I suffered an electric shock when plugging in a hand drill at work. It later transpired that the plug was faulty and should have been replaced some time ago. I suffered burn injuries but they were not too serious however I did miss two weeks work. Is it worth my while making a farm machinery compensation claim?
An employer has a duty of care to provide all staff with a safe work environment, this includes ensuring that machinery is well maintained, if your employer has failed to do this you may be entitled to make a farm machinery injury claim.
Through a farm machinery injury claim you may be awarded special damages, this will allow you to recover any costs you have incurred as a direct result of your injury including loss of earnings for the two weeks of work you missed and any medical bills you received as a result of your injury. The intention of special damages is to return your financial position to what it would have been had the accident never occurred thus it may be worthwhile pursuing compensation.
Alongside that you may also be entitled to compensation for a Loss of Amenity that is the affect the injury has on your personal life along with General Damages for Pain and Suffering. You should consult with a personal injury lawyer about these as they will be able to provide a much more comprehensive explanation.
They will be able to help you gather evidence in order to substantiate your claim. This could include a maintenance record of the machine that caused your electric shock, photographs of the equipment you used as well as testimonies from any witnesses. Work colleagues may also be able to verify if the machinery had given them any trouble in the past.
Of course you may be approached with a direct offer of compensation for your injury and while this should be welcomed any such unsolicited offer must be referred to your personal injury lawyer. This will ensure that you are not undercompensated for your farm machinery injury claim.