at work could lead to a successful claim for compensation so why not get in touch with us by phone (01225430285) to further discuss your options?

    Reply

    I work for a private sector, which is known as an agency worker. I am a carer who was assisting a patient into bed. I didn’t know that the patient bedside has sharp edges. While guiding the her leg into her bed with my colleagues I hit my knee against the bedside that has sharp edges. Which led to knee dislocation. My employer said I am not eligible for sick pay. Been on crutches for two months now. Difficult to walk without. What do I do now?

    Ian Morris

    Were the details of your accident at work recorded with your employer in an accident book? The fact that you are an agency worker is irrelevant in that you have the same rights as any permanently employed person.

    Whether or not you have a valid claim for accident at work compensation is something I couldn’t answer at this time as we would need to speak with you to find out more about what happened and how your injury was sustained to see whether it is possible to attach employer negligence in this matter. Our article on knee injury claims may also be of interest.

    Reply

    my 20 yr old daughter works full time at a skilled care center. she recently filed a “incident” report due to injuring her back & neck from assisting a resident that was too heavy. I believe the company she works for is paying for her chiropractor appts, & she is able to go back to work with restrictions, but the cut her hourly pay to almost nothing since she cant do what she normally does for awhile. can they get away with that? and who do we contact for help on this. she has bills. she cant live on what they cut her down to!

    Ian Morris

    The situation you describe is sadly quite common, where employees are left with an income drop or loss of wages after an accident at work. In the situation you describe, the only way your daughter will be able to recover the lost/cut income would be by succeeding with a claim for personal injury compensation against the employer, which is something that we are experts at.

    If your daughters neck injury was caused by a lack of training, or inadequate risk assessments then employer liability would attach and her claim would likely succeed. Given that the employer is paying for chiropractic treatments, it is an indicator that they are accepting liability. We could help her claim compensation and recover her lost income.

    Reply

    I work privately for a lady in a two carer placement. Both carers have had manual handling training. After the client fell and had a hip replacement the Occupational Therapist came and carried out a risk assessment. Her finding were that the client was unable to weight bear and all transfers were to be done using an electric stand aid. As her bathroom is very small the equipment was not able to get in. The family suggested we manually lift the client to pull up her clothing and that as the client is able to help a bit by holding onto the radiator and arm rest of the commode, it won’t be that difficult. After doing it that way, I hurt my back, so I suggested we take the client into her bedroom and use the stand aid to do the necessary pulling up of clothes. The family said that wasn’t necessary and that as I had mentioned previously I did have recurring back problems they didn’t think it was the manual lifting that caused the injury. The other carer has sided with the family and insists we continue doing the manual lift in the bathroom. If I come down with another injury do I have a case? Also will the clients insurance company not accept liability because the finding on the risk assessment were not adhered to?
    Thank you

    Ian Morris

    Given your explanation of your situation, we think that it is worthwhile speaking with you so that we can gather some additional information and then pass your enquiry to one of our specialist back injury at work Solicitors.

    Although you may have had a pre-existing back problem, it does not mean that you wouldn’t be able to claim for the damage done in your recent work if it is possible to attach liability to the employer as you can claim exacerbation of a pre-existing injury. In this instance, it would appear that the employer (the lady’s family) have been negligent in refusing to allow you to follow the guidance and working requirements set out by the Occupational Therapist.

    Reply

    I work in an Early Learning Provision for young children with Autism. Last June a child climbed in my back, with their arms around my neck. A colleague helped me remove the child, as we were doing so the child’s finger nail scratched my eye. This resulted in a trip to Moorfields Hospital A&E department.
    A procedure was carried out in A&E on my injured eye. Since then I am still under the care of Moorfields eye hospital, wearing a bandage, contact lens for many months & now there’s a high possibility that I will require laser eye surgery.

    I applied to the government compensation board when you are hurt at work. They disabled me at 7%, however you need to be disabled 14% to be entitled to a claim. I’m not sure as to what to do next. My costs of monthly hospital visits/prescriptions is mounting.

    If you could advise I’d be really grateful as this is 10 months of affecting my general well-being along with anxiety of when this nightmare will end.

    Ian Morris

    Injuries to the eye area are a serious matter and commonly cause much distress, anxiety and upset. Given how it is impacting on your well-being and day-to-day living, it is understandable that you are keen to investigate whether or not you can make a claim for accident at work compensation.

    We think it would be a good idea for you to speak with us so that we can take some further details from you and present this to our specialist eye injury at work Solicitors. They would then be able to ascertain whether or not you can pursue a claim against your employer.

    Why not send us your details and a description of your situation. We can then call you and help you further investigate your rights to a possible claim. Here’s an idea of compensation amounts for eye injuries.

