In this article, we’ll be discussing how you can make a claim after a conveyor belt accident. You may be able to claim if you were harmed because of the negligence of your employer.
Conveyor belt accident claims guide
All employers have a duty of care to their employees. This is the case regardless of your industry or job role. If this duty of care is breached by an employer resulting in you being injured, you could make an accident at work claim.
If you’re interested in legal representation for your case or have more questions pertaining to your accident at work claim, you can contact us by using the following information. In just one call you could get an understanding of how much compensation you could be entitled to following a successful claim. Furthermore, if your case is valid, you could be connected with a lawyer from our panel.
Contact us by:
- Calling us on 0161 696 9685
- Filling out your details in the Online Enquiry section of our website
- Talk with one of our advisors by using the Live Support feature on our website
Browse Our Guide
- Claiming Compensation For A Conveyor Belt Accident At Work
- Potential Causes Of A Conveyor Belt Accident At Work
- What Evidence Can I Use For A Work Accident Claim Involving A Conveyor Belt?
- Compensation Payouts For Accident At Work Claims
- Claiming For A Work Accident With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
- Get More Help With Claiming For A Conveyor Belt Accident At Work
Claiming Compensation For A Conveyor Belt Accident At Work
A conveyor belt accident at work can happen in a variety of ways. We’ll discuss the causes of these accidents later in this guide, but you’ll have to satisfy the below points to make a successful accident at work claim:
- An employer owed you a duty of care
- This duty of care was breached by employer negligence
- You were injured as a result of this
These types of injuries may be most closely associated with factory accidents or warehouse accidents, for example. However, they could occur wherever conveyor belts are used.
Your employer has a duty of care to you which is outlined in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. This means that an employer needs to take all steps that could be considered practicable and reasonable to prevent you from experiencing harm whilst in the workplace. In the case that this duty of care isn’t upheld by an employer, resulting you being injured, an accident at work claim could be made.
How Much Time Do I Have To Claim For A Conveyor Belt Accident At Work?
At this point, you may be wondering “how long do you have to claim for an accident at work“?
When making a conveyor belt accident claim, you’ll have to make your claim within the stated time limits. As per the Limitation Act 1980, you’ll have three years from the date of your accident, or the date that you became aware of your injuries to begin your accident at work claim. There are exceptions to these rules though.
There are some exceptions to this time limit where a litigation friend could claim on the behalf of someone who can’t pursue their own claim. To find out whether this is applicable in your circumstances, speak with a member of our team.
Potential Causes Of A Conveyor Belt Accident At Work
Below is a list of potential causes of conveyor belt accidents that could result in you being able to make a successful claim. These include but aren’t limited to:
- Lack of maintenance, or a defective conveyor belt – if a piece of machinery has not been properly maintained a mechanical failure could occur which could cause you to be injured.
- Inadequate training being given by employers – inadequate training can result in employees being injured, due to them not understanding the procedures they have to follow when working with a conveyor belt. For example, they may not be told about the emergency stop button. A lack of training can potentially cause injuries for workers when carrying out other tasks besides using a conveyor belt, such as manual handling.
- Inadequate protective equipment being provided by an employer. For example, employers might provide worn-out safety gloves that don’t offer protection from abrasions.
If you would like guidance as to whether you could be entitled to claim compensation after your accident, why not get in touch with our team today?
What Evidence Can I Use For A Work Accident Claim Involving A Conveyor Belt?
When attempting to make a successful conveyor belt accident claim, it’s important that you’re able to provide sufficient evidence to support your claim. This is to prove that your injuries were caused as a result of employer negligence and also to demonstrate the extent of the harm you experienced.
Potential evidence you can use to support your claim might include:
- Pictures or video footage showing the cause of the accident, or the injury itself
- The contact information of any witnesses so that a solicitor can take a statement
- A copy of the accident report entry, logging the specific incident that resulted in your injuries. It’s a legal requirement that a workplace with 10 or more employees has an accident book for you to fill out
- Asking for medical care and requesting copies of any records produced as a result of your injuries
If you’re experiencing issues when attempting to gather evidence to support your claim, then providing your case is valid, you could be connected with one of our panel of solicitors to help gather evidence to support your claim.
