What information will you find on this page:
Reporting an industrial accident: how it works!
If you 've had a workplace accident and suffered an injury , you must always report it . But how and to whom is the question. These are very valid questions.
Always report a workplace accident to your employer. And remember, sometimes your employer is also required to report your workplace accident to the Dutch Labour Inspectorate.
On this page, we'll explain everything in detail. Have any questions? Don't hesitate to ask us for free advice . It never hurts!
Why report a workplace accident?
Reporting the incident to your employer is intended to facilitate mutual learning regarding safety. It's also a good way to ensure that the accident has been documented, both for safety and how it happened.
A piece of 'proof', so to speak, in case you suffer financial damage due to the accident and your injuries. After all, a workplace accident resulting in injury can quickly have substantial financial consequences for you. Certainly in terms of extra costs, but also regarding lost income. And how should that be compensated to you? Because not many people can absorb this financially on their own in the current climate.
Have you had a workplace accident resulting in injury? Always report this to your employer and ensure it is documented in writing. For your own peace of mind, also always seek advice from a specialized personal injury firm . With us, this is entirely without obligation and free of charge for you .
We can immediately tell you whether you've reported the workplace accident correctly. We can then work together to determine the best course of action and what's in your best interest. You can then decide for yourself what to do with our advice .
Work accident with injury
A workplace accident resulting in injury: one moment of inattention, either by someone else or yourself, and it's over. So what happens next?
Of course, first things first: the emergency response team, the emergency department, or the GP. Perhaps even a hospital stay and nursing care at home. You have more important things on your mind than reporting your work accident. Let alone figuring out how, where, and when.
However, it's important to report it. For the overall safety of the company, but ultimately for yourself as well!
A workplace accident resulting in injury can quickly have financial consequences for you. This isn't just due to additional expenses. These days, it's no longer a given that your income will be (fully) paid in the event of disability. And if you ultimately find yourself forced to recover your financial losses, it's better for you to have reported the workplace accident and have a record of what happened.
How can I help you?
Floris de Bruin
Commercial Director
Commercial Director
Reporting an industrial accident: internally and externally
There are two types of 'reports' of an industrial accident: an internal report and an external report.
An internal report is a registration made by your employer. An external report is the report your employer must submit to the Dutch Labour Inspectorate.
It's important that your employer informs you of the accident after a workplace accident resulting in injury. It's also crucial that you seek medical treatment immediately for your injury.
Are you unsure whether to report the accident internally or externally? Feel free to contact us for advice. It's completely free, and we can work together to determine if and where the accident should be reported. It's free, and it's safer, right?
Internal accident registration
Reporting workplace accidents internally: Your employer is required to register every workplace accident resulting in injury if your incapacity for work has lasted longer than three days. In that case, your employer must record the nature of the workplace accident and the date of the accident.
In the most 'ideal' situation, your employer reports every occupational accident (and near-accident) and records:
- when it happened,
- what happened (event)
- under what circumstances it happened
- where it happened
- who else was there
- etc.
Most companies have a special "accident registration form" that is completed after a workplace accident. Sometimes it's completed solely by the employer, but sometimes it's completed jointly by you and your employer.
If you are asked to sign a form, do so only if you fully agree with its contents. Otherwise, please do not sign
Never sign a document without first thoroughly reading it. Ask your employer if you can read the form at home before signing it.
- Have you reported an occupational accident, but are you not sure whether it has been registered?
- Do you have any questions about the registration by your employer?
- Or do you disagree with the content of the notification?
Please feel free to contact us for advice. It's 100% free, completely free, and you'll immediately know what's best for you.
How can I help you?
Floris de Bruin
Commercial Director
Commercial Director
Report an industrial accident to the labor inspectorate
Your employer is legally obliged to report certain occupational accidents to the Dutch Labour Inspectorate. This obligation for your employer exists when you
- suffers permanent injury or
- is admitted to a hospital.
In the event of a fatal industrial accident, a report must always be made to the Dutch Labour Inspectorate.