    Reply

    I work in disabilities. I have hurt my back & shoulders and also now have sciatic sprains to the L4/L5 vertebrae in my lower back. I have been under alot stress due to lies that have been told from office persons and pressured. Do I have a case to claim?

    Ian Morris

    Whether or not you have a valid claim for compensation for the injuries to your back will depend on what exactly caused them. If you were injured because of a lack of training, a failure by your employer to provide you with the relevant support and equipment to work safely or because of an accident you would be able to make a claim against your employer on the grounds of employer negligence.

    Reply

    I was working in a care home. Someone wedged a firedoor open with a fork…I tripped on fork and smashed head on door and it had a metal door code and lock on it. My head hit it with full force. I have post concussion syndrome will I be able to claim my loss of earnings from the company…..I lost my balance ..speach was slured for nearly 3 weeks I have severe headaches i have had scans and am now waiting on mri scan. Do I have a case?

    Ian Morris

    Yes, you have a valid claim for accident at work compensation and should be able to claim for lost earnings. We’d need to take a few initial details from you during our first call and then arrange for a specialist Solicitor to contact you to confirm things and explain the claims process before entering in to a No Win No Fee claim for compensation. If successful, you could claim compensation for the injuries you have sustained – physical and psychological, both of which are common after a head injury at work – as well as recovering any lost income and expenses.

    Reply

    I sustained an injury at work whilst stabilising a patient (fall prevention) – I’m a health care support worker in a very busy and demanding ward that deals with stroke and dementia patients as well as others. The ward is one step down from ICU. The ward on this particular day was understaffed with just myself and one other hscw on the ward (who hadn’t completed their ‘skill to care’ framework, which is essential for hcsw in Wales as the health board are now taking a different approach to employment for hcsw’s here.

    My injury happened at the latter end of the shift when there was mayhem going on all around, such as visitors being in the ward, patient turns being needed along with many other tasks. A patient decided that they were going to go for a walk and at this point I was the only hcsw on the ward and as the nurse’s were doing medication rounds and dealing with medication and patient’s families, they couldn’t help. This particular patient needed 2-1 support for walking with a zimmer frame. We were by the nursing station when the patient started to lose balance and would have fallen. I stabilised the patient and they then leaned into me almost sending us both to the floor, but I used my hand against the nursing station to prevent us from falling to the floor, but I felt a twinge in my lower. Although it hurt, I shrugged it off as I normally do and carried on finishing my work. By the end of the shift, I was in a great deal of pain and painkillers were not helping. I struggled to drive the 26 miles home that forms my daily commute.

    Once home, I struggled to walk around and couldn’t get out of the bath without help. Since the injury I haven’t been able to walk without walking aids and I’m in a constant great deal of pain all the time I am on a great deal of medication to help but I haven’t been able to sleep properly it is affecting my mood as I’m snappy all the time. I have been referred for an urgent MRI of my lower spine as my GP thinks there is significant damage to my L5 as I have weakness to my right leg as well as numbness and my hip constantly feels like its going to pop out of place. What are my options? (Ps, I am not the only health care worker to sustain a back injury on this ward. Indeed, in recent months, I am now the 5th hcsw to get an injury on this ward.)

    Ian Morris

    It sounds as if there needs to be some changes made to your workplace given the number of HCSW’s to be injured in recent months. We think the details you have described here with regards to your back injury at work should be put to our specialist Solicitors for further expert consideration. We can’t of course, guarantee that we can pursue any claim to a successful conclusion, but we can and do guarantee that our No Win No Fee service enables you to pursue this matter with us, safe in the knowledge that if your claim does not succeed, that you do not have to pay any costs to any party whatsoever. In your case, the employer will have questions to answer about staffing numbers, what training you have had and whether the correct risk assessments were in place at the time of your injury.

    Given the nature and severity of your injury, it would seem wise to further investigate the prospects of us making a claim for compensation for you.

    Reply

    Having worked in Children with disabilities, care homes for nearly 30 years, there have been many changes to moving and handling, not all of them good ones. I have attended several Moving and Handling Courses over the years, but have found that much of the practices were impossible to put into practice, due to the nature of the child’s physical disability, the inadequate equipment provided and the limited space we had to work in. The worst thing was the manual hydrolic hoist, that we HAD TO USE, or face disciplinary action. The effort and physical strain to use this piece of equipment caused more strain and difficulties than an effective 2 person lift, or even a 1 person lift with a small child. Things improved over the years, but still problems persist, when staff are told they must undertake tasks they clearly shouldn’t be undertaking, and even risk assessed not to. Due to unreasonable expectations from line managers over the years, I have now experienced various serious back problems. Sacroilitis (2015) Slipped Disk (2017) and now another as yet undiagnosed issue, which began after I was allocated a large area to clean and personal care of a child which involved bending, stooping and stretching, whilst being mindful of not getting too close to the child which could result in him becoming distressed and then aggressive. The next night I refused to undertake the cleaning duties allocated, as my back muscle where beginning to spasm, but by the next afternoon, I was in considerable back pain. Please be aware, that my employer is providing 4 physiotherapy session for me, as three weeks ago, I began to experience back muscle spasm whilst stretching or bending or carrying at work. It appears that my different managers in my present employment have different levels awareness staff and their potential health issues,. I don’t feel that my present employment has caused the issues, though they have certainly aggravate it.
    Initially I worked for one County Council and now I work for a neighbouring Council, though I have continuous service between the two. Firstly, do I have a claim? and secondly, is it feasible to make a claim that may involve two liabilities? I left permanent employment with the first council in 2009, though I have held since and presently hold a Casual Contract with this County Council. I have worked for the 2nd Council since 2012.

