According to the Sydney Morning Herald on 20th October, two men fell from a window cleaning platform in Sydney after their platform’s cable snapped, twelve stories up.
Each of the men were in serious condition after quickly being rushed to the St Vincent’s Hospital; with one man suffering from serious leg injuries, while the other sustained internal and back injuries.
Fortunately, the incident resulted in no fatalities, but it is a strict reminder that accidents happen in the workplace everyday, often out of the blue.
At Stacks Goudkamp, we were extremely sorry to read this news after learning it had occurred. Window cleaning can pose many dangers, especially when working on large buildings several stories high up in the air, and fortunately the workers’ injuries were not life threatening. Praise goes in particular to passers-by and the emergency services for rescuing the men and averting a more serious disaster.
It’s always sad to see this type of situation occurring, but victims do need to be aware that they are likely to have rights to compensation after workplace accidents in the form of weekly payments and medical expenses, and in the case of more serious injuries, potentially lump sums for impairment and damages for past and future loss of earnings.
Have You Been Injured in a Workplace Accident?
If you have been injured at work you may wish to make a claim. To give you more of an idea about the types of compensation available for workplace injuries, keep in mind the following forms of compensation:
- You are likely to be entitled to payment from your employer’s work cover insurer for medical expenses that you need for your recovery, including travel to and from the location of the medical treatment
- You are likely to be entitled to weekly payments if you cannot work due to the workplace injury
- You may be entitled to a lump-sum payment for any impairment (for example, a severe back injury) resulting from your workplace accident if you meet the statutory threshold
- If the injury was caused by your employer’s negligence and you suffered a significant impairment, you may be eligible to modified common law damages in the form of past and future loss of earnings payments
Can You Make a Workplace Accident Claim?
If you have sustained an injury at work, this means you may be eligible to make a claim. It is vital to report your workplace injury immediately following the accident, if you haven’t done so already. The documents during this process will form an integral part of the compensation claim and ensure that your case gets off to the best possible start.
It is equally as important to lodge claims as soon as possible after the workplace accident, because there are time limits imposed on workplace injury claims.
Lastly, it is a legal requirement that employers hold workers compensation insurance. Employers pay for this insurance so that if any accidents or injuries do occur, they are covered for it. Your compensation would therefore be paid by the insurer rather than your employer, so you should not worry that you claim will affect your employer’s finances.
If you want to find out more information about the claims process, or if you or someone you know has been involved in a workplace injury, the best time to act is now.
We have personal injury lawyers who are experts in workers compensation law. Simply call Stacks Goudkamp today to find out more.
