Injury due to Working Accident In Cyprus

A Working Accidents Injury in Cyprus occurs when a person is injured in their workplace or their injury is directly related to their work. A workplace accident can also occur in cases where an employee is injured outside of working hours, and sometimes the injury may not occur at their workplace, but also at another location, related to their work. It is understood that in order for you to be able to claim compensation for your Working Accidents Injury, it must be caused by an act or omission of your employer, supervisor or someone else.

Our expert Lawyers on Personal Injury Claims undertake to claim compensation on your behalf, for injuries due to a work accident, FREE of CHARGE. Our goal is to ensure the best possible result in terms of the amount of compensation and the period of time for its payment by the employer or the employer’s insurance company.

We try as much as possible to avoid any Court proceedings and always exhaust all means before resorting to Court. Our Office has specialized Lawyers with an impeccable knowledge of the Jurisprudence and Legislation regarding injuries from Work Accidents, which allows us to negotiate and demand the fair price of the compensation you are entitled to.

In order to understand better what are Workplace Accidents in Cyprus, we should first consider the responsibilities that an employer / supervisor has towards his employee.

Employer’s Liability for a Working Accidents Injury

Employer’s Liability for a Work Accident

As defined by the Legislation and the Case Law, the Employer in Cyprus is responsible for the following:

• To organize the way and method of carrying out the work
• To give clear and understandable instructions, which do not endanger the physical integrity of the employee
• To take appropriate measures to provide a safe working environment
• To provide the appropriate equipment necessary for safety at work
• Conduct regular workplace audits to ensure that all safety practices are followed
• Not to assign responsibilities and obligations that endanger the employee
• To provide as there is the appropriate number of people to complete the work
• To comply with the provisions of labor legislation

The employer, after organizing and ensuring a safe system of work, is also obliged to ensure that this system is observed by the employees in the manner he indicates.

We conclude that for an employer to be liable to pay compensation for an employee’s injury, it is necessary to first prove that he has breached / omitted some of his responsibilities as an employer.

Hint: Our Office works with No Win No Fee concept. Read down below for more info.

Working accidents in construction sites

Accidents on construction sites are the most common form of injury mainly because workers have to use dangerous tools, work in dangerous environments, lift heavy objects and are exposed to hidden and unpredictable hazards. Also, workers on construction sites usually do not receive some type of training before taking on tasks, which makes them vulnerable to injury from incorrect use of tools or incorrect methods of performing the work.

Such accidents usually result in serious injury and may even result in death. The most common ways to get injured on construction sites are:

• Injury from open dangerous objects
• Falling from a height
• Falling heavy objects
• Use of defective or dangerous equipment
• Employer’s failure to provide protective equipment
• Employer’s failure to provide proper instructions
• Actions or inactions of colleagues

It is important that occupational accidents are compensated, because an injury deprives a family / household of a significant income for a certain period of time and/or forever. In such cases, compensation will be added to the loss of income along with all other expenses.

Amount of compensation in a work accident at a construction site:

For example, in a recent decision, the Court awarded EUR 37,000 (EUR 7,067.20 as special damages and EUR 30,000 as general damages) when a storekeeper fell from a height of 3 meters from a lifting mechanism while placing goods on the shelves. The claimant suffered from fractures of the O1 and O2 vertebral bodies, displacement of the posterior bones O1 and O2 and headache.

Working accidents of professional drivers

Working accidents involving professional drivers are increasing over time due to the fact that the need to transport goods/products is also increasing. Some common causes of driver injury:

• Unsuitable vehicle (e.g. mechanical failure, worn tires, faulty braking system)
• Overloading exceeding the maximum weight or incorrect loading structure.
• Vehicle operation by employees without proper knowledge.
• Driving a vehicle as directed by the employer without the required professional license.
• Transportation of dangerous products without proper precautions (eg fuel, LPG).

Amount of compensation in an occupational accident Professional Driver:

In a recent case involving a truck driver/operator, €490,000 was awarded to an employee who was injured when drilling equipment fell on him from a truck.

Working accidents at the Office

Working accidents that occur in offices (banks, companies, etc.), the injury is usually of a lighter form, but that does not mean that we should ignore them.

The most common causes of office injuries are:

• Fall due to dirty / slippery floor.
• Injuries resulting from the use of defective/unsafe equipment.
• The employer’s failure to warn of hidden hazards in the area.
• Dropping boring/dangerous objects.
• Incorrect instructions from supervisors

In a recent decision, the court awarded €8,698 in compensation for minor injuries caused by a fall due to a slippery floor.

Working Accident – Injury of a Public Servant

This category has two aspects: it can refer to an injury to a person employed in the Public Sector or to an injury to a person injured by an act or omission of a public servant. Referring to work accidents let’s look at common ways public employees are injured.

The most common public sector worker injuries usually involve:

• Injuries to employees of the Municipality
• Police Injuries
• Guard Injuries
• Injuries of Firefighters
• Injuries in Hospitals
• Injuries in Public Schools

and, more generally, injuries to employees of various public services for various reasons, such as:

• Unsafe work environment
• Wrong orders from superiors
• Lack of appropriate equipment
• Lack of proper training

Accidents in Camps – SYOP and National Guard

It is worth noting that soldiers performing their duty also belong to this category, although they are not considered employees, because they are not there of their own free will but performing obligations. It goes without saying that contract soldiers and National Guard officers are clearly civil servants. So, if a soldier, contract soldier or officer is injured during their service/work, they will likely be entitled to compensation from the state.

In a recent court ruling, the National Guard paid €33,000 in compensation after they ordered soldiers to participate in the “casualty transport” without a stretcher and with the support of another soldier who lost his balance and both fell on a paved road and suffered a fracture.

How is compensation for Injury calculated in Cyprus

Physical injuries and moral/emotional damage are not countable and are determined by the individual circumstances of each case. To be more specific, here are a few factors that will help us determine financial losses.

• any expenses you had to pay as a result of your injury

• any damage to your property

• any travel expenses

• any other medical expenses (medicine, nurse, etc.)

• changing your home, car, or other places so you can be available to you after your injury

• loss of earnings at the time you were injured, and loss of future earnings if the injury results in permanent disability

• loss of pension rights if you are unable to work again after an injury

Personal Injury Lawyers in Cyprus – AVZ Law Office

Our Law Office handles cases in all cities of Cyprus. Our priority is to secure the highest possible compensation for you and in a reasonable time, without inconveniencing you.

The process starts with submitting a claim to the insurance company, the insurance company will usually make a lower offer and in case you are happy with the amount, only then will we settle out of court.

Otherwise we will proceed with taking legal measures and claiming compensation through Court Action against the Insurance Company and/or the employer.