    Ian Morris

    The provision of manual handling training is a statutory duty for employers and in doing so, the employer should be ensuring that the risks of injury to those performing manual lifting and moving, such as is the work needed in caring for disabled children, is minimised. However, simply providing training does not in and of itself absolve an employer of any responsibilities should an injury then happen to one of their staff. Indeed, alongside training, it is vital that an employer ensures that the working environment allows one to work in accordance with the training and they must also ensure that there is sufficient working area and equipment to enable safe lifting.

    In the scenario you describe, there could be some issues that would open you to the possibility of making a claim against your former employers. However, before we can state firmly as to whether or not you can proceed with a claim, we will need to get some further details from you and arrange for you to speak with one of our expert specialist back injury at work Solicitors. They will be able to provide you with a properly qualified legal view as to your prospects of succeeding should you pursue this further.

    Reply

    Hi Ian,

    I am a live-in carer and two years ago I herniated a disc in my lower back whilst reaching down for a plug on floor level. I took a month off work and received statutory sick pay for it. A few weeks ago I was helping my patient and once again hurt my back in the same place. I have been booked off again on sick leave.

    The job is physically strenuous with a lot of bending and reaching, however the company I work for does put all the carers they employ through manual handling training.

    I am worried about returning to work as my back is continuing to be problematic and painful so as a result I am not sure if I am capable of continuing with this job. Please could you advise if I should try to make a claim here.

    Ian Morris

    We would be happy to link you to one of our specialist Solicitors so that they could discuss your situation with you. It does appear on first view that your employer has fulfilled their statutory duties by providing manual handling training, but it could be that the nature of the work you are required to do and the working space provided makes it impossible or difficult for you to work in accordance with the training you were given. In such cases, a successful claim may follow. This is however, unusual and it may not be the case here.

    That said, given the nature of your injuries and possible long term problems associated with them such as an inability to work for a period, we think it is worthwhile speaking with one of our Solicitors.

    Reply

    I ended up with Torticollis back in 2015 following an accident working in a care home. The home didn’t provide any training but also nothing was recorded in the accident book. Following this I was off of work for over 2 months but in total was 4 months until I was back at work with a new employer. Would the length of time and lack of accident reporting mean I would be unsuccessful?

    Ian Morris

    Whilst the lack of an accident book record with your former employer is not ideal, it should stop you from at least trying to pursue this matter further as it certainly sounds like your previous employer was negligent towards your health and safety by failing to provide you with the correct training. However, you are up against it with regards to the time that has elapsed between the accident and trying to claim as you have a maximum period of 3-years from the date of an injury in which you can make a claim. Therefore, you may well be running out of time to pursue this claim.

    Reply

    I am working a dementia unit in a rest-home and tripped over residents foot. It caused me to fall down and I suffered a dislocated right shoulder. This was in May. Unfortunately, I remain in considerable pain and now have a ‘frozen shoulder’.

    According to my Doctor and the Specialist I have seen, the injury will take time to come right, at least one to two years I am told. My employer is forcing me back to duties and warned me that if I can’t return to normal duties they are going to pay my full redundancy and cease my employment.

    What can I do?

    Ian Morris

    Unfortunately, if you are injured and unable to work or fulfill the requirements of the role that you are employed to do, an employer is within their rights to terminate the contract of the employee. However, they must follow the correct statutory requirements and follow the correct procedures with the injured worker before they reach the termination of a position. This will apply even if the injury is sustained in an accident at the workplace. You should certainly check your contract of employment and employee handbook to ensure that your employer is treating your situation correctly and following employment law.

    With regards to your accident, we cannot see how you would be able to hold your employer liable for the fall as you tripped over a residents foot – unless there was some sort of lack of training on the employers part that caused you to have this accident or some equipment/tools that should have been available were not.

