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Strategies for People Injured Off the Job
So you’re a weekend warrior? You like to get active at the weekend, perhaps enjoying a spot of adventure sports, heading into the mountains for some hiking or rock climbing?
That’s great … but have you ever thought about what could happen if you get injured? As in, so badly injured that you cannot return to work?
Here are a few things to think about before this occurs and puts you into a difficult situation.
Compensation Issues
If you’re injured at work, you may be able to claim compensation, especially if your employer was negligent. In this case, you may want to contact a solicitor specialising in injury claims like Slater and Gordon to help you with the process and find out if you can make a claim.
It’s only fair if you cannot work as a direct result of your injuries picked up at work.
But when you are injured away from work, this may not be possible. If you were hurt as a result of someone else’s negligence outside of work, you may still be able to claim compensation, just not from your employer.
Tell Your Employer
Make sure your employer knows ASAP when you become injured. Explain the problem to them, and let them know how long you are likely to be off work for. They may require a doctor’s note, and then they will be able to answer your questions about how much pay you will receive and for how long.
Claim Statutory Sick Pay
As long as you earn £112 a week in your work, you should be able to claim Statutory Sick Pay to receive a minimum of £88.45 a week. However, this amount is unlikely to be enough to pay for all your living expenses unless you have savings or another source of income to rely on.
For example, you may need to pay your mortgage or rent payments, bills, food costs, clothes and more.
So how can you get by if you cannot work?
Insurance Could Be a Solution
Income protection insurance is a type of insurance that may be of use to you in this situation. This type of insurance can provide you with a regular pay-out until you return to work, or sometimes until retirement or death.
There are many types of cover available, from long-term to short time. The pay-out is usually based on a percentage of your earnings, which might be anywhere from 50% to 70%. It will usually start to pay out after a certain period has passed, which could be up to 12 months.
Which? has some very good information on the different types of cover available, so this is worth reading.
Alternatively, you may want to find out about personal accident insurance, which is also called personal injury cover. These tend to pay out in a lump sum or over a period of months, and it can be a way to pay the most important bills while you cannot work.
Think About the Risks and Have a Plan
Getting injured outside of work can be a serious situation when it comes to your finances. Firstly, consider getting some form of insurance like income protection insurance. But also look into the possibility of claiming compensation if the accident was not your fault.
Then enjoy getting active on your weekends without having to worry so much about what could happen if you become injured.
Joshua Cole is a P.E teacher and a Dad to two kids, a boy and a girl. Workplace safety is of utmost importance in his life and he enjoys sharing his insights online.
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