Motor vehicle accidents at work are a common cause of personal injury in the workplace. The most serious injuries that occur at work are caused by forklift trucks followed by dumpers and other large, mobile building site equipment including diggers however most motor vehicle accidents that occur on site are caused by cars and delivery vehicles specifically vans and lorries. All drivers who enter an enclosed industrial area, a place of work, a factory or a building site must be aware that whilst the rules relating to negligence on the roads apply, unfortunately signage, lights, and safety barriers may not be present within the workplace. Drivers of all vehicles on site especially forklift truck operatives must use extreme care and exercise a high degree of skill when driving their vehicles within the confines of the workplace. For the victims work accident solicitor to claim compensation for a workplace injury, the driver of the vehicle must be shown to have been negligent which is defined as “failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances”. Whilst the driver may be negligent it is in fact the employer of the driver or more likely their insurers who pay out the compensation due to the victim for personal injury and other losses.
Damages Award
An award of compensation obtained by work accident solicitors for personal injury caused by the negligence of another person in the workplace is intended to put the victim back into the position that they would have been in had the accident not occurred. The value of the pain and suffering in a motor vehicle accident claim depends on the extent of the injury, the time taken for recovery and the extent of any on-going or long-term pain or disability. The amount of the award is determined either by agreement between the work accident solicitors for each side or by a Judge who follows judicial guidelines, compares the injuries with other similar injures in previously decided cases (precedents) and uses his own skill and judgement gleaned from previous experience as a practicing lawyer.