    Reply

    Hi, I am currently a metal health worker, I started my new job on Monday 20/11/2017, they gave me some folders to read throughout the day. On Tuesday 21/11/2017 I told the team leader I still had a lot of folders left to read. At 8:30am I was shouted at to rush through to another room due to a resident displaying behaviours (technically I should still have been on induction). The staff and team leader asked me to restrain the residents leg and I explained that I had not had the relevant training to do this and that I had only been trained to remove a resident from holding me. Both the Team Leaders and staff told me it didn’t matter and that I should just hold her leg.

    I attempted to hold her leg, but it resulted me being kicked very very hard in the shoulder and mouth. I told the team leader after the incident what had happened expecting some support and sympathy. I was shocked when all she said was “well, I’ve been bitten. It’s what we deal with”. The resident continued to display troubled behaviour throughout my shift and I was continually asked to hold her legs. On Wednesday 22/11/17 I went into work and was put straight with the same resident again. The resident displayed some behaviours and again I had to restrain her legs as I was left to work 2 to 1 with her, but with no support! I’m not going to my shift tomorrow as I’m in agony with my shoulder and need to see a Doctor. Do I have the right to make a claim for compensation in these circumstances?

    Ian Morris

    Your new employer has placed you at risk and caused you to be injured as a direct result of a lack of adequate training and supervision in the workplace. As such, our initial view would be that you meet the criteria needed to pursue a claim for accident at work compensation on the grounds of employer negligence.

    Whilst you may well have concerns about pursuing a claim for compensation against your new employer at such an early stage of your work with them, if your injuries are deemed to be sufficiently serious to warrant a claim for compensation, you would have every right to make a claim in this circumstance.

    You should make sure that your employer has recorded the details of your injury and how they were caused and you should, if possible, make sure that your lack of training in restraining dangerous residents is noted in any such accident book entry or report of the incident.

    Reply

    Hi,
    I had a accident at work 9wks ago, where I broke my collarbone. I was cleaning and tidying a cupboard, while I was stacking boxes on top of each other, an air mattress fell on my leg which caused me to go off balance, and as I did so, I threw the box on top of the other with a force that caused my bone to break. I reported it to the nurse on shift, who advised me to get it checked out asap, I was doing a night shift at the time. I carried on my shift taking pain relief until 7am. I somehow managed to drive home in excruciating pain and as I got home my daughter phoned 999. I broke the same collar bone 6 years ago and 4 wks prior to breaking it again I had a plate taken out, as it was irritating me. The collar bone and arm was great, had full strength and full movement. I am still under the hospital and have just been signed off for a further 6 wks, as the bone has not healed. They will review it again after this period. When I took my sick note in one of the managers said that he thinks I should look for another job. I asked why, he said well you won’t be able to turn people, I work in a nursing home. His comment has caused me no end of stress. Can I ask my employer to transfer this year’s holidays over to next year, and do you think I can claim compensation.

    Ian Morris

    We can certainly look at pursuing a claim for accident at work compensation here for your injured collarbone. There is an employer negligence argument to be made about the fact that an air mattress had been left rested up against a wall and not secured properly and given the extent of your injury, making a claim against the employer is justified.

    On the issue of transferring annual leave, that is something you will need to discuss with your employer. However, if you have already booked some leave and are deemed unfit to work during that period (you have a Doctors note for example), you can request that your employer switches that period of absence from annual leave to sickness leave instead. This would protect your annual leave for a future period when you would be able to properly enjoy time away from work. However, it may be that your employer does not pay your salary in full whilst you are signed off sick and instead place you on to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). If this were the case for you, you would have to decide whether you would rather lose some annual leave and retain your income, or retain your annual leave and lose some income. Employers are allowed to move staff on to SSP as there is no obligation to continue to pay a full salary. You should remember though, that if you do lose income as a result of an accident at work, that you can seek to reclaim any lost income if you succeed with a claim.

    Reply

    I started work as a private carer 6 months ago. Now I developed a lump on my left wrist and this is causing me severe pain from my wrist down in to my thumb and fingers. As of yet, the pain will not go even though I have been to see my Doctor. They have prescribed me strong Ibuprofen gels to use and paracetamol to ease the pain, but it doesn’t seem to be helping.

    At work, I have to push a 13 stone gentleman everyday in his manual wheelchair as well as help him move in to and out of the chair. I am now in constant agony, especially when at work as I need use of my left hand to care for him.

    I don’t know what I can do as I can’t rest the injury as I have to work in order to pay my bills and the cost of living. I have never had any such trouble in my life before with my wrist and these symptoms have only developed since I started this job. I am so worried now thinking what to do as the pain it unbearable. For example, I can’t even hold my phone for long as doing so causes me to get a burning pain in my wrist. I worry that my ability to use my hand is reducing.

    I love my job so much and I am so worried that I could lose the job if I make a claim. I do however know that this injury and the pain is 100% caused by this work.

