Vibration White Finger (VWF) Claims Advice
NoWinNoFee.com is a claims management company that helps people claim compensation for an accident or injury that wasn't their fault
With no win no fee agreements (also known as a Conditional Fee Arrangements, or CFAs), there are no upfront legal fees, which means anyone who has been involved in an accident that wasn’t their fault can gain access to justice without any financial risk. Your solicitor only gets a fee if your claim is successful. If your claim isn't successful, you won’t pay your solicitor any legal fees.
If your case is successful, typically you will pay 25% (including VAT) of your compensation to your solicitor, although they will discuss any fees before starting your case. To ensure your claim is risk free, your solicitor may take out an insurance policy on your behalf. If you terminate the agreement, you may have to pay fees for the time already spent on your claim, or due to: lack of cooperation, misleading your solicitor, missing medical or expert examinations, or not attending court hearings.
There are some instances where you are not required to use the services of a claims management company, and are able to claim yourself, for free, directly via the relevant ombudsman/compensation scheme. These include:
- Criminal injuries: The Criminal Injury Compensation Authority (England, Wales, and Scotland) or the Criminal Injury Compensation Scheme (Northern Ireland)
- Minor road accidents: The Official Injury Claim Portal
- Accidents involving uninsured drivers: The Motor Insurers' Bureau
VWF – Vibration White Finger
Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) or Vibration White Finger can affect employees who during the course of their job are required to use power tools that vibrate or those that are otherwise exposed to high levels of vibration. It has also been known that employees who are exposed to conditions that are very cold on a regular basis can also be at risk of Vibration White Finger. Occupations whose employees are at risk include carpentry, metal workers and others in the mining and construction sectors.
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The causes of VWF
Compensation cases involving VWF
Steps employers should take to reduce the risk
Measures that can be taken by employers to prevent VWF include:-
- Risk assessments to identify the possible risks of VWF without which appropriate safety measures are less likely to be taken.
- Reducing or cutting exposure to vibration by using tools with lower vibration levels.
- Maintenance of tools should be kept up to date and cutting tools must always be kept sharp.
- Ensuring appropriate tools for a task are provided to the employee.
- Employers must always ensure they have provided their employees with the right protective equipment and also ensure that warm clothes are worn in cold temperatures.
- Regular breaks for workers are required.
- Making sure that workers are trained in using the tools and know that the need to exercise their hands and fingers regularly to help circulation.
Making a VWF claim for compensation
Compensation you receive can enable you to make a career change, make up for lost earnings and potential future earnings, help you pay for medical bills and give you a better quality of life. Specialist injury solicitors tend to work on a no win no fee (conditional agreement) basis, meaning that your claim is a no risk claim – you pay nothing if you lose your case. If the Vibration White Finger (VWF) was not your fault, you deserve to be compensated.