Sometimes a hospital stay doesn't occur immediately after the workplace accident, but only later. Or it's not immediately clear whether the injury is permanent. In that case, your employer must report the accident as soon as possible.
An employer is also obliged to report a workplace accident involving people who fall, such as temporary agency workers and self-employed persons.
After a report is received, the Labour Inspectorate will launch an investigation. You will often be asked for a statement. This investigation can result in a hefty fine if an employer has made culpable mistakes. This is why employers sometimes fail to report a workplace accident to the Labour Inspectorate. It's good to know that you can also report the workplace accident to the Labour Inspectorate yourself.
In fact, if it is in your interest, we can also help you report the incident to the Labour Inspectorate.
- Are you unsure whether your occupational accident should be reported to the Dutch Labour Inspectorate?
- Are you unsure whether or not your employer reported the occupational accident?
Don't hesitate to contact us for advice. We'll work with you to determine the situation and determine the best course of action. This consultation is completely free and without obligation.
People choose us because:
- 15,000+ victims helped
- Customer rating of 9+
- The specialist in workplace accidents and personal injury
- The most involved personal injury law firm in the Netherlands
Notification to the Labor Inspectorate? Then always serious injury
If you have had an industrial accident that must be reported to the labor inspectorate, you have in any case suffered serious injuries with likely permanent consequences.
And you can already assume that you will suffer financial damage. Expenses, but there is also a high probability that you will lose income, especially if your injury is permanent!
In that situation, you cannot do without expert legal assistance. For in addition to filing a report with the Inspectorate, you will also need to discuss your financial losses with your employer. Furthermore, you will inevitably have to deal with your employer's liability insurer. This is an experienced commercial party that might reject liability, or that—especially in cases of permanent injury—often has a very different view of your financial losses than you do.
It's good to know you can seek legal assistance. With us, it's guaranteed free, so don't worry about that. But again, always seek advice first , and we'll determine together what's best for you.
Reporting an occupational accident: permanent injury
Some examples of common permanent injuries after a workplace accident:
- bone fractures
- finger injury (fingertip)
- crush injury
- amputation
- foot and heel injuries
- head injury
- concussion
- whiplash
- burns
- dental injury
- back and spinal injuries
- dental and jaw injuries
- (partial) blindness or
- chronic physical complaints or psychological complaints.
Other injuries from a workplace accident can, of course, also have lasting consequences. But even if your injury isn't permanent, you could still face significant financial losses.
Financial damage (expenses and lost income) that must be compensated in one way or another. Or would you rather bear the cost of your own damage? Surely not?!
Do you have questions about your injury and the financial consequences thereof? Please feel free to contact us for no-obligation advice.
We can almost always tell you immediately what to look out for regarding your injury, and whether your injury could have financial consequences in the future.
We can also tell you immediately whether it's in your best interest to seek legal assistance , and if so, why. You can then decide for yourself what to do with our advice
And if we do help you with your personal injury claim, we guarantee in writing in advance that our assistance 100% free of charge . We promise!
How can I help you?
Floris de Bruin
Commercial Director
Commercial Director
Report a workplace accident: hospital admission
Hospital admission due to an industrial accident also includes a day admission.
only involves a visit to the Emergency or outpatient treatment at the hospital, your employer does not have to report it to the Dutch Labour Inspectorate.
But even without hospitalization, you can sustain permanent injuries and significant financial losses from a workplace accident. These damages will have to be compensated one way or another.
We can often tell you immediately whether and how your financial loss can be compensated. Therefore, please feel free to contact us for no-obligation advice. That way, you will know exactly where you stand and what is most in your best interest. Our advice costs you nothing!
Financial damage and who compensates?
A workplace accident almost always has financial consequences for you. This will certainly involve additional costs, but there's also a good chance you'll lose income (immediately).
Not many people can cover these damages themselves. Especially not if you've had an accident that's been reported to the labor inspectorate. This is because it always involves serious injuries with lasting (financial) consequences.
