If you are injured while at work, your employer may be responsible for compensating you for any personal injury and loss suffered by you as a result of the accident. Most employers will have insurance to cover such accidents at work and often it will be their insurance company and their solicitors rather than the employer that you are dealing with.
If you had an accident you must:
- Report the accident to your employer
- Take detailed notes of the accident
- Obtain medical attention
- Consult a personal injury solicitor
The employer has a duty to ensure the employees’ safety, health and welfare at work as far as is reasonably practicable. In order to prevent workplace injuries and ill health an employer is required, among other things, to:
- Provide and maintain a safe workplace which uses safe plant and equipment
- Prevent risks from use of any article or substance and from exposure to physical agents, noise and vibration
- Prevent any improper conduct or behaviour likely to put the safety, health and welfare of employees at risk
- Provide instruction and training to employees on health and safety
- Provide protective clothing and equipment to employees
Many employees are reluctant to bring compensation claims against their employers for fear of losing their jobs, damaging workplace relationships, intimation or discrimination.
People who have had accidents at work may be entitled to personal injury compensation. As with other accidents this will include compensation for the injury suffered, loss of income past and future, medical expenses, travel expenses and other financial expenses suffered as a result of the accident.
You may not be entitled to compensation if your injury was caused by some fault of your own or, after investigating the incident you may be held to be contributory negligent. It is important therefore to consider the matter fully and your personal injury solicitor will help you in this matter.
Mulroy and Company Personal Injury Solicitors specialise in personal injury claims and we are in a position to advise you if amount offered is fair for the loss and injury suffered.
Often, after an accident occurs, the injured party is discouraged from seeking the assistance of a lawyer or is put under pressure from an insurance company to accept a settlement. However, it is vital that before accepting any settlement from an insurance company that you obtain advice from a personal injury law firm. The insurance company is most likely making an offer to settle the case now as it fears it may have to make a higher offer in the future.
It is vital to remember that insurance companies employ a wide range of experts from claims managers, motor vehicle assessors, actuaries and medical advisors to represent them.
Our advice is simple – Never settle a claim without obtaining legal advice.
Do you have a personal injury case?
After an incident where you suffered loss and injury, how will you know if you have a personal injury case? This is clearly the first question you will have asked yourself. Although you may have spoken to friends and heard you have a case, it is strongly advised that you seek the legal advice of a solicitor competent in this area of personal injury settlements*.
Should you suffer a loss, injury or expense as a result of another person, you may be able to seek compensation from that person for such personal injury and loss. In most personal injury cases the other party will be represented by an insurance company.
Here at Mulroy and Company Personal Injury Solicitors, we specialise in personal injury claims and it is our job to make sure that you are informed about the incident in question and we can clarify whether you have a personal injury case. If so it is also our job to ensure you are fully compensated for the loss arising from your injury.
From our initial meeting regarding the accident, a very clear image of liability may emerge. Many personal injury cases are clear from that first day, in that there was an injury suffered and as a result they will succeed in being fully compensated. A good example of this would be an car accident injuries involving two cars where for instance one party collides into the rear of the other car. In this case liability will almost always rest with the party that collided into the rear of the car in front.
In other cases, who is responsible for the accident may not be entirely clear. In such cases liability may have to be agreed between the parties and where such agreement cannot be reached, liability will have to be apportioned by the courts. It may be the case that the Claimant is held to be contributory negligent. In another example, you may have an accident at work where you failed to follow correct procedures but your employer failed to provide a safe system of work. You can read more about contributory negligence here.
In summary, a claim for personal injury is complicated and this is where we at Mulroy and Company Solicitors in Galway can be of assistance.
The following may be of assistance to you if you have suffered an injury or loss.
- I have had an accident. Do I have a case?
- How long do I have to make a claim?
- Frequently asked questions about Personal Injury Claims
- Repetitive Strain Injury
- Can I benefit from the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme?
- If my claim for personal injuries was successful what would I be entitled to receive?
- What are the Legal Charges involved in making a claim?
- What is the meaning of ‘no foal, no fee’/ “no win, no fee”?
Mulroy and Company Personal Injury Solicitors are here to help. Please do not hesitate to telephone us at 091 – 586760 or email us to discuss your claim.
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*In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement.