What to do in a workplace accident

What to do in a workplace accident: points of interest

You are the victim of a workplace accident. Or you are wondering what to do in the event of a possible workplace accident. What steps should you take?

1. Seek medical help if necessary. Are you unable to do so? Then get a colleague to do so.
2. Report the accident to your employer/manager immediately.
3. Collect witness statements from colleagues.
4. If the ambulance has arrived, go to the hospital. Otherwise, you should go straight to the GP.
5. Get us involved as soon as possible.
6. Make use of a logbook.

Didn’t follow the roadmap? Contact us right away. Our lawyers will look into your case immediately.

What to do in a workplace accident: personal injury

Report the accident to your employer or supervisor as soon as possible! Always go to the hospital or GP immediately. Your injury needs to be properly examined. The sooner you seek treatment, the better. You may become temporarily disabled. With time, you will notice that you are doing better . Slowly, you can resume your activities.

Unfortunately, not all personal injuries are curable. You may be left with permanent injuries from an industrial accident. The permanent injury prevents you from performing your job. You will be declared completely disabled. Examples of permanent injury:

• Blindness
• Amputation of limbs
• Blunt trauma
• Severe brain injury
• PTSD

Minor or major injury: recovering as much as possible is number one. Leave the worry of claiming compensation to us. Then you can recover from your injury without stress. Stress causes a delay in recovery. We will ensure that relations with your employer remain as optimal as possible.

Want to know more about personal injury? Then go to the Personal injury page.

What to do in a workplace accident: damage calculation

You may have many unexpected costs on your plate. Always engage a legal personal injury firm. Our lawyers can make an accurate damage calculation for you. We do not overlook any items of damage. What else should you do in the event of a workplace accident? Record all costs you incur as a result of the workplace accident. Consider costs such as:

• All medical expenses (deductible, physiotherapy, psychologist)
• Loss of income (wages, tips, bonuses, promotion)
• Home help
• Childcare
• Dog walking service
• Travel expenses
• Compensation for pain and suffering

Sometimes items of damage surface that you had not considered. That is why you should seek help from our lawyers. The help is free of charge and the damage calculation will be complete, so you will not be left with damages afterwards that you did not think of at the time. Tip: also keep all receipts and bills for expenses incurred. Read more information on the Damage compensation page.

What to do in a workplace accident: personal injury compensation

Accidents at work are common. Every calendar year, 230,000 workers are involved in a workplace accident. Every day, this amounts to about 630 victims. With all types of employment, you are entitled to compensation:

• Permanent employment
• Zero hours contract
• Temporary contract
• Temporary basis
• Freelance or self-employed
• Trainee

Many victims find it difficult to claim compensation from their employer. What if the employment relationship comes under fire as a result? Fear of dismissal plays a big role for many employees. But did you know that your employer is almost always well insured? The employer has also been informed about what to do in case of a workplace accident. Getting proper insurance is one of the precautions a good employer should take.

What to do in a workplace accident: causes

Industrial accidents occur in all industries where people work. Most accidents happen in the metal and construction industries. Common causes of industrial accidents:

• Falling from (great) height
• Falling down (tripping, slipping)
• Falling objects
• Being hit during working hours (forklift, baggage truck, motor vehicle)
• Stuck between a machine

Industrial accidents include accidents that occurred suddenly. You can also suffer physical or psychological damage that occurs gradually. An excessive workload, war trauma or inhaling harmful substances. All factors that can lead to occupational disease:

• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Burnout
• RSI
• OPS (painter’s disease)
• Asbestosis

Read more about work disability or the page Unable to work due to industrial accident.

Always engage a legal personal injury firm. You are entitled to free legal help. Our lawyers know all about industrial accidents and occupational diseases.

What to do in a workplace accident: liability

When can your employer be held liable? The employer must protect the health and safety of employees. The employer always has a far-reaching duty of care for employees. This is laid down in Civil Code 7 article 658. Safety measures and precautions are subject to very strict rules. As a result, the employer is almost always liable for industrial accidents. Below are some points of interest for the employer:

• Safe working environment
• Regular maintenance and inspection of machines
• Giving clear instructions
• Warn of potential hazards
• Provide training for employees
• Supervise the use of machinery
• Monitoring whether instructions are carried out
• Providing protective equipment
• Factoring in that workers may be careless

Are you partly to blame for the accident at work? Even then, you are entitled to the maximum compensation. Only if you acted intentionally or knowingly recklessly is the employer not liable. This is rare. The employer must therefore be able to prove it. For more information, go to the page Holding employer liable.

What to do in a workplace accident: colleague

What to do in a workplace accident caused by a colleague? Human error accounts for a huge proportion of workplace accidents. A colleague may run you over, push you over or drop something on you. A human error without intention. So who can be held liable? When a colleague makes a mistake, the employer is liable. This is because the employer is responsible for subordinates. Mistakes made by subordinates during working hours fall under this responsibility. You can find this in Article 170 of Civil Code 6.