Injured at work? Your employer might be partially responsible

If you or anyone you know has ever suffered a serious injury in the workplace, you know how hectic a time it can be. Your first order of business is the immediate physical pain you’re in – you want to assess how bad it is, how severely you’ll be limited and whether you’ll still be able to work. Assigning blame and filing reports with lawyers probably isn’t in the forefront of your mind.

Eventually, though, it should be. Often, workplace injuries are at least partially the employer’s fault – and this being the case, it might be wise to take legal action against your bosses and seek the damages you’re entitled to. It helps to talk with an experienced legal professional who can walk you through this process with ease.

Is your employer to blame?

Workplace injuries can be complicated, with any number of factors involved, but often the employer deserves at least some of the blame. For example, according to a recent report from Lloyd’s List Australia, a transport company was slapped with $220,000 fine after an injury sustained by a forklift driver.

The driver was standing within two metres of a forklift on his worksite when he was hit in the head by a freight cage door. SafeWork NSW determined that the incident could have been prevented if the business had enforced a better traffic management plan. As a result, the employer had to pay major damages. This was hardly an isolated incident – situations like this, where companies are negligent about safety and held accountable for it, happen all the time.

Don’t forget to file reports

In the typical workplace injury situation, employees and their bosses focus primarily on getting people back to work. WorkSafe Victoria notes that often, the post-injury process is focused mainly on communicating about recovery timetables and start dates.

During this process, however, it’s also important to get all the necessary claim forms lined up and make an effort to receive any compensation you’re entitled to. Talk to a lawyer about how to handle this process.

What payments are you entitled to?

Injuries at work can be costly, and there are all sorts of payments you might be owed as a result. You deserve payment for lost time at work, reimbursement for medical expenses and more.
To get a full rundown of what you’re entitled to, ask for legal help. At Marshall & Gibson, we are ready and willing to examine your case – just get in touch with us and ask for a free case evaluation.