Health and safety watchdog wants more action on road accident injuries at work

More should be done to highlight the number of road accidents befalling people at work, according to the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).

The organisation is asking the government to include work-related road traffic accident in the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), in order that companies will be more careful in ensuring such incidents don’t happen.

Most tellingly, IOSH also notes that employers are just as much to blame for preventable road accidents at work as they are for providing faulty machinery, and wants them to be held accountable for this.

How many road accidents are work-related?

Studies have shown that when it comes to road accidents, some 24 per cent of serious injuries and 30 per cent of deaths are work-related.

There are many ways in which a driver can find themselves involved in a road accident while going about their employment duties, and often this is through no fault of their own.

For example, bus and taxi drivers spend their entire working day on the road, and surrounding drivers may not always be as observant of the laws of the road. This can have potentially serious consequences for these drivers, particularly taxi drivers, as personal injury or damage to their vehicle will affect their ability to earn an income.

For those driving company cars, vans or lorries it may be the case that their workload has not been properly managed by their employer, and could be a mitigating circumstance in any accident they become involved in.

Making a road traffic accident and work injury claims

Sheldon Davidson Solicitors can act on your behalf for both these types of claims, and indeed there is frequently some overlap between the two.

Road traffic accident claims

Whether it was work-related or not, if you have been involved in a road traffic accident that was not your fault, we would generally look to have your vehicle repaired straight away, and provide you with a like-for-like replacement within a couple of hours.

This applies to all types of vehicle, including cars, motorbikes, vans and taxis, and will not affect your no-claims bonus.

Accidents at work

It may be that your company car was faulty through no fault of your own. In this case, we would act on your behalf and look to see if your employer is accountable.

Any loss of earnings incurred from your forced absence from work will also be recovered as part of your compensation, and this applies to both drivers and passengers.

If you need advice on any type of accident at work claim or are considering making a road traffic accident claim, call Sheldon Davidson Solicitors for expert legal advice.

Sheldon Davidson Solicitors are Manchester Personal Injury Solicitors with expertise in handling a broad range of Personal Injury Claims, including everything from Whiplash Claims and Uninsured Driver Claims to Medical Negligence Claims.