I recently fell from a ladder while working on a farm and broke my wrist. My employer says I should have set the ladder on more stable ground, but I was following his instructions. Can I initiate a farm ladder injury claim?
If it can be determined that your employer was not following safety protocol when you fell from a ladder, you may be entitled to initiate a farm ladder injury claim. Your employer is obliged to provide you with a safe environment in which to work, and if he fails in this duty he may be liable for any injury which occurs.
The strength of a farm ladder injury claim can be established through the safety tips provided by the Health and Safety Executive regarding the usage of ladders. These are necessary to follow due to the high number of accidents which occur as a result of unsafe ladder usage in the workplace. These include:
- The usage of an adequate ladder for the task at hand
- Making sure that the ladder provided is in safe condition and has been maintained appropriately
- Placing the ladder on firm ground which can support the ladder and the weight of anybody using it
- Establishing that the user of the ladder will have a safe hand hold
- Providing any employee who may use the ladder with training on its safe use
Should your employer fail to comply with the criteria as mentioned above, they may be liable for an injury compensation claim. In this case, your employer allegedly instructed you to place the ladder upon unstable ground, which would be a violation of the third point mentioned above.
In order to make a farm ladder injury claim, you are advised to consult a personal injury lawyer. You may be required to make a report in the “Accident Report Book” of your employer. You are advised to gather evidence of the accident, including photographs of the ladder which you fell off, the area in which the accident occurred and the contact details of any witnesses to your accident.
As the Statute of Limitations places a time limit of three years upon personal injury claims, and a farm ladder injury claim may take some time to prepare, you are advised to consult a lawyer without delay.