Compensation Payouts For Accident At Work Claims
If you’re successful in your conveyor belt accident claim, your settlement may consist of two heads of claim. In this section, we’ll be discussing the first of these, which is general damages compensation.
This form of compensation aims to provide payments to successful claimants for any pain that they’ve experienced as a direct result of the injuries they sustained from their accident.
Note that these figures have been taken from the Judicial College Guidelines, which is a document used by solicitors to help assign a value to the general damages portion of your claim.
The figures provided in the table below come from these guidelines but cannot be guaranteed. This is due to the large number of variables that have to be looked at on a case-by-case basis when determining general damages compensation.
Guideline Compensation Brackets
| Injury | Severity | Compensation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head and Brain Injury | Moderately Severe (b) | £219,070 to £282,010 | Injuries resulting in a person having a substantial dependence on others, and there may be a risk of future development of other severe medical conditions. |
| Back Injuries | Severe (a) (i) | £91,090 to £160,980 | Cases of severe injuries including damage to the nerve roots and spinal cord, leading to cases of incomplete paralysis. |
| Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips | Severe (a) (i) | £78,400 to £130,930 | Extensive fractures of the pelvis which necessitates spinal fusion, and leaving lasting disabilities. |
| Injuries to the Pelvis and Hips | Moderate (b) (i) | £26,590 to £39,170 | Significant injury to the hip or pelvis but any lasting disability is not major, and there is no great future risk of injury. |
| Arm Injuries | Injuries Resulting in Permanent and Substantial Disablement (b) | £39,170 to £59,860 | Severe fractures to one or in some cases both forearms involving permanent residual disability, either cosmetic or functional. |
| Leg Injuries | Serious (iii) | £39,200 to £54,830 | Serious injuries to joints or fractures resulting in instability. There is a near certainty that arthritis will ensue. |
| Injuries to the Elbow | A Severely Disabling Injury (a) | £39,170 to £54,830 | Injuries leaving lasting severe disabilities. |
| Knee Injuries | Severe (a) (iii) | £26,190 to £43,460 | Injuries that result in limited future movement, and discomfort and lasting pain. |
| Ankle Injuries | Moderate (c) | £13,740 to £26,590 | Fractures and tears that give rise to less serious disabilities such as walking on uneven ground or standing for a long amount of time. |
| Achillies Tendon | Minor (d) | £7,270 to £12,590 | Ankle injuries resulting in damage to the tendon, and a lasting feeling of uncertainty of ankle support. |
Special Damages
Special damages is the potential second head of claim that you could receive. This aims to reimburse you for the financial impact of the accident in which you were injured. This could include loss of earnings and medical costs, for example. You should provide proof in support of this which could include payslips, receipts and invoices.
For guidance on whether you could be entitled to general and special damages, speak with a member of our team today.
Claiming For A Work Accident With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
You could benefit from claiming with the help of a No Win No Fee solicitor. Solicitors from our panel can offer a form of this agreement called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
This type of claim comes with a variety of financial benefits, the first of which is that if you’re unsuccessful in your claim, you won’t have to pay anything for your legal representation. As well as this, you won’t be expected to pay any upfront or continuous fees as your claim is ongoing.
However, in the case that your claim ends successfully, you’ll have to pay your solicitors a success fee. The Conditional Fees Agreements Order 2013 applies a legal cap to the percentage that they can take.
If you’re wondering what percentage No Win No Fee solicitors take, then speak with our team today. They are happy to offer free legal advice.
Contact Us
If you’d like to learn more about claims for conveyor belt accidents, then you can use the contact information provided below to discuss this further with our team of advisors. In just one call you can get an understanding of how much compensation your claim could be worth.
Contact us by:
- Calling us on 0161 696 9685
- Filling out your details in the Online Enquiry section of our website
- Talk with one of our advisors by using the Live Support feature on our website
Get More Help With Claiming For A Conveyor Belt Accident Work
If you’d like to learn more about what to do after a conveyor belt accident, then you can read more of our guides below:
- What do you need to know about accident at work employee rights?
- Can I claim compensation for a self employer accident at work?
- I had an accident at work, could I claim after leaving the company?
- Can I claim if an injury has left me unable to work?
- Claiming for an ankle injury
You might also find the following resources useful:
- Health and Safety Executive guidance on risk assessments
- Government guidance on employment status
- NHS information about calling 999
Written by LP
Edited by FS