    Ian Morris

    It certainly sounds as if your injury is that of a repetitive strain related nature. You have cited a possible cause as being the fact that you have to manually push the gentlemen that you provide care for in a manual wheelchair and this is certainly a possible reason for such symptoms.

    You may be able to make a claim for compensation against your employer, but to succeed you will need to demonstrate that they have been negligent towards your health and safety by failing to provide adequate training, support and equipment to perform your duties safely. The lack of a powered chair could be one area where you could demonstrate such negligence. Have you ever asked your employer for assistance or for additional equipment that would reduce the strain on you physically and allow you to work safely?

    I suggest that you should contact us so that we can have a chat about your working environment, your training and the employer. We would then be able to offer more specific advice as to whether or not you have a valid claim.

    Reply

    I work as an activity based care worker. We regularly take out children on various activities. One of my colleagues had to take 4 weeks off work after she was injured during one of these activities. The injury was purely an accident and no one was really to blame. The company paid her nothing but ssp which is a lot less than our normal wage. As the accident was done at work doing an activity she had been told to do, is she liable for compensation?

    Ian Morris

    Unfortunately, simply being injured in an accident at work or as a result of an incident whilst at work does not give the injured worker any right to claim compensation from their employer.

    As with all claims for personal injury compensation, to succeed with a claim, the claimant must demonstrate that their employer has been negligent and failed their obligations towards their employees health and safety whilst at work. You mention that the incident in which your colleague was injured was purely an accident. If this was the case, then sadly it is unlikely that she will be able to make any claim for accident at work compensation.

    It would be wise for your colleague to contact us directly in order that we can chat through the incident in which she was injured with her. We may find that on speaking with her and finding out more about what she was doing and how she was injured that there could be an area of negligence that we could identify that may enable her to pursue a claim for compensation.

    Reply

    I hurt my back at work whilst attending to a residents personal care. I did what I could on the bed, the bed was at a comfortable level for me. The resident managed to move a little and began lowering his legs off the bed. I knelt on the floor to help him put his trousers on when I felt a sudden pain and my back hurt. The nurse and a colleague helped me into a wheelchair as I couldn’t move properly and then the nurse put an ice pack on me but the pain was awful and unbearable.

    The next day I was still in awful pain and attended the urgent care clinic. I was prescribed medication and advised that muscles in my back had gone into spasm. I was off work for 3 weeks because of the injury. I am now having to attend physiotherapy and continue to take medication because of this injury.

    I have never had a return to work interview and now have to wear a support belt to help support my back whilst at work in a bid to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.

    Do I have a claim?

    Ian Morris

    It is certainly worth us investigating this further for you and we recommend that you contact us via email (justice@direct2compensation.co.uk) or call us on 01225430285 to discuss your situation further.

    In a brief chat with you we would be able to identify any areas of employer negligence that could allow you to pursue a claim for back injury at work compensation.

    Reply

    I’ve been working as a care aid for this care home i’m currently employed. I work with autistic kids with mental behaviours. It’s a crisis care home where combative and aggressive clients live at. For all i know its suppose to be 1 on 1 with this kind of clients and we have 3 while theres only 2 staff. I had an injury recently when one of the clients had an episode and charged me with a chair and dislocated my shoulder twice. My coworker handle 2 clients while i dealt with the one that was so combative. My supervisor told me to go urgent care but i went to er instead. They didn’t see any dislocation because at the time of the incident, i tried to put back my dislocated shoulder because of pain and i cant go to the hospital and wait 2.5 hours to be seen or checked. The doc put me on modified work and 0lbs lift restriction. My supervisor asked me to do paperworks and meds instead. But this sat, i’m with the same client who attacked me again and who knows what or when he’s going to strike again because of his mental problem. Though my supervisor is here, she cant help me with anything towards the client and the other staff that is working with me is working with 2 combative and unstable clients now because i’m injured and cant help him at all. She didn’t even payed me for leave to rest or anything and she acts like nothing happened at all. Please help me.

    Ian Morris

    In the UK, your employer will be liable if they have failed to provide the correct level of staffing and therefore exposed you to an undue risk of injury. Whether or not you can succeed with a claim for compensation here will depend on whether or not your employer has been negligent in that regard. You need to find out whether or not there is a requirement for 1-2-1 staff to client ratios and whether there had been a risk assessment in place to cover the client in question. If so, did the employer adhere to their own specified requirements?

    Reply

    Hello
    I am a live in carer to a severely overweight disabled elderly man and his wife. I have been at this job for almost 2 years. I have mainly been the sole employee and have been required to lift these people off of the floor, out of bed, into chairs etc without the correct equipment. I have never had any manual handling training and have recently felt immense pain in my back and legs. I have been denied help when I have asked for it, in terms of another carer and have simply had to get on with it. The fact that my home is tied accommodation makes things more difficult. I do not feel as though I can go on with this job and feel the damage and pain to my back is a direct result of the poor practise I have been expected to do. Do I have a claim?
    Thank you

    Ian Morris

    In your circumstances, on the basis of your description of the situation, I would say that your employer has been negligent towards your health and safety whilst at work. It would seem that you have placed your employer on notice of issues such as a lack of training, support or equipment.

