Archive for November, 2008

The Health and Safety Executive’s recent statistics show that for 2007/2008 there has been a reduction in the number of people who have been killed, injured or made ill by accidents at work.

Figures suggest that the incidents of work accident injury have fallen by approximately 9% since 2000, and that this trend is continuing.  Fatal workplace accidents have also reduced by around 5%.  The number of reported work related diseases appears to have also fallen, however there has been an increase in asbestos related diseases, such as Mesothelioma.

Companies are failing to invest in inexpensive and simple measures that would prevent their workforce having work accidents while working at height.  Many accident work claims for personal injury compensation are as a result of poor management, broken or inadequate equipment, or structural failures.  Records indicate that incidents involving a fall from a height currently result in more workplace deaths than from any other type of work accident.

Some employers appear to believe that workplace height regulations apply only to sizeable heights.  This is wrong, as anything above one metre is classed as “working at height”.  Many work accidents result in injuries when there is a fall at “low height”, such as when truck drivers unload goods from HGVs.

A warning has been issued by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) concerning 3 unregulated claims management companies who are involved in accident injury claims.  It is believed that the companies are trying to avoid being subject to regulation by being based outside the UK.

The warning came from the MoJ’s Claims Management Regulation Unit, and suggests that the following 3 companies may be providing accident claims management services without having the required authorisation:

• - National Compensation Consumer Line

• - Compensation Consumer Survey Line

• - Personal Injury Hotline

Published in Truckstop News - November 2008.

In this month’s issue Steven Hinchliffe of the specialist Personal Injury firm Hinchliffes Solicitors answers the question “WHO PAYS THE LEGAL COSTS IN MAKING A PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM?”.

Legal costs can be a major concern when considering whether to make an accident compensation claim.  Contacting solicitors can appear daunting and potentially expensive.  However, most specialist accident lawyers are very approachable, and able to set people’s minds at rest about the claims process and costs implications.