Generally speaking, your financial losses will consist of:
- additional costs and reimbursements for informal care
- lack of income
- loss of enjoyment of life (pain and suffering) and
- your legal costs
If you sustain permanent injuries, you'll be affected by the financial consequences of the workplace accident for a long time, or even permanently. You simply can't cover your financial losses yourself, even out of your own pocket.
But who will compensate you for your financial loss, and how does that work? There's really only one way to do that: ask your employer for financial compensation.
In other words: to recover damages, you must hold your employer liable. And if you suffer permanent injuries and/or significant financial losses, you simply can't afford to let it go. You desperately need your compensation for a secure financial future.
Employer almost always liable for industrial accidents
Your employer is the only person you can ask for financial compensation for your damages after an accident at work.
But the way to do this is quite tricky. You have to hold your employer liable. But no employee wants to hold their own employer liable!
However, you cannot escape this, as it is your only option. From a purely legal perspective, your employer is almost always liable. Even if you think that your employer did nothing wrong “practically speaking.” Or if you believe that you might have caused the accident yourself. That is simply how the law. It therefore concerns a purely legal and theoretical assessment of liability.
Fortunately, almost all employers in the Netherlands are insured against personal injury resulting from a workplace accident . Therefore, your employer does not have to compensate you for your financial loss themselves. Their liability insurer does that. That saves you the trouble!
Employer almost always insured
In 99% of cases, your employer is liable for your financial losses (personal injury) resulting from a workplace accident, regardless of whether your employer can do anything about it or not. This is also completely separate from reporting a workplace accident to the Labour Inspectorate.
Nobody likes to hold their own employer liable. It just doesn't feel right. Yet, you often can't avoid it. Simply because you can't afford it financially.
It's therefore good for you to know that your employer is almost always insured for your personal injury. In 99% of cases, your personal injury is covered by your employer's or client's liability insurance. This means your employer doesn't have to pay for the damages themselves. This way, it simply becomes an insurance matter, without any inconvenience to your employer.
If you're unsure what to do after a workplace accident, please feel free to contact us for advice. We can almost always advise you on the best course of action and what's in your best interest, based solely on your own experience. Afterward, you can decide for yourself what to do with our advice.
And if we think you would be best off with our help, we will tell you why and that our help will be 100% free of charge for you.
How can I help you?
Floris de Bruin
Commercial Director
Commercial Director
Reporting a temporary worker's workplace accident
to a temporary agency worker as to “regular employees”. In fact, from a legal perspective, as a temporary agency worker you are even slightly better protected.
Because you can choose who you hold responsible for your financial losses: the employment agency (your formal employer) or the company where you were placed (your material employer). They are both responsible for the total amount of your financial losses.
Your “material employer” must report your industrial accident (Labor Inspectorate).
Report a workplace accident as a self-employed person
As a employed person, you are formally considered an independent contractor. This also applies in the event of a workplace accident. However, in some cases, a self-employed person protected in the same way as an employee.
For example, if your client determines how you should do your work, and the work could have been done by one of your client's own employees.
Legally, you'll then be treated as an employee. This gives you much greater legal protection in the event of an injury resulting from a workplace accident. If you work "under the authority" of a specific company, they must report your workplace accident.
Reporting an industrial accident: always seek legal assistance
We know better than anyone when a workplace accident should be reported and to whom. Furthermore, determining financial damages for injuries caused by a workplace accident is very complex. It's best not to try this yourself.
We therefore advise you to always seek legal assistance and not to wait too long to do so.
Your legal costs must also be reimbursed by your employer's insurer. This is stipulated in the law (Article 6:96 of the Dutch Civil Code). This effectively entitles you to 100% free legal assistance. In fact, before we start assisting you with your personal injury claim, you will receive a written guarantee from us that our assistance will be entirely free of charge for you
Do you already have an advocate but are you unsure if it's working for you? Feel free to consider switching to a more specialized personal injury firm like ours. That way, you can be sure you'll get what you're entitled to. And we'll ensure the relationship between you and your employer isn't strained. Because that's never in your best interest.