    We often find that people working in the care sector suffer injuries to their backs as a result of the heavy manual work that they are required to do to fulfil their duties. I would argue that in your role, you should have lifting hoists in place and that the employers failure to provide the same could leave them liable for your injuries. With regards to the additional staffing request that was ignored or refused, whether or not the employer has made an error here would come down to the risk assessments that have been carried out ahead of your being appointed to the role.

    I do appreciate your concerns about how any claim may effect your tied accommodation. In theory you have a legal right to make a claim for compensation without it having any impact on your job.

    Reply

    Hi I worked in the care sector a few months ago, I was not earning minimum wage due to my employer not paying correct travel time. I also injured both shoulders due to working 6am till 6pm. When i was signed off sick I was sacked via text message.

    Where do I stand with this please?

    Ian Morris

    Hi, I cannot advise on the payment issue – that is an employment law matter and not something I have sufficient knowledge of to assist you.

    However, with regards to your shoulder injuries you may be able to pursue a claim against the employer for these problems if they have been diagnosed by a Doctor and noted as a work related repetitive strain injury. A claim against your former employers for the shoulder injuries would only succeed if you can demonstrate that you were not provided with adequate training and guidance on lifting or that the employer overworked you and failed to provide adequate support and equipment to minimise the risk of injury.

    Reply

    I was attacked by a resident at work. I was bitten, had scrapes to my arms, bruises to back of leg from being kicked. I was elbowed in my breast and was very traumatised and needed two weeks off to recover. I work in a general nursing home and the resident clearly had mental health needs. I am not trained in restraint practices as we are not an emi unit.
    I have been informed that I will only get statutory sickness pay.

    Ian Morris

    Lauretta

    Hi, what a nasty incident you describe. It would sound as if your employer has failed to ensure your safety at work and that there could be a claim for compensation in this. Sadly, there is no obligation on your employer to pay your usual salary whilst you are off ‘sick’ – even if the injuries were caused in an incident at work. You are entitled to SSP, but this is currently only £89.35 per week – and only available for up to 28 weeks. This situation regularly leaves people massively out of pocket.

    If you were to succeed with a claim for compensation, you would be able to claim compensation for the injuries you sustained and also to reclaim any lost income or other costs.

    Reply

    Hi, I fell down the stairs at work due to a loose carpet gripper & jolted my back, been off work 3 days since then, manager has got maintenance to check & sort out all stair ways. I work in a care home where my residents are up & down the same stairs I slipped on.

    Ian Morris

    On the basis of your comment, I would say that you have a VERY STRONG claim for compensation. Stairs are a known hazard and as such, it is imperative that building owners, employers and occupiers of premises with stairs ensure that there are no hazards located on them.

    A loose carpet on stairs is a definite danger and I would have every confidence that we would be able to successfully place your claim with one of our specialist solicitor partners.

    Please call us on 01225430285 as we’d like to speak with you and help you get your claim up and running.

    Reply

    I worked in the care sector 1984- 2003. Im now 48 and suffer with chronic lower back pain. Have i a claim?

    Ian Morris

    Bethan

    My initial thoughts here are that you are likely to be outside of the claim limitation period. In the UK, the law allows someone injured a maximum period of 3-years from the date of their accident/injury in which they can make a claim for compensation. This applies to all adults over the age of 18 at the time of the accident. If you are under the age of 18 years at the date of an accident – the limitation period does not expire until the injured persons 21st birthday.

    The only other thing to say is that in the case of an industrial illness/injury claim (or in the case of clinical negligence) the 3-year claim limitation period commences at the date when the injured person becomes aware that their injury/illness was work related. This applies to conditions that are not always immediate in their presenting symptoms. This could apply to you, but I have to be honest and say that it would be difficult to apply that in your case.

    You can read more about personal injury compensation claim limitation periods here: https://direct2compensation.co.uk/faq/how-long-do-i-have-to-make-a-compensation-claim

    If you would like to discuss this with me, please call 01225430285.

    Reply

    Hi I was injured at work supporting a client threw a seizure as trained I was told to attend to a client promptly, closely monitor their breathing and observe and document all signs of seizure whilst loosening clothing putting protective head gear on if required, and giving the client plenty of reassurance. Placing a pillow under their head to support them from injury etc, client had a seizure I responded promptly and worked as trained I placed the clients cover back on as it had fallen off during seizure whilst reassuring my client that they would be ok.

