Businesses should check whether they have adequate and up-to-date insurance to cover them in case an employee suffers a personal injury at work.
Two publicans from Chorley in Lancashire recently found themselves in court for failing to have insurance to cover workers for accidents and subsequent personal injury compensation claims.
An inspector from the Health & Safety Executive explained that as a result of the publicans’ decision to cut corners, their workers were put in a position whereby they would be unable to obtain compensation from a personal injury claim if they were injured at work.
The publicans were given ample opportunity to purchase the requisite insurance cover but they continued to ignore HSE advice and eventually the Executive had no option but to bring the matter to court. The publicans were fined £2,400 each and told to pay £2,620 in legal costs.
Personal injury solicitors deal with a wide variety of cases every day. Life is full of unwelcome surprises and everybody has a role to play in ensuring their actions do not affect the wellbeing of others.
By law, UK employers must have employers’ liability insurance of at least £5 million and the insurance must cover all employees. In fact, the majority of insurers provide automatic cover of at least £10 million. The HSE enforces the law and employers who are found to be in breach of the regulations can face a fine of up to £2,500 per day.
