Figures from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) show that 500,000 work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) were reported in 2010/2011. Commonly referred to as back injuries, MSDs accounted for 7.5 million lost working days in the same financial year.
There are many different types of work-related back injuries. These include bone fractures, torn ligaments, frozen shoulder, slipped discs and muscle sprains. It’s often possible to make a full and speedy recovery but sometimes, a lengthy period of rehabilitation is required. And in some cases, the damage can never be undone.
Manual workers most at risk
Not surprisingly, employees whose jobs involve manual handling are most at risk of sustaining a back injury at work. Your employer is legally obliged to make sure you can carry out your manual handling duties safely. Unfortunately, the required standards aren’t always met – and if you’ve sustained a back injury at work due to inadequate training or equipment, you could be entitled to compensation.
Why claim for back injuries?
There are lots of reasons. For a start, you deserve to be compensated for the pain, distress and inconvenience that your injury has caused. You might have had to take several weeks or even months off work, with resulting loss of earnings. You may have had to pay to see a chiropractor, osteopath or physiotherapist, as these services aren’t always free on the NHS.
In the most severe cases, you may even be forced to change your lifestyle completely, e.g. give up work, stop playing sports, stop driving, or be unable to care for your children.
Claiming compensation means you don’t have to worry about the financial consequences of your injury. Of course, money can’t restore your quality of life on its own but it can offer peace of mind and enable you to focus on your recovery and rehabilitation.
Injury Lawyers 4U are here to help
Injury Lawyers 4U are a national network of specialist personal injury lawyers with wide experience of handling back injury claims. We’ll offer help and advice with your claim and guide you through the process until you get the compensation you deserve. We operate on a genuine ‘no win, no fee’ basis so you won’t pay a penny unless your back injury claim is successful.
Call 0333 400 4445 today for instant advice from our expert legal team, or complete our simple online form and we’ll call you back at a convenient time.