Scottish accident claims under investigation

The scale of Scottish accident claims has prompted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to instigate an examining body to be known as the Specialist Health and Safety Division. This new department will investigate cases reported to the procurator fiscal in a bid to identify bad practise in the workplace.

Reported work accidents in Scotland claimed the lives of 31 people in 2006/2007 and Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini QC commented that the new department's members will have a concentration of expertise that will improve safety at work.

Commencing in January 2009, the division will include teams of lawyers from Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, overseen by a senior prosecutor. They will examine a range of work-related accidents that could include major incidents, such as the ICL Plastics explosion of May 2004, where nine people were killed and 37 were injured, 15 seriously; and the Piper Alpha oil rig explosion of July 1988, that killed 167 men.

Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini QC said of Scottish accident claims, "Reports from the HSE to the Procurator Fiscal can range from the tragic loss of life at work, to incidents with potentially life threatening consequences.

"Each case is an opportunity to identify bad and illegal practice, to bring to justice those who fail to discharge their responsibilities under health and safety law and importantly, to bring all relevant expertise to bear and help create safer work places."

Grahame Smith, General Secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), welcomed the creation of the department.

He said, "This will clearly have massive benefits for all stakeholders, but most important will be the benefits for victims' families in cases where lives are lost."

Chair of the HSE, Judith Hackitt, said, "Our work with the procurator fiscal almost invariably involves cases of human suffering which have arisen from accidents and incidents in workplaces in Scotland."

Scottish accident claims and YouClaim personal injury solicitors
If you have been injured in a Scottish work accident that was not your fault or that was caused by someone else's negligence you may be able to make a compensation claim with YouClaim.

YouClaim's panel of personal injury solicitors are experienced in making successful Scottish compensation claims and are governed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, thereby guaranteeing you the highest level of professionalism at all times. We operate on a no win no fee basis, which means you do not have to pay for our legal services whether you win or lose. We also ensure you will receive 100% of any award that is made. Quite simply you will never have to pay us a penny.

So, if you wish to make a compensation claim in Scotland call our fee helpline now on 0800 10 757 95 and our friendly operators can advise you if you are eligible to claim. Alternatively we can call you back at a time to suit you or you could even fill in our online claim form and we will look into your Scottish accident claim before calling you back at a time of your choosing.