Report a workplace accident? Always ask for advice
Do you have questions about reporting a workplace accident? Or are you wondering how to best compensate your damages? Always request a free consultation. It never hurts.
Based solely on your personal story, we can tell you whether your workplace accident should be reported and what else is best in your best interest. And if we think you would be better off with our help, we'll let you know and explain why.
We'll provide you with clear and honest advice about reporting your workplace accident , and you're under no obligation. You decide what to do with it. And when we do help you, we guarantee in writing that our assistance completely free of charge . We promise!
How can I help you?
Floris de Bruin
Commercial Director
Commercial Director
Curious about your chances?
About the author
The information on this page was written by Floris de Bruin, a specialist in liability and personal injury. The content of this page fully complies with the requirements of the National Quality Mark for Personal Injury (NKL).
What customers ask
Is your help really free for me?
Absolutely, our help is truly FREE.
Your counterparty is also obligated to reimburse your legal costs (i.e., our firm's fees). This is stipulated by law (Section 6:96 of the Dutch Civil Code).
At Van der Toorn Personal Injury, you'll receive a written cost guarantee upfront with a clear explanation. This also clearly states what you can expect from us and what we can expect from you.
We guarantee that the liable party will reimburse our costs. If they don't, it's our business risk. You'll never receive a bill from us. We promise!
Still unsure? Just contact us. We'd be happy to explain how our cost guarantee works.
If you'd like to learn more about our FREE personal injury assistance, click here. Clarity is paramount!
When can I claim personal injury damages?
You can claim damages for personal injury if you have suffered an injury (been injured) due to the fault of another person
Personal injury can be caused by, for example:
In addition, you may think of injuries sustained during:
- organized trip
- unsafe product or
- fall at someone else's home, in a shop or on the street
It's best not to wait too long to file a personal injury claim. It's best to do so immediately after the accident.
Even if it is not yet clear at that time what your injury and its financial consequences consist of.
However, someone else must liable and must have taken out liability insurance for this (AVP/AVB/WA).
However, even if you caused the accident yourself, you can sometimes still claim compensation for personal injury. For example, if you SVI (Passenger Injury Insurance) or SVO (Opzittende Inschadende).
Are you unsure whether and when you are entitled to personal injury compensation?
Don't hesitate to contact us now for a free, no-obligation consultation. It's free , and you'll know exactly where you stand. Afterward, you can decide for yourself what to do with our advice.
What injuries do you treat?
We can actually help you with all types of personal injury
Van der Toorn Personal Injury can help you with all types of injuries. We specialize in handling "serious personal injuries," such as:
- brain injury (ABI)
- spinal cord injury
- burns
- dystrophy
- bone fractures and
- cosmetic injury.
But of course, we are also very happy to be there for you if someone else has sustained an injury. Such as neck injuries, whiplash, back injuries, bruises, sprains, dog bites, temporary injuries, and you name it.
We cannot help with all types of personal injury
The only thing we cannot help you with is personal injury caused by:
- violence
- medical errors and/or
- situations of abuse.
In that situation, we will of course refer you to a party that is specialized in this.
Always request free, no-obligation advice on personal injury claims
Do you have questions about your personal injury? Or are you unsure if we're the right place for you?
Please do not hesitate to ask us for a complete and free, no-obligation personal injury claim consultation.
When should I contact you?
You don't have to! But it's in your best interest to contact us as soon as possible
Only then can you be certain that there is someone who thinks solely of your interests . Because that is our job: thinking of *your* interests.
But what is: as quickly as possible?
Sometimes an insurance company will contact you very shortly after the accident. They'll ask how you're doing and also ask for all sorts of other information.
You cannot know whether that insurer is asking “too many questions” from a legal perspective. About your health before the accident and which doctors you visited. You would rather avoid that, wouldn't you? So never wait too long to engage a personal injury firm.
It's also likely that you'll quickly incur significant expenses . Or your incomemay disappear. We'll handle the initial damage payments from the other party. Then you can focus on your recovery.
