Building Site Accident Claims
Posted on 9th January 2021 at 08:57
There’s no doubt that building sites can be exciting and challenging places to work. They can also be pretty dangerous, as any construction worker will tell you. That’s why the people charged with managing these sites and those working in them have to be doubly careful when it comes to health and safety.
The good news is the UK has one of the best safety records when it comes to working on building sites. That doesn’t mean accidents never occur, however.
The construction industry still has some of the biggest incidences of injury compared to other sectors. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), there are around 64,000 non-fatal injuries on construction sites each year. Between 2016 and 2017 there were 30 fatal injuries, almost half of which were due to falls from height.
If an accident was caused because the right health and safety measures weren’t put in place or there was other negligence by your employer or someone else, you may be able to claim compensation. Having an accident at work can bring long term consequences – you could well need help recovering with long periods off work during which you aren’t paid.
At DSM Legal Solicitors, we operate a 'no win no fee' service which means you don’t have to find the money to consult one of our solicitors in the first place. We’ll be able to go through the details of your building site accident claim with you and decide whether you have a viable case or not.
Some of the cases we’ve come across in the past include:
Workers who have fallen from a height or through unsecured flooring or skylights.
Ladders and scaffolding are often sources of accidents, especially if the right safety measures are not put in place.
Construction sites generally have vehicles moving around and accidents can happen here too.
Poorly maintained machinery or equipment can also cause accidents.
We’ve seen injuries such as burns and cuts as well as those from electrocution because of lax safety standards.
Some builders find themselves working with dangerous substances including asbestos but without the right protection.
Often our claimants haven’t been given the right equipment or safety gear to do a job properly.
Of course, building sites can vary in size and complexity. Generally, the bigger the project the more health and safety is an issue. Those operating these building sites have a legal obligation to ensure people are able to get on with their work without risk to life or limb.
If you have been the victim of an accident at work, it’s a good idea to get all the information you can together in case you need to make a claim. That includes detailing the facts of the accident, reporting it to the relevant person at work and getting contact details for anyone who may have witnessed the incident. If the accident was caused by defective equipment (for example, a loose rail in scaffolding), it’s important to take a picture of it if you are physically able to do so.
Bringing a claim for a building site accident may be the last thing on your mind as you try to recover but it’s important to get legal advice as soon as possible. Contact the friendly, expert team at DSM Legal Solicitors on 01925 937070 if you want to know more.
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