£300,000 Offered in Compensation to Teachers Following Injuries in the Workplace

A new study has revealed that teachers and lecturers have been awarded close to £300,000 in the last year, as a result of accidents in the workplace.

One teacher was awarded £150,000 after slips, trips and falls in a school car park, resulting in a displaced pelvis and other injuries. Figures also revealed that another teacher received a £40,000 payment after suffering stress due to a heavy workload. One of the injuries to a teacher was caused by a window falling inwards while teaching, another was due to potholes in the staff car park.

The figures come following a report from the teachers union, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) which revealed that the most common type of accidents among teachers were slips, trips and falls. According to the findings, the vast majority of cases were settled outside of court.

Larry Flanagan, the EIS general secretary, said:

“Teachers and lecturers are entitled to safe workplaces and the evidence over this year is a worrying testimony to a lack of diligence by employers.”

“These damages should never be viewed as some kind of windfall for injured members. Every case is calculated to the penny with the sole aim of putting members back to the position they were in before they were injured through no fault of their own.”

“It is essential that all injuries in the workplace are reported, logged and that the police are informed where a potential crime, such as assault, has occurred. Without proper procedures being followed for the recording and reporting of incidents, there is little chance of any action being taken to address the cause of the injury.”

Accidents in the Workplace: Can I Make a Claim?

The statistics from the teaching union highlights that such accidents are common in any line of work and that claims can be made regardless of how safe your profession is considered to be.

No matter where you work, your employer has a duty of care to you and other members of staff. If they fail to uphold this duty, and you are injured through no fault of your own as a result of their negligence, you could be entitled to make a personal injury claim. If you suffered an injury, whether it was from a slip, trip or fall, or from any other type of accident in the workplace, if it was caused by carelessness from your employer, it is your right to make a compensation claim and to hold them to account.

What Do I Need to Make a Personal Injury Claim?

To make a personal injury claim following an accident in the workplace it is important to have as much evidence as possible to support your claim. If you were involved in a serious accident or severely injured, you will have required medical attention.Visiting a medical professional allows you to have your injuries reviewed, but it will also give you the peace of mind that your injuries have been treated, allowing you to begin your recovery.

Following medical advice, you will be given a medical report, which is essential to making a personal injury claim. This evidence will allow you to show the full extent of your injuries, verifying your claim. A medical report will also offer insight into the recovery time and rehabilitation from your injuries.

As well as a medical report, our team of personal injury solicitors will require basic details about your accident such as where, when and how the incident occurred, and evidence to support the severity of your injuries. At Lawford Claims, we also believe in building as strong a claim as possible. Therefore, we may require other evidence such as statements from witnesses, contact details of those involved in the accident, photographic evidence and any other items that can support your claim and give you access to the most amount of compensation possible.

How Much Will My Claim Be Worth?

It is difficult to note exactly how much your claim could be worth as you can claim for more than compensation for your injuries and no claim is alike. If you are involved in an accident and are seriously injured and unable to work, you can claim compensation for loss of income. You can also claim for rehabilitation cost and damage to property. Proof such as a bank statement or invoices will need to be provided in order to make this part of your settlement.

Once you have provided the evidence our solicitors require, we will give you a rough estimate of what you can expect in compensation. This will be based on all of your factors as well as our previous experience in dealing with similar sorts of injuries.

Contact Lawford Claims 

At Lawford Kidd, we operate on a no win, no fee basis as we believe that everyone has the right to compensation if they are injured through no fault of their own.

If you have been hurt in an accident in the workplace that was a result of negligence or a failure in the duty of care, our team of expert personal injury solicitors can help. To find out how you can make a no win, no fee claim contact our team today using our online contact form.