Accident Investigation for Your Business

As you may be aware, there has been a major change over the years towards claiming financial compensation for injuries received as a result of road traffic accidents, trips or falls and medical negligence. Compensation is rightly sought where negligence can be shown.

INDUSTRIAL RELATED ACCIDENTS
Work place accidents also result in major claims. The true circumstances surrounding the claim must be sought before any award for injuries/damages can be made.

TRIPS AND FALLS
Trips and falls are more serious than many people think, especially for our older citizens. A broken wrist due to a fall may mean the loss of independence, with the older person fearful of another fall or injury. Major claims can result from slips and falls. In one case, in excess of £17,000 compensation was awarded for a hand injury which resulted from a fall when the individual was crossing a minor road.

FRAUDULENT CLAIMS
Not all claims are genuine. In a recent case a man claimed £40,000 for a back injury. A video film provided the evidence to prove that the injury he claimed did not exist, even though he had provided a medical report stating he was 25% disabled following the accident. Hidden camera filming techniques are part and parcel of accident investigation.

ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
Road traffic accidents often result in a wide range of injuries. The role of the independent accident investigator is to aid in establishing facts in support or rejection of a personal injury claim and, when appropriate, provide evidence in defence of any driving offence charges that have been brought.

In any claim for compensation, be it as a result of a trip or fall, an industrial accident or a road traffic accident, the claim must be fully supported by clear evidence.

Following an accident the skills of the accident investigator secures the genuine claim

 

Accident Investigation Example:

An investigation by a local authority environmental health officer into a slipping accident to an employee at a commercial sales office and showroom highlighted the need for a review of the company's cleaning regime in their risk assessment. Entrance matting was also seen as an area of concern.

The employee had slipped on an area of flooring that had been mopped but not dried properly. The company's 'General Procedures and Safety Precautions' had stated 'Do not walk on wet or newly polished floors', however wet cleaning took place during working hours when staff were always moving around their desks.

It was suggested that cleaning should take place outside work hours but this was not possible because of security reasons.

Instead the company adopted a new regime which cleaned and dried floors without leaving them wet. They also made materials available for staff to spot clean any localised spillages.

The company has now carried out a specific slips and trips risk assessment, they have increased the size and positioning of their entrance matting systems as well as introducing the dry cleaning regime.

There have been no further slipping accidents to date.