Workplace Injury Claims

Irish employers are responsible for creating a safe workplace, a safe system of work and a staff that carries an appropriate level of training and professionalism. 

If management fail to adhere to any of these principles, and you suffer an accident or injury as a direct result of your employer’s negligence, you may have the basis for a workplace injury claim. 

In Ireland, the law around personal injuries states that you must prove two things in order to establish liability:

There is no exhaustive list of potential accidents and injuries that can take place in a work environment, but below are some of the workplace injury claims that can and do arise in Irish law:

Crush accidents most commonly occur in workplaces that involve heavy machinery. Compensation varies depending on how severe the crush is – a particularly bad crush accident can be life altering and prevent you from carrying on in your profession.

Needlestick injuries are skin punctures that occur from contact with sharp objects like syringes or glass. In a work environment, a needlestick injury can happen when broken or aging machinery becomes dangerously jagged. 

Industrial injuries, or occupational injuries, are any physical or mental injuries that occur as a result of your work. Occupational injury claims can cover all manner of accidents as well as long-term ailments such as a back injury that comes from lifting heavy objects without receiving proper training.

In Ireland, military injury claims cover compensation claims made against the Defence Forces, including the Army, Naval Service, Air Corps and Reserve Defence Forces.

Farms can be very dangerous work environments if they are not properly operated. Dangerous machinery, heavy lifting and even falling objects can all represents threats to a farm worker’s physical health.

Forklifts are commonplace in work environments like factories, building sites and warehouses. They require appropriate training and protective equipment for workers tasked with operating them. Failure to handle a forklift safely can cause significant damage.

Irish employers are beholden to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, which holds them responsible for creating a safe work environment for their employees. 

As well as ensuring a safe workplace, safe system of work and appropriately trained staff, the act requires employers to provide appropriate equipment for their staff.

The statute of limitations in Ireland is two years, meaning that is the amount of time you will have to make a compensation claim following an accident. 

Your two-year period begins on the “date of knowledge” to make a claim, which is the day you become aware of the injury you have suffered. 

With some workplace injuries, the impact is longer term – these are known as cumulative injuries and examples include hearing loss and carpel tunnel syndrome. 

For cumulative injuries, the two-year time period begins on the date your injury is considered significant.

Irish law states very clearly that you cannot lose your job for filing a workplace injury claim against your employer.

Any reasonable legal action you take against your employer is protected by job security legislation.

In Ireland, roughly 3% of personal injury claims end up going to trial, with the vast majority settled outside of court. 

The odds of you having to go to court for your workplace injury claim are very low, but our team at Hughes & Associates Solicitors will approach your case with the preparation and detail necessary for Irish courts should it end up going to trial.

In the event of an accident or injury in the workplace, you may want to follow the following steps in order to best look after your own health and, later on, build a strong case for compensation.

At Hughes & Associates Solicitors, we are always on hand to provide friendly and insightful guidance in cases of personal injury. 

Our team is vastly experienced and adept at dealing with any Irish legal cases involving workplace injury claims.