Employers have a duty to provide you with a safe environment to work in and this includes making sure there is adequate lighting. Poor or inadequate lighting in the workplace puts you at greater risk of being involved in an accident that leaves you injured. Some of the most commonly reported incidents that result in employees being injured due to inadequate lighting are slips, trips and falls which can result in you suffering minor to very serious injuries.
If you were injured in the workplace due to inadequate lighting, whether your injuries are slight or a lot more severe, you could be entitled to claim compensation providing the incident occurred in the last 3 years and you can prove employer negligence. To find out more about injuries due to inadequate lighting at work, please read on.
Your Employer’s Duty of Care Towards You
Employers who do not provide a safe environment for you to work in, could be in breach of their duty to keep you safe from harm while in their employment. Should you be asked to work in a space that has poor and inadequate lighting and you suffer an injury, your employer could be deemed liable. However, it is worth noting that should your employer rent space in an office building, the management company or landlord of the building could be held responsible for an accident that occurs in a communal area that is inadequately lit. This includes in hallways, stairwells and entrances to an office building.
What is My Employer’s Legal Responsibility Towards Workers?
Employers in the UK have a duty to keep you safe in the workplace and they must carry out regular risk assessments to reduce the risk of injury to both employees and visitors to a place of work. Should your employer ignore the Health and Safety Executive regulations pertaining to lighting in the workplace and you suffer an injury, you should seek legal advice from an accident at work lawyer sooner rather than later.
Common Accidents at Work Due to Inadequate Lighting
As previously mentioned, slips, trips and falls are some of the most commonly reported accidents that occur due to non-existent, poor or inadequate lighting at work. Not being able to see can lead to employees bumping into objects, tripping over badly placed items or falling down stairs.
If you were injured in the workplace due to the area being inadequately lit, you could be entitled to make a claim and to be awarded a level of compensation to suit the injuries you sustained through no fault of your own providing the incident occurred in the last 3 years.
What Can I Include in an Inadequate Lighting Injury Claim?
As with all work-related and personal injury claims, a court would take into consideration several factors when determining how much you could receive in a successful claim for an injury sustained due to inadequate lighting in the workplace. A court would break down the amount you would be awarded into two categories as detailed below:
- General damages – cover the extent of your injuries and how they impact your ability to work and your future life
- Special damages – cover all the expenses you incur as a direct result of being injured in an accident at work due to inadequate lighting. This includes all your medical and travel expenses as well as care costs and any other therapies and ongoing treatments you may require
You must keep all receipts of the expenses and other out-of-pocket costs you had to cope with following an accident at work. This should also include the extra money you may have to pay out on increased heating bills because you were at home during the time it took you to recover from your injuries.
Should I Sue My Employer For an Accident Due to Inadequate Lighting?
You may suffer injuries that prevent you from working for a long period of time. Your injuries may be so severe that you are unable to carry out your normal job again. As such, you could be put under a lot of pressure both financially and psychologically. Filing for the compensation you deserve is perfectly normal given these circumstances as it would relieve any anxieties you may have about paying future monthly bills and other living expenses.
It is worth noting that your employer is legally required to have valid liability insurance in place for such eventualities and that it is the insurers who would handle and deal with your accident at work claim. It is your employer’s insurers who would settle your claim whether your case is heard before a judge or it is decided that your employer’s insurers should offer you an out of court settlement which is best negotiated on your behalf by an accident at work lawyer.
What are My Workers Rights Following an Inadequate Lighting Accident at Work?
All employees have rights when they are involved in an accident at work that leaves them injured. Should you have suffered an injury due to inadequate lighting at work, your rights include the following:
- To seek compensation for the pain, suffering and out of pocket expenses you incurred
- For your job to be safe even when you decide to sue your employer for compensation
Should your employer make your working life awkward because you seek compensation for the injuries you sustained, you should discuss your case with a lawyer who specialises in employment law. A solicitor would provide essential advice on how best to proceed in not only filing an accident at work claim, but a detriment claim too because an employer does not have the right to treat you unfairly should you claim compensation from them. You should never resign from your job without seeking legal advice beforehand.
Are There Any Benefits to Working With a Solicitor on an Inadequate Lighting Claim?
An accident at work lawyer would offer invaluable legal advice on how to go about filing for compensation against a negligent employer. Personal injury claims that are work-related can be complicated. As such, it is essential to get things started correctly when contacting an employers insurance company. All too often, claims are disputed which means that you would need as much evidence as possible to prove your case. A solicitor would advise you on what your employer’s insurers would require right from the outset of filing for compensation which can help speed up the process.
Another benefit of having a solicitor work with you on an accident at work claim, is that they have access to all the legal libraries which cover past work-related injuries sustained by employees due to inadequate lighting. This too can help when it comes to calculating an amount of compensation you may receive because past cases and the circumstances on how an injury was sustained could be taken into consideration. This is something that only a solicitor would have access to.
The injuries you sustained due to inadequate lighting at work may be such that you require ongoing specialist medical treatment and working with a solicitor would mean you would have access to the best treatment that is provided in the private sector. This includes specialist physiotherapy and other therapies that you may require. By contacting a solicitor who specialises in accident at work claims, you would be able to discuss your medical needs and the solicitor would be able to arrange for you to have the specialist treatment required during your recovery.
Is There a Time Limit to Filing an Inadequate Lighting Claim?
If you are thinking about filing an inadequate lighting at work claim against your employer, the accident at work time limits are detailed below:
- You have 3 years from the time you were injured to file for compensation
- Should you have developed a work-related medical condition, the 3 year time limit begins from the date you were diagnosed
- Should you have been injured when you were under the age of 18, the 3 year time limit starts from your 18th birthday
Although 3 years seems like a long time to file an accident at work claim against an employer, more complex cases can last several years. By waiting for too long, you could miss out on the compensation that an employer owes you due to their negligence, even if you have all the evidence needed to prove your case. As such, it is far better to seek legal advice sooner rather than later, following an accident in the workplace that left you injured.
Can I Lose My Job For Filing an Inadequate Lighting Claim Against My Employer?
You cannot lose your job just because you choose to file an inadequate lighting claim against your employer. If your employer does show you the door, it is best to seek legal advice from an employment law solicitor who would offer essential legal advice on whether you could also make an unfair dismissal claim against your employer.
Would a Solicitor Work on a No Win No Fee Basis on My Inadequate Lighting Accident at Work Claim?
Should you have suffered injuries due to inadequate lighting at work, whether minor or more severe, it is best to seek legal advice sooner rather than later to avoid missing out on the compensation you may be entitled to. Most solicitors offer a free, no obligation consultation which allows them the chance to assess your case and to determine whether an employer or other third party could be held responsible for the accident at work that left you injured.
You would need to provide the solicitor with as much evidence as you can for them to satisfy themselves that your claim stands a good chance of succeeding and you would sign a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This allows an accident at work lawyer to begin work on your claim without asking for any upfront money or retainers. The agreement provides details all the Terms and Conditions that a solicitor would adhere to when working with you on a No Win No Fee basis.
The contract also explains the amount of money payable to the solicitor on a successful inadequate lighting at work claim. If, your claim is not upheld or agreed to by your employer’s insurers, you would have nothing to pay for the legal services the solicitor provided. Another advantage to working with a No Win No Fee solicitor, is that the money you pay on a successful inadequate lighting claim is deducted from the compensation that you are awarded.