If you were poisoned at work, would you consider sueing?

[poison]

I can't really reveal specific detail about this (don't want any chance employers find out) but would like to know what people think.

I was recently poisoned whilst at work. It was an accident, but I don't think my employers followed health & safety guidelines in engaging me in the work I was doing IYSWIM. I have only realised this in hindsight (twas ever thus!). My health has been affected - damage to my nervous system which should resolve but I have been told there are no guarantees. If I do make a full recovery it will take many months apparently.

I now need to take a raft of medication to control the symptoms.

Friends and family all think I should consider legal action, but I have in my head this idea that I would be partaking in the 'compensation culture' that is sometimes talked about. I've been to hell and back with this and for this reason, find it difficult to think clearly about the matter.

Ps - was working for the company on a short term contract and actually not working there anymore thank goodness.

Yes, definitely. You may well need compensation for treatment/future loss of earnings. That is what it is for, surely? Plus, your ex-employer need to ensure it dosn't happen again.

If you are suffering due to this happening, then yes, definitely. This sounds like a genuine claim, not the usual crap you see on the telly.

Absolutely, yes, get some bloody good legal advice, not from the ambulance chasers on the tv either !

It sounds as if they have not carried out their COSHH, due diligence or any other of their legal obligations to you as an employee.

It's not you slipped on a wet floor and sprained your ankle, their are complicated medical implications from what has happened to you.

I wish you the very best of luck and urge you to carry this claim out.

My brother broke an ankle at work and sued. He got compensation because H&S guidelines were not followed properly. He continued to work for them happily afterwards.

Since you don't work for the company now I would definitely think about sueing although can you prove that it was that employer that caused the poisoning?

The compensation culture is a problem but surely that is because of spurious claims by people out for what they can get.

The other side of that is people who have suffered, as you have, making sure that they get proper compensation and also trying to make sure that the company involved doesn't make the same H&S mistakes again. If nobody challenges them on H&S where is their incentive to protect other people?

You should definitely get legal advice and consider suing - their negligent behaviour has directly caused you suffering, possibly permanent, plus probably loss of income while you recover. That's why we have health & safety legislation - even if you're not bothered by getting compensation for yourself it's important to take legal action so that they will be stopped from doing the same thing to others.

It might be different if it was a genuine accident with no-one to blame - that I think is more the "compensation culture", with people assuming someone ought to compenstae them for everything bad which ever happens.

But in this case, they are clearly to blame and should be made to account for their actions.

Thanks for your opinions everyone. I probably should start investigating legal proceedings.