Needle stick injuries are on the rise and are the joint top reported accident affecting NHS trust staff. As well as affecting “front line” staff – doctors and nurses etc, secondary workers such as porters, caretakers and refuse collection staff are at risk from the danger of needle stick injuries.

Employers have a duty to ensure a safe working environment, utilising suitable needles and disposal procedures to minimise the risk posed.

If you have been involved in an accident where you have exposed to contact with used needles or other implements [used in collecting, transporting and/or storing fluids] or other used materials obtained from unknown persons, and as a result of the accident, you have received a cut or scratch, from which there is a risk that you may have contracted or been contaminated with a disease or illness, it may be prudent to seek advise from specialist solicitors to assess the merits of your particular claim on a true No Win No Fee basis.

Needle stick injuries can transmit Hepatitis B and C, as well as HIV. This risk is real; there have been confirmed cases of occupationally acquired HIV.

It may be possible to obtain compensation for any resultant illness or disease diagnosed and for the treatment of the condition, as well as for past and future loss of earnings. It may also be possible to obtain compensation for any distress suffered in awaiting a diagnosis, which as can be imagined, may be considerable, even if the diagnosis is subsequently negative.