Workplace Accident Injuries

 

We spend a large part of our lives at work.

 

Did you know that while you are at work, your employer has a legal duty to ensure your workplace is safe and inform you about health and safety issues that may affect you or your fellow workers.

 

In Queensland, recent health and safety statistics demonstrate:

 

• Tens to hundreds of thousands of workers are suffering from a workplace injury or illness

 

• Many workers are killed at the workplace

 

• Tens of thousands of workers were required to be absent from work for an extended period due to workplace injury or illness

 

• Hundreds of thousands of working days were lost due to workplace injury or illness

 

• Workplace injuries and illnesses cost the community many millions of dollars every year in loss of productivity and medical and leave expenses

 

The common element in all of these cases is the inevitable hardship that injuries or loss of life can have on the injured worker and their families.

 

While your personal injury lawyer at Macquarie Legal is ready to lead you through the legal maze during these difficult times, here are a few things you should know to give you a headstart.

 

Reporting an accident at work

 

Any injury at work, including minor injuries, should be recorded in your employer's accident or incident book.

 

A workplace accident or incident book is for the benefit of both employers and employees, as it provides a useful record of what happened in case the event needs to be examined by either party. Recording accidents helps your employer see what's going wrong and take action to stop accidents in the future while it may also assist workers by confirming the details of the incident if the injury requires the worker to take some time away from work or to seek medical attention.

 

Under workplace health and safety legislation, your employer has a duty to report workplace accidents and dangerous incidents to the relevant authority.

 

These incidents include deaths, major injuries such as broken limbs or back and neck injuries, dangerous incidents and any other workplace injury or illness that prevents an employee from doing their normal work.

 

The responsibility to report an incident as noted above falls on the employer, however, if you are involved in an incident, it is in your best interests to ensure that the matter has been recorded correctly.

 

Health and Safety

 

It is important that your employer complies with their obligation to conduct a risk assessment and take any necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of employees and visitors to the workplace.

 

Importantly, employees must always be sure to take reasonable care for their own health and safety.

 

Compensation

 

If you've been injured in an accident in the workplace, you may wish to make a claim for compensation. Even if you are unsure or don’t necessarily think your employer is at fault, you may still have some entitlement to compensation.

 

In Queensland, any claim must be made within three years of the date of the accident.

 

As other timeframes may affect your rights to make a claim, it is essential that you speak to a personal injury lawyer. Carman Lawyers may take your case on a 'no win no fee' basis.

 

Under Queensland law, your employer must be insured by Workcover Queensland (or self-insured) in order to protect workers who may suffer a workplace injury or illness.