I was recently working at a height in a warehouse when I fell. I have since been confined to a wheelchair. What is the amount of compensation for injury while working in a warehouse I can claim?
Before you can claim compensation for injury while working in a warehouse, you must determine who is liable for your injuries. If it is determined that you were at a height by your own choice and without instruction to work, or if you declined to wear safety equipment, you will be responsible for your own injuries. However if you were instructed to climb to this height despite being unsafe or you were not offered adequate safety precautions, you may be entitled to compensation.
Your priority should be to seek immediate medical attention for your injuries, which will ensure that contributory negligence will not affect your compensation. Once this has been sought a personal injury lawyer should be consulted in order to determine the strength of your claim and the amount of compensation to which you may be entitled. This amount will be determined as per the following factors:
- Damages will be rewarded for the injury which you have sustained, its severity and the long-term affect it is likely to have upon your life. A figure will be initially assigned to each injury, which will then be appropriately adjusted to take into account your age, gender and state of health prior to the accident
- Your compensation for injury while working in a warehouse will include special damages in order to cover the cost of any expenses which you incurred as a result of your injury. These can cover medical expenses, the cost of alternative travel and in your case the cost of refitting your home for a wheelchair if you are permanently confined
- Loss of amenity will be compensated, which will provide a settlement for any deterioration suffered in your livelihood as a result of the accident. This can include the inability to perform everyday tasks, or not being able to partake in social or leisure activities which you would have normally enjoyed
- Finally your compensation may include compensation for emotional trauma caused by your accident and injuries, whether due to the nature of the accident or during the recovery period. Emotional trauma will first have to be verified by a qualified psychiatrist before a claim can be made
If you have any doubts over the amount of compensation to which you are entitled or whether liability rests entirely with your employer, you are advised to consult a personal injury lawyer at the earliest opportunity.