An office job isn’t a role that anyone would list as a dangerous profession in a high risk workplace. However, the relatively safe office is actually a very common location for workplace accidents. Indeed, at Direct2Compensation we regularly hear about injuries in offices that leave employees unable to work or live as normal for a while.
If the accident could have been avoided by the employer taking action to remove a hazard, implement training or provide the correct equipment, an injured worker will likely succeed with a claim for compensation.
Common causes of office accident claims
Most of the office-based accidents we deal with have been avoidable and only happened due to a disorganised approach to health and safety in the workplace. In many companies, the management fail to risk assess things that don’t seem an obvious hazard.
Employers are legally responsible for safety in the workplace and this also applies to their workers and office spaces. The same rules apply to temporary or agency workers as they do to full-time staff. In cases where employer negligence can be demonstrated, an employer will be legally accountable to compensate their workers for injury and losses.
Some of the most common causes of office accident claims are:
- Tripping over loose wires and cables that have not been safely secured
- Back injuries through lifting without manual handling training
- Slipping accidents due to wet floors or spilled substances with no hazard warning sign
- Repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome
- Electric shocks from faulty or untested electronic equipment
- Back injuries due to incorrectly set workstations or faulty chairs
What should an employee do if they are injured?
As with any injury sustained at work, the details of the accident and injuries should be reported to the right person. In the case of an office accident, the office manager will have responsibility for the management of the accident book and incident reporting scheme.
The injured employee should immediately report the details of their accident to this person and ensure that an accident book record is completed. If there is no accident book entry, or your employer won’t let you see it, don’t worry, we can help. If the injuries sustained are sufficiently serious, they should seek medical attention from A&E or an NHS walk in clinic.
Depending on the cause of the accident, the employer should then take steps to ensure that a repeat of the accident is unlikely. For example, if an office worker is injured after tripping on loose electrical wires, the employer should immediately display a hazard warning sign, verbally warn the remaining office staff, and then ensure that the loose wires are secured or placed under a rubber strip to remove the tripping hazard.
If you have been injured in an accident in an office and need advice, you can call us on 01225 430285. We know your rights and how to successfully make a work injury claim, ensuring that the accident has been properly reported and that your compensation is maximised.
As with all claims for personal injury compensation in the United Kingdom, office accident claimants must take action before their claim is statute barred. The current limitation period is set to 3 years from the date of an accident or 3 years from the date of diagnosis with regards to a repetitive strain injury. Whilst claimants don’t have to pursue a claim immediately, it is never a good idea to let too much time pass before starting the process as this can hamper the prospects of success.
For more details on what’s involved, read our ultimate guide to claiming work accident compensation.
Why contact Direct2Compensation for help?
Whether the injury sustained has lead to you being unable to work and lose income, or you’re suffering from ongoing discomfort, there are many benefits to successfully pursuing a claim for compensation.
With our expertise and know-how, you can be assured that you will be instructing the right specialist solicitor to act for you to ensure that your claim has the best chance of success. With our No Win No Fee service, not only will a successful claimant receive compensation for the injuries sustained, but they will also be able to recover any lost income or costs incurred by way of a special damages claim.
It is also important to point out that beside the financial settlement available, claimants may also be able to to access specialist rehabilitation therapies during the claims process. In the case of office accidents, we find that many injuries are commonly of a musculoskeletal nature. Injuries of this type often require time to heal. However, recovery can be achieved more quickly when physiotherapy, osteopathy or massage therapies are provided.
If you have been injured in an office accident and want to find out more about how we can help you succeed with a claim for compensation, call us on 01225 430285 or if you prefer, . In just a few minutes on the telephone with you, we’ll obtain the initial information needed for our solicitors to commence a claim.
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