    The client came round and flung their arms around my neck causing me injury to my neck and shoulder. I filled accident book in and daily care plan had to have around 10 days off work on diazepam to relax my muscles. I have since had acupuncture physio and had time off work every so often when the injuries flare up, so put a claim against them. They have denied liability saying I should of sat on a chair that the client doesn’t have and spoke words of comfort. None of this was in my training they also said I should of had phonecon me to ring for second staff to assist who was sleeping upstairs, although I haven’t been supplied with a phone we only have portable house phone that is rarely charged. Also care plan states to reassure client 1-1 as to not overstimulate them and call for assistant if uncontrollable. They also say I had mva training I never did a full course only update as I made my manager aware also we are taught in epilepsy not to hold a seizuring client, and only breakaway techniques we were shown were if someone pulls your hair to hold it and shout for your team, also to redirect punches and clothing grabs. Not sure me shouting would of woke my colleague who is upstairs other side of building, sorry long message.

    Ian Morris

    On the basis of your comment, we would like to speak with you. It sounds as if your employer has only provided part of the required training and also failed to give you the tools you need to work safely (in this case a phone).

    Reply

    I am a housekeeping manager in a nursing facility. A resident (who requires assistance with walking) was left alone in the area in which I was working and she was falling down from a standing position. I rushed to break her fall to the floor and was able to stable her enough to help her back into her chair. The resident sustained a bruised knee and I strained the muscle in my shoulder. I have been receiving compensation of my income, therapy and doctor care from the company insurance. I returned to work at the request of my employer, and have not been released by the doctor nor the therapist and was written up for carelessness(this incident only, and I have no other write up in my employee file), I am not a licensed care giver and should not have touched the resident as the administrator has said in our meeting today. I was sited for carelessness and a violation of a resident transfer and re positioning. My actions was reflex and was not intended to harm the resident nor myself, and strongly feel that if her CENA was present I would not have been put in such a position. I would like to disagree with my administrator and have this record deleted from my employee file, or at least this be an oral warning and not a final written warning since I have not receiver any orientation for my job position, (but have learned as I go) nor have a handbook related to my position. I do not know the law as it relates to nursing care facilities and I feel this write-up did not reflect what happened in the incident. I have read your questions above and found that my employer did not give me any training, (this could relate to manual handling training, specific training to use certain machinery or other job relevant training). Has my employer breached health and safety guidance already? As this my third day back to work along with the write-up my employer has placed me on a 90 day probation period as they have somehow come up with while I have been away from work (11/20/16-12/19/16) eleven points that I need to improve on, one being that I “focus on own department instead of becoming involved in other department assignments and duties”. My involvement with this resident would not have happened if she was attended to by the staff. I believe this stems from my being responsible to report any neglect or abuse to or toward any resident. I did report an abuse case and it was found true and the CENA terminated. I would appreciate and, thank you for your response to this matter.

    Ian Morris

    Thank you for sharing your situation with us. Clearly, your query is a little outside our specific expertise in injury compensation claims, but what I can say is that it would appear that your employer placed you in a bad situation by way of their negligence towards your training and support whilst in the workplace.

    Given what you have said about the incident in which the resident fell, I think any caring human being would have tried to prevent her from falling to the floor and that you were simply trying to prevent her from sustaining a serious injury. It is hard to see how your employer could discipline you for taking such action.

    I would strongly suggest that you seek the advice of a specialist employment law Solicitor or Lawyer local to you with knowledge of the laws covering the area in which you live and the industry in which you work. Certainly under UK law, you would have a very good chance of having this write up removed from your file.

    Yours sincerely

    Ian

    Reply

    Mine is a difficult one to explain, i’m a care worker and my job involves dealing with autistic young adults and challenge behaviours. Now on thursday of last week 10th March i took one of our young people out in the community for his daily activity. Now this young man is 2 to 1 support in the community as he can be very challenging so i also had another member of staff with me. So we went to airhop for his activity which is a trampoline park in guildford. When we go out in the community for his activity we are to take part and support him during this time. Now while i was bouncing i was paying attention to our support user as he was walking around the end of the trampoline i lost focus and landed badly and damaged my leg. First aiders came to assist and helped me to relax and gave me an ice pack. After thinking i was fine i left the building thinking i was fine but once i was outside my leg collapsed and i fell over. After returning to work my college told me to put my foot up but my manager told me to fill out the forms but wouldn’t let me leave until my shift was finished. Now once i got home i went to A&E with my fiancee and i found out i actually tore a disc in my knee called (torn meniscus), now on monday the 14th i went to the doctors who signed me off for 2 weeks now as i’m unfit to work. My question is because i was injured technically during work time doing an activity we have to take part in can i claim?

    Ian Morris

    Martin

    Thank you for taking the time to explain your situation and discuss your injury and how this was caused.

