By Stephen Bishop. Last Updated 18th July 2024. Welcome to our guide on warehouse accident claims. If you are injured in a warehouse accident that wasn’t your fault, you could make a claim for compensation.
Warehouse accidents are unfortunately fairly common. Workers in a warehouse are at risk from forklift truck accidents, falls from heights, being hit by falling objects and suffering from back injuries. The injuries sustained from a warehouse accident can range from fairly minor to very severe, and even death.
It, therefore, comes as no surprise that working in a warehouse can be dangerous, and so it is imperative that there are sufficient, strict rules and regulations regarding health and safety in place within the workplace, and employers have a duty of care and a responsibility to make sure these are strictly adhered to in order to provide a safe environment for their employees and anyone visiting the premises.
If you have been injured because of an accident in a warehouse that was caused by negligence, you may be able to make a personal injury claim against those responsible. Legal Helpline has a highly experienced panel of personal injury solicitors with many years of making successful claims and could help you to get the compensation you deserve. Have a read through our guide and feel free to contact us on our legal helpline by dialling 0161 696 9685 for further help and advice.
Jump to a Section
- When Could I Claim For A Warehouse Accident?
- Warehouse Health and Safety
- What Evidence Do I Need To Support A Warehouse Accident Claim?
- Types Of Warehouse Accidents
- How Much Compensation Could I Receive For A Warehouse Accident Claim?
- No Win No Fee Warehouse Accident Claims
- Useful links and resources
When Could I Claim For A Warehouse Accident?
In order to form the basis of a valid warehouse accident claim, you must be able to establish negligence. This means that your employer must have breached their duty of care, resulting in your injuries.
All employers owe their employees a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). This means that they must take all reasonably practicable steps to keep you safe while working. A breach of this could cause you harm. For example, if your employer asks you to use a forklift without first providing any training, this could lead to a warehouse forklift accident in which you sustain a leg injury.
If you have been injured in a forklift or warehouse accident as a result of your employer breaching their duty of care, contact our team of advisors today. They can offer a free consultation of your claim and may be able to connect you with a solicitor from our panel.
How Long Do I Have To Claim For A Warehouse Accident?
The time limit for starting warehouse accident claims is three years. The time limit usually starts from the date of the incident that caused your injuries.
Under a small number of circumstances, there are exceptions to this time limit. These are:
- For those under the age of 18, the time limit is paused until their 18th birthday. Before this point, a litigation friend appointed by the court could make a claim on their behalf. From their 18th birthday, they will have 3 years to start a claim if one has not already been made.
- The time limit is indefinitely suspended for someone who lacks the mental capacity to start their own claim. Again, a litigation friend could make a claim on their behalf. If they were to regain this mental capacity, they will have 3 years from the date of recovery to start their claim if one has not already been made.
Contact our advisors today if you have any questions about personal injury claims for accidents in a warehouse. Additionally, they could inform you whether you have enough time to start your claim.
Warehouse Health and Safety
In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is in charge of deciding on the health and safety legislation that all warehouses should adhere to in order to provide a safe environment for all workers and visitors in the warehouse. The HSE legislation comprises of various guidelines that should be followed that are specifically aimed at minimising the chances of particular types of accidents from happening, such as:
- Slip, trip and fall accidents.
- Accidents involving forklift trucks and other similar machinery.
- Manual handling injuries caused by accidents.
- Falling object accidents.
As part of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, all employers are expected to be compliant with the HSE’s legislation on health and safety, and failure to do so leaves them in a breach of their legal responsibility to their employees. If you have been injured in an accident in a warehouse due to a warehouse owner’s negligence to the HSE’s legislation, you will have a valid reason to claim.
Have more questions about warehouse accident claims? Contact us today!
What Evidence Do I Need To Support A Warehouse Accident Claim?
If you haven’t managed to do this already, our firm can arrange a free local medical for you so that you have a thorough assessment of your injury.
- Photos – If you can, try to take photos of where the accident took place and if possible, show the reason why. Also, take photos of your injury to give observable proof of your suffering.
- Witnesses – If there was anyone who witnessed your accident, make a note of their contact details so a witness statement may be obtained. Witness statements can prove invaluable when attempting to prove liability.
- Receipts – Keep all receipts of any costs you have suffered as a result of your injury such as prescription costs, travelling costs etc.
Types Of Warehouse Accidents
There are various types of warehouse accidents that could occur, such as:
- Slip, trips and falls – This could be due to cable wires not being tied down properly or put away, causing you to suffer an ankle injury. Or it could be due to a faulty ladder that has not been maintained or replaced, resulting in you suffering a broken arm.
- Forklift accidents – For example, a forklift hits some shelves that then collapse on top of you, which could result in a serious head injury.
- Manual handling – If you were to receive insufficient manual handling training, this could lead to you using a poor lifting technique and injuring yourself, for example, with a back injury, such as a slipped disc.
- Faulty equipment – For example, an overhead conveyor belt could malfunction, resulting in heavy loads falling onto you.
No matter the type of accident you were involved in, you need to prove that you were injured due to your employer breaching their duty of care. Later in this guide, we will discuss your employer’s duty of care in more detail.
