Involved in a Retail Workplace Accident*?
Being involved in a retail workplace accident, regardless of how serious the workplace accident was, can be a traumatic experience – whether you have sustained any injuries or not. In cases where you are involved in a retail worker accident that was not your fault, there may be a legal remedy. This legal remedy, you can seek by way of a retail worker claim.
Common Retail Worker Accident Claims*
Work injury claims for those in the retail environment arise in cases where an employee has been injured during the course of their work. In some cases, these accidents occur as a result of employer negligence and a breach in their duty of care towards their employees, but these accidents can also happen as a result of actions or inactions of other employees.
Prior to beginning their employment, retail workers should be made aware of the potential risks and hazards which they may face on a daily basis as this can help to reduce the risk of workplace accidents and injury. The employer also has an obligation to ensure that their employees work in a safe environment, as given protective equipment needed to perform certain aspects of their jobs and also be given the tools needed to carry out their roles.
The most common retail staff accident claims are:
What do I do if I am a retail worker involved in a workplace accident?
Following a retail worker accident, there are a number of steps you should follow:
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Seek medical attention
Your health is your wealth and should be your first priority. Immediately after a retail worker accident, take a second to assess yourself to determine if you have any injuries. Then check if anybody else involved in the accident need medical attention. If you or anyone else involved has sustained a serious injury ensure that you contact an ambulance to attend the scene.
For minor injuries, you must remember that minor injuries where you ‘feel fine’ could progress to more serious injuries in the future. In this case it is always better to be safe than sorry and advisable that you go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) or local GP to be checked out.
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Report the accident
It is critical to report the accident to your superior, i.e. a supervisor or manager on site. It doesn’t matter how small you think the accident may be. By law, accidents at work are required to be reported if the person is injured and can’t perform their daily work tasks for more than three days. Make sure to fill out an Accident Report Form. This can be used for reference in any medical examination and will also prevent any similar accidents from happening in the future.
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Identify any witnesses
If possible, try to collect the contact details of anybody that witnessed your accident. This may be of use if you do decide to pursue a retail worker accident claim. It is also useful to find out if there is any CCTV in the area where your accident happened.
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Document the incident
It is important that you collect all the relevant information in connection with your accident:
- How the accident happened
- Details of any witnesses
- If there are any CCTV recordings of your accident
- Take pictures of where the accident happened and what caused your accident
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Speak to a retail staff injury claims solicitor
If you are considering moving forward with a retail worker accident claim for any personal injuries sustained, it is advisable that you speak with a retail staff accident solicitor as soon as possible. If you are proceeding with a claim, the first step will be submitting your claim to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board for assessment. A retail staff accident solicitor can help you in preparing your application to the Injuries Board and ensure that you follow the process in the correct format, meaning that you can move forward with your claim quickly without unnecessary delays.
It is important to remember to keep copies of any expenses that you have incurred as a result of the accident. It is also imperative to retain copies of medical reports or incident report forms where possible as you will need them when making a claim.