Unfortunately, we don’t live in a very fair or just world and, because of that, it can be all too easy for various people to take advantage of us. Some people may discriminate against us, which could leave us worse off in financial terms. It’s not just discrimination that can get us down and hold us back in life, though. It can also be possible to end up injured or in an accident through no fault of our own. If the injuries and damage are severe enough, it could affect how we can work which could put us in a terrible financial situation.
Doesn’t sound too good, does it? Well, thankfully, there is something you can do if you are ever discriminated against or end up being injured by someone else. You can always claim for compensation. This should help you financially and can replace any of the money that you may have lost as a result of being discriminated against or involved in an accident.
However, no one is going to just hand over any compensation that you are eligible for. It’s necessary for you to start the claim and find a lawyer who can help you fight your side of the claim in court. First of all, though, you need to know the kind of incidents that you can claim compensation for. Here are a few of the most common examples.
Personal Injury Claims
Personal injury claims are some of the most common in the world of compensation. No matter who injures you or causes an accident that you were involved in, there is a good chance that you can claim a payout from them. Here are a few of the things that people tend to claim for.
Loss Of Earnings. In some cases, you may be unable to work for a long period of time while you are recovering from an accident. You will of course be able to claim sick pay during this time, but there is only a certain length of time that this will pay out for. Once the time period for statutory sick pay is over, your employer won’t be legally obliged to keep on paying you, even at a reduced rate. So, it’s worth applying for compensation to ensure you don’t have to rush back to work too soon. Before you do start your claim for loss of earnings, it’s worth chatting to a law firm like the Atlanta Advocate Attorneys so they can talk you through the whole process. Thankfully, most lawyers will try to come to a settlement out of court, so you might not be dragged through the whole process.
Damage To Personal Effects & Clothing. If anything is damaged in an accident, such as clothing and your personal effects, then there is a good chance that you will be able to claim some money to replace them. You can claim for anything that was on your person on the time and got damaged, such as glasses, a wristwatch, or a handbag. Don’t throw any damaged item of clothing or personal effects out as you might need to show them to your lawyers or the court as evidence that they were in fact damaged.
Expenses After The Accident. Depending on the severity of the accident, you might have to deal with quite a few expenses afterwards. For instance, if you need a long course of treatment or medication, you could end up paying the bills for some time, which could weaken your financial situation. There might also be some travel expenses if you are regularly attending hospital appointments. Generally speaking, if you incur an expense as a result of being in an accident or ending up injured, you should inform your lawyer as they should be able to help you claim back the money as part of your compensation claim.
House Adaptations. If you are ever involved in a serious accident and end up with some lifelong injuries or even disabilities, then you might need to adapt your home so that you can get around and continue doing your chores and daily tasks without too many difficulties. This will all cost you money, so it’s worth making a note of this exact expense so that you can claim it back with your compensation.
Travel Claims
Of course, personal injuries and accidents aren’t the only incidents you can claim compensation for. A severely delayed flight or a canceled one could ruin your travel plans, and could mean your vacation or business trip ends up ruined. Not only will it spoil your time, but it will also end up costing you a lot of money because you will need to rearrange travel and book new flights. Thankfully, there are some ways you can claim compensation.
Delayed Flights. Unfortunately, you can’t claim any compensation if your flight is less than two hours late. However, the airline should put you up in a hotel if this delay causes you to be stranded overnight. However, if your flight is delayed for more than two hours, then you could be entitled to compensation if the delay is due to the fault of the airline. The amount of compensation you receive will depend on the length of your flight and the amount of time you are delayed for. If your flight is delayed for more than five hours, then you don’t have to take it, and the airline should give you a full refund even if it isn’t their fault it was delayed. Even if you do decide to take the flight, you are still eligible for a compensation payout. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that compensation is never paid out if the flight delay was due to bad weather or a workers’ strike.
Cancelled Flights. If your flight is cancelled, then you should receive a small refund. However, this might not equal the full amount that you originally paid for the flight. You should also be offered a seat on a replacement flight too. If the flight cancellation delays you in any way, then you should be reimbursed for any expenses you incur during that time by the airline. If the replacement flight is delayed then you can also claim compensation for that delay as well.
Employment Tribunals
More often than not, our working lives are perfectly fine and there is no reason for any complaints. However, things might not be the same if you were to move to a new job and get a new boss. There’s no telling whether your boss will be a good or bad one until you start in the new company. If you have a bad experience, you might need to find legal help to support you in one of the following compensation claims.
Injuries At Work. If you are ever injured at work, there is a good chance that you will be able to claim some compensation. That is, of course, as long as the accident wasn’t your own fault. One of the main reasons people claim this kind of compensation is because they were working in a dangerous environment and weren’t given the right protective clothing or equipment by their employer. It is your boss’s legal obligation to give you any clothing or gear that can keep you safe and secure in the workplace. Similarly, they also need to make sure that the workspace is always a safe place to be. For instance, any potential hazards need to be cleaned up and removed as soon as they are created. These could cause an accident, one that the injured individual could sue their employer for and claim a hefty amount of compensation.
Discrimination. When hiring new recruits, it is important that employers treat everyone equally and don’t use any discrimination when whittling down applicants. If you believe that you haven’t got a role because of an employer’s prejudices, you can take them to an employment tribunal and fight them for compensation. It’s also possible to sue an employer if they treat you unfairly in the workplace once you have been hired. Whether they are sexist, ageist, or racist towards you, you will certainly have plenty of grounds to claim compensation and take them to court.
Contract Disputes. When you start a new job, you will be given a contract that you and your employer will need to sign. This should outline the scope of the role and various other important pieces of information, such as the salary and working hours. If, at any point, you think that your employer has broken your contract, or that it has been terminated unfairly, you will more than likely be within your right to take them to court over it. Remember that the contract works in two ways as well, and it is important that you do not break your end of the agreement. Otherwise, you could be the one who ends up in court!
Make sure you know what you can claim compensation for so that you are never have to struggle with your financial situation for no fault of your own.
