A Guide To Personal Injury In the Office

If you work in an office environment then there’s quite a high chance that you won’t be entirely clued up on what to do if you were to encounter a serious accident in your workplace - after all, we don’t think accidents will happen while we’re sitting at our desks! But whilst the chances of one occurring in front of your computer are very slim, accidents in the office environment happen more likely than you’d expect. 

In fact, throughout our daily working lives, we risk injury from the moment that we step foot on the premises - accidents can occur in the car park, the foyer, the stairs or even in the communal kitchen – all of which can transpire even before you’ve even had chance to sit down at your desk!

So, what do you do if your encounter an accident in one of these places within your work proximity? And, even more so, what do you do if the injuries sustained from that accident actually hinder your ability to work?

Well, in order to ensure you’re fully prepared, here’s your very own guide to personal injury in the office, as well as your own guide to personal injury lawyers, should you need to seek further help in light of an accident:

What Do I Do If I Have an Accident at Work?

Trips and falls are some of the most likely accidents that occur in the workplace. So, often when these occur, you can talk directly with your employer to organise compensation if you have been injured, particularly if the injury hasn’t been particularly severe.

However, if in the unfortunate event that your fall leaves you with a nasty injury or leaves you unable to work, you may have to seek legal representation if you’re unable to obtain the compensation you deserve for your accident - particularly if it could have been avoided, or if the incorrect health and safety regulations were (or in many cases, were not) in place at the time of your accident.

Although a lot of employees find themselves being put off by making a claim because they don’t want to anger their bosses by suing the company, doing so may be particularly beneficial if you have a valid claim for compensation, as the money could help you to cover bills and payments while you’re unable to work, or to cover your bills for your medical care.

This is why many people look to seeking proper legal representation through a highly acclaimed and professional personal injury lawyer to help get the right compensation.

What Exactly Is A Personal Injury Lawyer?

A personal injury lawyer is someone who provides legal representation to an individual who claims to have been injured - both either physically or emotionally - as a result of someone else’s wrongdoing.

So, if you have an accident that wasn’t your fault, then chances are you’ll be entitled to compensation. Most personal injury lawyers are trained to practice any field of law, however, some also specialise particularly in areas including work injuries,, defective products, medical mistakes and slip and fall accidents - just to name a few.

How Do I Choose The Right One For Me?

When searching for a personal injury lawyer, it's vital that you find the right one, for you.

So, even though you may have seen that great advert on the TV for that great personal injury lawyer, or you’ve been recommended a lawyer from a friend, take time to assess whether their services are right for you and your situation – after all, no accident is ever the same.

Choosing the right personal injury lawyer may be down to factors such as one that you feel most comfortable with, one that is willing to tailor their services specifically to you, or it could be down to the one that charges the least amount of money. Either way, it’s important that you carefully sit down and think about what factors are more important to you, so you can ensure you’re truly happy with the one you decide to go with.

Once you’ve found the right one for you, your chosen personal injury lawyer will then guide you through the details of your accident, make a case for you and then work towards making sure that you win the right compensation no matter how big or small your accident in your workplace may have been.

Finally, IsHiring a Personal Injury Lawyer Expensive?

As well as being put-off at seeking legal representation because of the fear of angering bosses, many employees don’t seek the help they’re entitled to because they assume that seeking a lawyer is extremely costly.

However, if you take time to research all of the companies in your area and ask plenty of questions about fees and bill practices once you come across one that you like, seeking help need not be.

If you just go with the first personal injury lawyer you come across, you could find that costs can quickly increase with hourly basis fees, extra costs of court expenses, secretarial time, filing fees and other charges that go into the personal injury equation.

However, if you look around, you will find that many lawyers will agree to be paid on a contingency basis – meaning that you only have to pay legal fees unless, or until, you win your case. And, it’s only until you do so when the lawyer will normally take a percentage of your recovery as his fee – usually around one third of your total compensation won.

Ella Mason, an experienced freelance writer, wrote this article. Ella specialises in providing useful and informative law advice to businesses.