Being injured due to an accident at work can be extremely stressful and unsettling to deal with. In the immediate aftermath, your priority, quite rightly, should be your health. However, what you do next following the incident can make a real difference if you later decide to bring a compensation claim against your employer.
Even in workplaces with the most diligent safety procedures, accidents still happen. Knowing what to do next can help protect both your recovery and your legal position.
In this blog, and in follow-up to our previous guides, ‘I had an accident at work; what are my rights?’ and ‘How Should Your Employer Prevent Accidents at Work?’, our personal injury team outlines the key steps to take following a workplace accident.
1. Seek Medical Attention
The most important thing is your health and wellbeing, so this comes first.
Following an accident at work, seek immediate medical attention. If the injuries are serious, the emergency services should be called. While you are waiting, a trained onsite first aider at your workplace should assist you. Employers in the UK have a legal obligation to ensure a safe working environment and are legally required to have appropriate first aid arrangements in place. Not all injuries will be obvious, so even if you ‘feel okay’ and your injury seems minor at the time, it is wise to seek medical advice as soon as possible. Some conditions, particularly soft-tissue injuries or head injuries, do not always show symptoms immediately. Having your injuries properly assessed and recorded will also provide important medical evidence if you later decide to make a claim.
2. Report the Accident to Your Employer
As soon as possible, and when you are able, report the accident to your employer. Explain clearly what happened, where it happened, and what you believed was the cause of the accident. The incident should be recorded in the company’s accident book. If there is no accident book, report it in writing to your manager or HR department and keep a copy for your records. In more serious cases, your employer may have legal obligations to report the accident under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). Information on the accidents that need to be reported can be seen here: Types of reportable incidents. Making sure the accident is formally recorded creates an official record, that can be crucial evidence later on.
3. Speak to Any Witnesses
If anyone witnessed your accident, ask them to provide a written account of what they saw as soon as possible, while it is still fresh in their mind. Take their contact details in case further clarification is needed. Independent witness statements can be extremely helpful in supporting your version of events.
4. Gather Evidence
If you are well enough to do so, take photos or short video evidence of:
- The area where the accident happened
- Any hazardous conditions or faulty equipment
- Defective PPE
- Your injuries, if they are visible
If you cannot do this yourself, ask a trusted colleague to help gather this information for you. Conditions at an accident scene may change quickly. Hazards get removed, equipment gets repaired, so preserving evidence early can be extremely valuable. This is especially important if the cause of your accident relates to unsafe working conditions or defective equipment.
5. Take Legal Advice
If you are considering a compensation claim, it is advisable to speak to a personal injury solicitor as soon as possible. An experienced solicitor, with expertise in workplace injury claims, can explain your rights, assess whether your employer may have breached their duty of care, and guide you through the claims process. They can also help you gather the correct information, involve medical specialists to assess the impact of your injuries, and ensure that important processes and deadlines are followed.
We realise that many employees feel nervous about seeking compensation from their employer, worried that the company will suffer a financial loss due to the claim. Some employees also worry they will be treated unfairly by an employer afterwards or lose their job. However, compensation awarded in accident at work claims is typically paid out by the company’s liability insurance provider and not the employer. Furthermore, it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate or treat an employee differently because the employee is making a workplace injury claim.
Accident at Work Solicitors
If you or a loved one has suffered an accident at work and would like to discuss your options, our experienced personal injury team at Langley Wellington is here to help. Our workplace accident lawyers have many decades of experience between them and are recognised in their field for their expertise in employers’ liability cases.
To speak to a member of our team today, please call 01452 521268 or email lawyers@langleywellington.co.uk or fill in this contact form.
This blog post is not intended to be taken as legal advice. If you require specific advice about your situation, please contact our solicitors directly.