Contact our advisors today to see whether you may be eligible for compensation if you have been involved in a warehouse rack accident. If our advisors believe you could be, they could connect you with our experienced panel of solicitors who could help you with your claim.
How Much Compensation Could I Receive For A Warehouse Accident Claim?
Following a successful warehouse accident claim, the compensation awarded to you could include general damages and special damages.
To compensate you for the physical pain and mental suffering your warehouse accident has caused you will be awarded general damages if your claim is successful. The amount you could receive in general damages will depend on the type of injuries you’ve claimed for, how severe they are and how they’ve impacted your day-to-day life.
In the table we’ve included below, there are some compensation figures found in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This is a document that may be used by those valuing your warehouse accident compensation claim for general damages. It lists guideline compensation brackets for many types of injuries, such as head, hand and leg injuries, all of which could potentially be caused by a warehouse accident.
The table below can be viewed as a guide only, but please note that the first entry is not based on the JCG.
| Injury | Notes | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries And Special Damages | Multiple serious injuries and financial losses such as lost earnings and travel costs. | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Brain Damage - Very Severe | Severe cognitive and physical disabilities with a significant effect on the senses that need full time nursing care. | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Arm Injury - Severe | Extremely serious arm injuries that fell short of requiring amputation, but has left the person little better off than if it had been. | £117,360 to £159,770 |
| Arm Injury - Less Severe | A significant recovery will have been made (or is expected to) despite suffering with substantial disabilities. | £23,430 to £47,810 |
| Foot Injury - Severe | Fractures to both feet or heels that causes permanent pain with restricted mobility. | £51,220 to £85,460 |
| Foot Injury - Modest | Puncture wounds, ruptured ligaments or simple metatarsal fractures that result in continuing symptoms such as pain and aching. | Up to £16,770 |
| Back Injury - Severe (iii) | Disc lesions or fractures and soft tissue injuries that result in chronic conditions, including severe pain and discomfort, agility impairments, sexual function impairments, depression, and an arthritis risk. | £47,320 to £85,100 |
| Neck Injury - Severe (iii) | Severe soft tissue damage, ruptured ligaments, dislocations, or fractures that result in a significant disability. | £55,500 to £68,330 |
| Neck Injury - Moderate (ii) | Disc lesions, soft tissue damage or wrenching-type injuries that result in cervical spondylosis. | £16,770 to £30,500 |
| Shoulder Injury - Serious | A dislocated shoulder with damage to the brachial plexus that causes neck and shoulder pain with arm symptoms. | £15,580 to £23,430 |
What Are Special Damages?
Those eligible to claim general damages following an accident in a warehouse might also be entitled to special damages as part of their compensation. Special damages can cover out of pocket losses and costs related to your warehouse injuries. Examples of what may be covered under special damages include:
- Loss of earnings if you’ve needed to take time off work to recover.
- The cost of home adaptations or other home care you’ve received to help you complete everyday tasks while injured.
- Travel expenses you’ve paid to attend medical appointments.
Evidence is required to claim special damages, which could include certain documents like bank statements, wage slips or receipts.
To learn more about the potential value of your warehouse accident claim, get in touch with our advisors for free today.
No Win No Fee Warehouse Accident Claims
Our no win no fee service provides an affordable way to hire a legal team to run your claim for you to give you the best chance of having a successful outcome and making sure you have claimed for the maximum amount possible. This is because we do not ask for any payments upfront or during the claiming process at all, instead, our fees depend entirely on the outcome of the case in that if we do not win, we simply don’t get paid, in other words, we do not ask you for any payments at all.
But if we win, our fees are paid as a one-time payment as a percentage of your final settlement amount. We are only legally allowed to take a maximum of 25% of the award amount and so if we win the case, you are guaranteed at least 75% of the final award amount.
Therefore to sum up, with no win no fee there is no negative impact on your current finances, no risk of financially losing any of your money and you get to have personal injury claims specialists conduct your case on your behalf increasing your chances of having successful warehouse accident claims.
Contact Our Team
We have dealt with many warehouse accident claims over the years with great success. If you’d like us to arrange a free consultation for you, or would just like some advice and guidance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Legal Helpline on 0161 696 9685 and we will do our best to give you assistance.
Useful Links
Below we’ve included some helpful links and resources related to warehouse accident claims, or any general personal injury claim questions you may have.
This links to the HSE site which gives guidance regarding health and safety aspects when in a warehouse.
This is the NHS guide on how to keep safe from injury when lifting and handling heavy loads. Employers should provide training on the correct lifting and handling techniques if the tasks set for employees require the movement of heavy loads.
- Our guide explains how to use an accident at work claim calculator and offers more insight into the personal injury claims process.
- Get information on making fatal accident at work claims with our informative guide.
- Find out if you can claim if you are a contractor who was injured at work and learn more about the compensation claims process.
- Are you wondering how many lone workers are attacked every day? Our guide explores this topic.
- Advice on bulging disc workers’ compensation claims. Learn more about claiming compensation for an accident at work.
Thank you for reading our guide on warehouse accident claims.