How does one know if they are eligible for construction accident claims? I was recently involved in a work accident in which I broke a bone in my arm. As a result of the accident I will be unable to work as a construction worker again and am eager to be compensated, especially considering I spent four years completing an apprenticeship.
Construction accident claims can be pursued when a worker is able to prove that their employer is at fault for their accident. An employer may be held liable for any accident which happens at a worksite, not just for incidents in which they are directly involved. This is because employers in the construction industry are obliged to adhere to The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996, which states that an employer must take measures to ensure the safety of their workers.
There are several instances in which employers in the construction industry can be found to be negligent and liable for construction accident claims to be taken against them; injury as a result of inadequate training, placing an unskilled employee in a position of high risk and working in adverse weather conditions are among the reasons an employer can be deemed to be negligent. As mentioned, an employer must take precautions to ensure the safety of their workers by performing routine safety checks. These checks must be carried out on the equipment that will be used by workers, as well as the premises itself. Guardrails, harnesses, scaffolding, ladders and machinery must be examined as part of the checks.
If any of the circumstances above relate to your injury, you may be entitled to pursue a claim for construction accident compensation. In order to bolster your chances of receiving the maximum amount of compensation possible, you or your lawyer should gather as much documentation of your injury as you can. It is likely that your employer is required to keep an Accident Report Book and you should log an entry in this, detailing the circumstances surrounding your accident. This, along with your medical report and any documentation provided by the Health and Safety Executive – who must be informed by your employer that a worker broke a bone – will help to boost your chances of receiving the most compensation for a construction injury possible.
Construction workers seeking to pursue compensation for an accident which happened on a construction site are advised to speak with a lawyer at the earliest possible opportunity. Speaking to a lawyer will allow you to find out if you are entitled to pursue a claim for compensation, how much is awarded for construction accident claims and whether or not your claim is likely to be successful.