    You are right in that your situation isn’t necessarily straight forward as to make a successful claim for the injuries you have sustained whilst performing your working duties, we will have to demonstrate employer negligence and that they are responsible for your injuries and losses.

    As you state, you are expected to join in with the activities that your young adults are involved in. This is part of the job and as such, you may have to take part in activities that have known risks. In this instance, your employer has expected you to partake in trampolining as part of your working day. Trampolining is something that can be expected to present a risk of injury, so your employer must take in to account how such activities may affect your health and safety whilst at work.

    We would be happy to investigate your situation further as there could well be prospects of succeeding with a claim for work accident compensation against them if we can show that they have not adequately risk assessed the activities that they charge you to partake in. If a claim for compensation were to be made against your employer, they would need to show that they had fully and adequately risk assessed the trampoline activity. It could also be argued that it is not sufficient to send staff such as yourself, who may be experienced and trained with the handling of the young adults you work with, but with no relevant trampoline expertise to do such activities and that your employer should use specially trained staff for certain risky activities.

    As I have said, we would like to investigate this further and would certainly like to get one of our specialist injury compensation solicitors to discuss this with you. Therefore, we need to speak with you to get a little more information.

    We look forward to hearing from you.

    Regards

    Ian

    Reply

    I am a care worker I had to lift my client from chair into his bed between 6 to 8 times a day The client is 6 foot five and 14 stone and I am really struggling with my back, can I claim compensation?

    Ian Morris

    Christopher

    Thank you for contacting us. I am sorry to hear that you are in pain and struggling at work.

    The situation you refer to is one that we often hear about. With the number of people requiring ‘in home’ care support rising, the number of care workers that sustain injuries as a result of their work is also on the rise. Care workers commonly suffer from muscular strains and soft tissue injuries as a result of heavy lifting. Care companies that employ care workers are responsible for the health and safety of their workers and as result, must provide adequate training to all staff, risk assess all tasks that they expect carers to perform and provide all relevant equipment and tools that will enable a worker to minimise the risk of injury.

    In terms of making a claim for compensation as a result of the injury/pain you have sustained whilst providing care worker duties, this is certainly something Direct2Compensation would be willing to help you with. Whether or not you will succeed will come down to the nature of the work you are doing, what risk assessments (if any) your employer has undertaken and whether you have been provided with the necessary training, support and equipment to carry out your work without risk of injury.

    If you have not already done so, you should report your injuries/pain symptoms to your employer and you should ask that they record this officially. You should also see your GP to ensure that the details of your injuries are recorded on your medical records.

    I hope that this information has been helpful to you and I look forward to hearing from you.

    Yours sincerely

    Ian Morris

    Reply

    Hello,
    I am a carer and work with elderly people, 5 weeks ago an elderly gentleman started to fall so I reached out and took his weight to stop him falling to the floor as he is very frail and would have seriously hurt himself. In consequence I damaged the muscles in my lower back and have been bed bound since doing so. Initially I was rushed to hospital and assessed and have been going to regular check ups with my GP. I am also about to start physiotherapy to try and ease the strain on my back. I’m 21 years old and this has devastated me, physically and psychologically. Is there anything I can do? Or any claim I can make?

    Ian Morris

    Hello

    Thank you for your contribution to the comments on this article. I’m really sorry to hear about your accident and the injury to your lower back whilst at work.

    Without doubt, you did the right thing in trying to help the elderly gentleman and prevent him from suffering a bad injury. After all, you are employed to care for and look after vulnerable people.

    It is really unfortunate that you have suffered such a debilitating injury and I can sympathise with the feelings of distress and upset that you describe.

    We would be more than happy to investigate your situation with a view to making a claim for accident at work compensation. Any claim would be made against your employers liability insurance cover, so it wouldn’t directly affect your employer or your relationship with them.

    The most important thing you can do at this stage is to make sure that your accident and the injuries that you have suffered whilst at work have been recorded within your employers accident reporting system. This could be within an accident book or other similar record. Obviously, your medical records will reflect the extent of your injury and ongoing treatment. I would also add that you should make sure that your GP is aware that you are feeling depressed and low as well as physically being injured and in pain.

    The prospects of succeeding with your claim will come down to the actions of your employer in minimising the risks you face in your role and doing all they can to prevent you from suffering injuries such as the one you have sustained. It will come down to the amount of training you have received, what support and equipment you are provided with and what risk assessments the employer has carried out in relation to the care needs of the elderly gentleman that fell and caused your injuries. Whilst we can never guarantee that we will win your claim, we can guarantee that it will cost you nothing if the claim fails.

    An injury such as the one you describe may have long lasting consequences and one of the best things about claiming compensation after an injury is that it may open up access to specialist rehabilitation therapy that the NHS cannot provide or that you cannot afford. This may help you recover more quickly and get you back to normal life sooner.

    Reply
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