Would you like to know what's best for you? Don't hesitate to contact us , without obligation
We'll give you clear advice right away . Then you can decide for yourself what to do with it.
If we think we can help you, we will let you know right away.
At the same time, we guarantee that our legal assistance completely free of charge .
To learn more about our FREE personal injury assistance services, click here.
What personal injury compensation amounts am I entitled to?
The personal injury compensation amounts you are entitled to are:
Allowances for additional assistance, such as:
- household help, shopping, taking children to school, etc.
- help in the garden and
- help with the maintenance and painting of your home.
In addition, your personal injury may have consequences for your income, such as:
- income that is not fully paid (self-employed person, temporary worker, zero-hour contract, etc.)
- no more irregular hours allowance
- no longer being able to work overtime
- missed promotions and
- missed pension accrual
Finally, you can consider other equally important personal injury compensation amounts, such as:
- Study delay
- Reintegration costs for guidance to other work
- Costs associated with admission to a hospital or rehabilitation center
- Travel expenses
- Medical expenses
- Non-pecuniary damages
- Economic vulnerability
- Statutory interest
- Furthermore, all costs that you would not have incurred without the accident…
- For example, the wages you did not receive because you could not go to work.
- Gasoline because you had to go to the hospital or the physiotherapist.
- Medicines that were covered by your deductible.
In addition, you are always entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, also known as non-material damages.
This is compensation for "loss of enjoyment of life." Your damages should compensate you for your grief, pain, and anything else that might have made you less happy than before the accident.
Unfortunately, Dutch law is not generous in awarding damages for pain and suffering. Therefore, the amounts awarded in the Netherlands are not considered "fair enough.".
If you'd like to learn more about non-pecuniary damages, click here. If you'd like to learn more about personal injury damages, click here.
Calculating non-pecuniary damages
Calculating non-pecuniary damages:
You are always entitled to compensation for pain and suffering. This is the "non-pecuniary component" of your personal injury compensation.
What is non-pecuniary damages?
Pain and suffering compensation is not in itself a “hard legal term”. It is compensation for damage that cannot be expressed in monetary terms.
So, everything that doesn't fall under additional costs or lost income. It's essentially compensation for your "mental damage.".
How to calculate non-pecuniary damages
People often ask us at the very beginning of their personal injury case how much compensation they are entitled to.
That question is actually impossible to answer. And any personal injury lawyer who claims otherwise is mistaken.
When can you calculate my non-pecuniary damages?
Your compensation for pain and suffering can only be definitively determined at the end of your personal injury case.
Only then will it be known what psychological consequences your injury has had and/or will have for you.
Because it is the psychological consequences that largely determine your compensation for non-pecuniary damages.
Important factors in calculating non-pecuniary damages
Important factors for calculating your non-pecuniary damages include:
- the nature of your injury
- the severity of your injury
- your age
- your gender
- your level of consciousness
- whether you will have permanent scars and where those scars are located
- whether you have physical limitations that affect your quality of life
- how much pain have you suffered and continue to suffer
- how long your recovery period was and
- whether you have recovered at all or whether there is permanent damage.
Indication calculation of non-pecuniary damages:
We cannot predict exactly how much your compensation for non-pecuniary damages will be.
What we can do is give you a general indication of the amount of your compensation for pain and suffering.
If this sounds appealing, contact us today for a free, honest consultation. Afterward, you can decide for yourself what to do with it.
We are happy to help you calculate and claim your compensation for pain and suffering and other personal injury damages, such as your additional costs and lost income.
And if you choose our legal assistance, we guarantee you in writing in advance that our assistance will always FREE .
Calculating non-pecuniary damages? Ask for advice! We're happy to help. Want to know more about calculating non-pecuniary damages? Click here.
Stories from the field
That conveyor belt just pulled two of my fingers along with it…
As a temp, I was assigned to work on a sort of assembly line. They explained to me that I had to clean the conveyor belt occasionally, otherwise it would get too cluttered and jam. After a week of working on the conveyor belt, I noticed it was starting to malfunction.
Affiliated with:
