85% of Injured workers not compensated

A report covered by the Law Society Gazette reveals that more than 85% of people injured or made ill at work do not get compensation.

Published by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and the Trades Union Congress titled 'The Compensation Myth' shows that in 2012/13 there were around 610,000 people injured at work

During this period only 90,000 successful compensation claims were made. Shockingly, the figures also highlighted that 25,000 of people who became ill or were injured were forced to give up work as a result.

President of the APIL, Matthew Stockwell says that most people are either 'choosing not to claim or cannot prove their injury is due to someone else's negligence'.

"There is a general lack of understanding about the way the personal injury system works.  Compensation claims can only be made where negligence can be proven; not every mishap has a price tag attached".

Accusing the government of 'turning the clock back', the report claims that the change in the law requiring the claimant to prove the employer's negligence means that fewer workplace claims are successful. 

Government figures demonstrate a fall in claims in the workplace to 91,115 in 2012/13 in comparison to the 2002 figure of 183,342.

Injuries resulting from trips, slips and falls in the workplace are the most common with musculoskeletal disorders like back and ligament injuries reported the most.  Skin diseases and hearing loss are also noted.

Recent civil litigation reforms are mentioned in the report and with fixed fees now introduced for employers liability claims, clients are assured that solicitors will not be dragging a case out for their own means.

If you have been injured at work and need our support to make a claim, call us on 0114 296 5444 or email enquiries@pm-law.co.uk and we'll call you back.

PM Law Ltd

Personal Injury Lawyers

Sheffield & Maidenhead