Employers have a duty of care to protect their employeees from suffering injury or contracting disease in the course of their employment and it has been established that this applies to mental as well as physical health.

These days an increasing number of claims are being pursued by employees for stress brought on by their working conditions and environment. Symptoms may include anxiety, depression, tiredness/lethargy, insomnia, headaches, stomach upsets. A claim is likely to be brought when occupational stress develops into psychological illness

Factors in the working environment which induce stress are many and may include excessively heavy workload, long hours, poor conditions, inadequate resources, inadequate training, bullying, harrassment, job insecurity/uncertainty.

Claims for Occupational Stress have only begun to be brought in recnt years and are complex to deal with. The claimant not only has to prove that the employer was in breach of his duty of care, but also that there was a reasonable forseeability that the conditions could result in damage to the employee's health. It will then be necessary to prove that the breach of duty resulted in the psyschological injury.

If you wish to pursue a claim for Occupational Stress you will certainly need the services of a solicitor. Cooks Legal is a specialist personal injury practice and will provide a free legal assessment of your case if you complete our Online Application Form. We will handle your claim on a "No Win No Fee" basis at no cost to you.