oulder injuries can have significant and long-term consequences on your quality of life and can be extremely painful. These injuries can occur in the workplace, and whilst most shoulder injuries happen in manual labour jobs, they can happen anywhere. Most of these injuries are accidents; however, there are those that are caused by an employer or co-workers’ negligence.

Workplace accidents are already incredibly traumatising; however, when you find out that the accident you were involved in was due to someone else’s negligence and may have otherwise been avoided, it can worsen the emotional pain and suffering you have already been put through.

If you have sustained a shoulder injury that was caused by an accident that was not your fault, you may be eligible to make a shoulder injury compensation claim. Contact Wildwood Legal today to get in touch with one of our personal injury solicitors, who will be able to determine your eligibility and explain the accident claims process clearly.

Common causes of shoulder injuries in the workplace

There are many potential accidents in the workplace that can lead to a type of shoulder injury. Some of the most common reasons we see that lead to shoulder injury at work claims include:

· Slips, trips and falls – Slips and falls are some of the most common causes of shoulder injuries in workplace accidents. These falls can be caused by colleagues that have neglected their duties or by employers if they have failed to put proper protective measures in place to reduce the risk of an accident like this occurring. These accidents can cause dislocated shoulders and sprains.

· Manual handling injuries – These shoulder injuries occur when a person is lifting heavy objects that they are incapable of doing. These injuries can be caused when an employer forces you to lift heavy objects or fails to provide you with adequate training to lift objects safely. Manual handling accidents can cause shoulder sprains of varying degrees.

· Repetitive injuries – Repetitive shoulder injuries can be caused when continuous strain is put on the shoulder for an extended period of time. These injuries can happen when your employer fails to give you an adequate number of breaks from the repetitive work.

· Road traffic accidents – If your job involves driving, there is always a potential risk of being involved in a road traffic accident. These accidents are usually caused by reckless driving from other road users.

Following a shoulder injury, you should seek medical attention in order to receive medical treatment to aid you with any pain. If you have injured your shoulder from any of the accidents listed above as well as variety of others, you may be entitled to make a shoulder injury at work claim.

How is shoulder injury at work claims compensation calculated?

Compensation awards for all personal injury claims are split into general damages and special damages.

General Damages – This refers to the amount of compensation awarded to you for your pain, suffering and loss of amenity.

To calculate this amount, we look at previous cases which are similar to yours, together with guidelines that are issued to Judges who decide the outcome of such claims if they go to Court. Your case will be valued on the basis of your injuries as described by suitably qualified medical professionals.

Special Damages – These are any direct financial losses that you may have suffered as a result of your injuries. Typically, these may include loss of earnings up to the settlement, loss of earnings in the future, medical costs, travel costs or the costs of care provided to you.

It is difficult to estimate the amount of injured worker compensation you will receive for your injuries without knowing the full extent of your injuries. There are, however, compensation calculators online that can be used to estimate how much you may be able to receive from your claim.

When you suffer a shoulder injury as a result of one of the causes listed above as well as a variety of others your employer may be liable for your accident. All employers are legally required to have Employer’s liability insurance. Therefore, when you file an accident at work claim, you will be claiming against your employer’s insurance company, not your actual employer.

How much do shoulder injury at work claims cost?

We will always be 100% transparent about what our charges are, and if we take on your case, we will almost always do so on Conditional Fee Agreements (also known as a no win, no fee basis).

This means that if you do not win your case, you do not pay us any fees at all. If you have a successful claim, we take a small percentage of your compensation, which we will agree with you beforehand, to cover our costs.

We will never ask you to sign anything until you are completely happy with what it is that we are proposing.

Time limits for making shoulder injury at work claims

The general rule on time limits for making a shoulder injury claim is that you have three years from the date of the injury to have either settled your claim or started court proceedings once the accident has happened.

The three-year deadline begins on the date that the accident occurred or from the date on which you realised that your injuries were associated with your accident due to negligence.

The three-year time limit for claiming compensation does not apply to those under 18; however, it will come into effect after their 18th birthday. There is also no time limit for individuals that lack the mental capacity to make a claim themselves.

How can Wildwood Legal assist with shoulder injury at work claims?

At Wildwood Legal, our core strength is in personal injury claims. We are experienced in helping Claimants make injured workers compensation claims. We aim to give you not only quality aid but flexibility and clarity as we know that these qualities are just as important.

The law relating to accidents at work is complicated and can be a minefield for the unwary. We will guide you professionally through every step of the journey and make sure that your injury at work claim is presented in the best possible way to ensure maximum possible shoulder injury compensation.

Our law firm is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority; therefore, we provide everything that is needed to meet their high standards, meaning that we are a trusted law firm. We offer services to individuals located in England and Wales. To make an enquiry, get in contact with us either email us info@winstonsolicitors.co.uk or call us 0113 320 5000 or leave your contact details on our form.