If you are self-employed and have an accident at work you should not assume that you cannot make a claim for personal injury compensation.

Many people in industries such as construction or farming are ‘self-employed’ but in reality work for one company on an exclusive basis for long periods of time. Being self employed just means that they do not enjoy the same level of employment protection as employees with that company. They will however enjoy rights in respect of health and safety.

In many cases the company for whom you undertake the work will determine how the work must be undertaken and may even provide the work equipment. In such circumstances they will owe you the same obligations in terms of health and safety as their own employees. Even where this is not the case they must still ensure that you work in a safe environment and will be responsible for the actions of their employees with whom you may be working.

In many workplaces, particularly constructions sites there are often many different parties working at the same time with the main contractor and different parties may be responsible for different areas of work at different times. They will all have a duty of care towards other workers on site.

It is most important that any injury you sustain is reported to the company for whom you are working and where applicable the main contractor. You should also ensure that any concerns you have regarding health and safety are recorded in writing in case you later sustain injury.

Being self employed does of course mean that you are unlikely to be paid whilst you are off work so keeping a record of potential loss of income is imperative as is the need for fast and effective rehabilitation. At Sintons as soon as a personal injury compensation claim is opened, we work in conjunction with a national physiotherapy provider Connect Physical Health, to identify where early treatment will be appropriate. In many cases we can offer physiotherapy treatment at no cost and within 72 hours of instruction. We can also look to obtain an interim payment and provide practical advise regarding benefits that may be available.

All personal injury claims are pursued on a No Win No Fee basis so you can rest assured that there is no financial risk.

To begin a personal injury compensation claim or obtain further advice with no obligation contact Sintons 24/7.