After you’ve contacted us, we’ll set up a free initial consultation to discuss how you were injured and what defects there may have been with your work equipment. We’ll discuss what funding options are available to you to pay for your claim, including No Win No Fee agreements* or Legal Expenses Insurance (LEI).
We’ll then get in touch with your employer or the manufacturer of the faulty equipment, at an early stage to see if they accept the blame for your injuries. If they accept responsibility, we’ll try to secure interim compensation payments which can fund private medical care and ongoing expenses, before your claim fully settles. Any interim payments will be taken out of your final compensation award.
Our lawyers will look into your case in detail, gathering evidence from independent medical professionals and health and safety specialists. These experts will analyse what might have happened to the equipment at work for example was it serviced regularly and maintenance kept up. Could it have been if more training was provided then the accident might not have happened?
We can determine any future implications to your health and advise on the care you’ll need in the future.
We’ll always try and negotiate claims out of court, keeping the claim process as short as we can. However, if your employer doesn’t accept responsibility or doesn’t agree with the amount of compensation we feel you need, we’ll start court proceedings.
In very serious cases, it may be that someone has died as a result of equipment at work, health and safety failings or poor training by employers on the equipment an employee might be using.
If a loved one has died, our lawyers can help you with:
- Recovering compensation - as a result of their death at work you may not have enough income to support you and your family
- Representing you at inquest - an inquest is an important way to help employers and manufacturers of faulty equipment look at their policies, procedures and existing equipment. By conducting an inquest we can get independent answers for you and your family
- Getting you the answers and apology you deserve from those responsible such as your loved one's employers or the manufacturer of the faulty equipment.
Our lawyers could also help you access a statutory bereavement award, which is separate to a claim for compensation. This is available if you’re the spouse, civil partner or parent (if they’re under 18) of the person who died.
The death of a loved one is never easy, our bereavement counsellors and support staff can help you in these situations.
You normally have three years to make a compensation claim, starting from the date of the defective equipment injuring you.
Depending on your injury, we may make a claim against your employer, or against the company which manufactured the faulty equipment. This may add complexity to your claim so the sooner we know about your injury, the easier it is to investigate the equipment, manufacture, training and other issues surrounding the accident.
If you were under the age of 18 when the accident happened – perhaps during work experience or an apprenticeship – the three year period begins on your 18th birthday. This means you have until you’re 21 to make a claim.
However, it’s important to contact us as soon as possible so that we can begin to investigate your claim. If you have questions or concerns about the time limits, please call us for free initial advice on 0800 056 4110.
