This article will look at can you claim compensation if injured by broken equipment at work. In it, we examine the personal injury claims eligibility criteria that you must satisfy in order to have a valid case for a workplace injury.
We’ll also take a look at how faulty work equipment can cause injuries and how compensation is calculated in a personal injury claim. If you satisfy all the eligibility requirements and would like to seek accident at work compensation, you may like to have the support of a personal injury solicitor during the claims procedure. This article concludes with a look at how a specialist workplace injury solicitor can help with your claim on a No Win No Fee basis.
Contact our advisory team for help with your workplace accident compensation claim. They can assess whether you meet the eligibility to seek compensation, value your potential payout and connect you to one of the accident at work solicitors from our panel.
To discuss your injuries caused by faulty or defective equipment:
- Call 020 8050 2736
- Fill in our claim online form and one of our advisors will get back to you.
- Ask about workplace injury compensation claims in our live chat.
Select A Section
- Can You Claim Compensation If Injured By Broken Equipment At Work?
- How Could You Be Injured By Faulty Work Equipment?
- What Do You Do If You’ve Been Injured By Faulty Equipment In The Workplace?
- Compensation After Being Injured By Broken Equipment At Work
- Can I Claim Broken Equipment Injury Compensation Using A No Win No Fee Solicitor?
- Read More About Can You Claim Compensation If Injured By Broken Equipment At Work
Can You Claim Compensation If Injured By Broken Equipment At Work?
While you are at work, your employer must take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees. This is their duty of care as set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA).
As part of these reasonable and practicable steps, your employer is expected to comply with other health and safety laws. This includes the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. This legislation sets out requirements for inspecting equipment, making sure that it is suitable for use and that it is well-maintained.
In order to have a valid accident at work claim, you will need to satisfy the personal injury claims criteria. This means that you need to show that:
- You were owed a duty of care.
- This duty was breached.
- You sustained an injury because of your employer’s breach of health and safety legislation. This can be a mental or physical injury (or both).
Call our advisors to find out can you claim compensation if injured by broken equipment at work.
How Could You Be Injured By Faulty Work Equipment?
There are various faults that could occur to work equipment that may result in you sustaining an injury. These include:
- A faulty ladder can cause a fall from height, resulting in a head injury.
- Faulty brakes in a forklift could cause a collision, resulting in a spinal injury.
- If a crane isn’t functioning properly, various injuries could occur to yourself and others, such as crush injuries leading to amputations or a brain injury.
- Power tools that are faulty could lead to finger amputations. For example, a table saw without the appropriate safety guards.
- If a conveyor belt doesn’t have the correct stop controls, an employee could suffer a scalping.
- Poorly fitted personal protective equipment (PPE) could result in a hand injury. For example, if your work gloves slip while using a cutter.
You should also receive adequate training in any work equipment that you are required to use. This could include training in how to spot faulty work equipment.
Speak to an advisor to discuss the faulty equipment that caused your injuries.
What Do You Do If You’ve Been Injured By Faulty Equipment In The Workplace?
If you have been injured in the workplace due to a lapse in health and safety, you may be thinking of making a personal injury claim. However, you will need to supply a portfolio of evidence that shows your employer at fault for the accident that subsequently caused your injury. So, following a workplace accident caused by faulty equipment, you may like to collect the following evidence to support your compensation claim:
- A copy of the accident book report. You should make a report in the accident book. An accident book is a legal requirement for any workplace with ten or more employees. Additionally, your employer may need to report certain incidents to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The Health and Safety Executive monitor workplace accidents.
- A copy of your medical records. You may need the attention of a first aider or may need an ambulance. In addition to attending to your injuries, this will create medical records with details of your pain and suffering and any treatment you required. Should you wish to claim compensation, you can submit a copy of your medical records to help your case.
- Witness contact details. You could make a note of the contact details of anyone who saw the incident. Witness statements can be collected from them later in the claims process.
- CCTV or photographs. You can also request CCTV footage of yourself or take photographs of the faulty equipment or your injuries.
- Seek legal advice. A specialist solicitor can help you gather evidence if you would like to make a claim. They can also help ensure that your accident at work claim is presented in full, with all damages accounted for and within the time limit.
Speak to an advisor to discuss can you claim compensation if injured by broken equipment at work. If your case is eligible and you wish to proceed, they can connect you to one of the No Win No Fee solicitors from our panel.
Compensation After Being Injured By Broken Equipment At Work
If you make a successful defective work equipment claim, your compensation could consist of two parts. These are general and special damages.
You will be awarded general damages to compensate for the physical pain and suffering, plus any mental health injuries caused by the accident or the treatment you need. For help when valuing your pain and suffering, those responsible for doing so may refer to the compensation guidelines from the Judicial College (JCG).
Our table below looks at a few figures from the JCG 16th edition for injuries that could be caused by faulty work equipment. In addition to these figures, we also look at a figure in the top row that shows what compensation could be made up of for multiple very serious work injuries and special damages. This figure is not from the JCG. As all personal injury claims are different, the table is only for your guidance.
| Injury | Severity | Notes | Compensation Guideline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries and Special Damages | Very Severe | Injured persons could be compensated for more than one severe injury and related expenses, including lost earnings, mobility aids and nursing care. | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Brain Damage | Very Severe | Brain damage that results in severe cognitive and physical disabilities that require full-time nursing. | £282,010 to £403,990 |
| Paralysis | Paraplegia | Injured parties cannot move their lower body with the award impacted by the degree of paralysis. | £219,070 to £284,260 |
| Leg Injuries | Amputations (ii) | The injured person had below the knee amputations to both legs. The level affects the award. | £201,490 to £270,100 |
| Back Injuries | Severe (i) | Severe pain and disability along with other symptoms arise as the result of spinal cord and nerve root damage. | £91,090 to £160,980 |
| Arm Amputations | Loss of One Arm (ii) | The claimant has lost one arm above the elbow. | £109,650 to £130,930 |
| Knee Injuries | Severe (i) | This is a serious injury that causes loss of function, considerable pain, and lengthy treatment. | £69,730 to £96,210 |
| Hand Injuries | Finger Amputations | The hand is of very little use following the amputation of the index, middle and/or ring fingers. | £61,910 to £90,750 |
| Hand Injuries | Serious Damage to Both Hands | Injured persons suffer from permanent cosmetic disability and significant loss of function. | £55,820 to £84,570 |
| Ankle Injuries | Severe | These injuries require extensive treatment and result in significant residual disability. | £31,310 to £50,060 |
Claiming Financial Losses In Broken Equipment Injury Claims
You may also be awarded special damages to compensate for any money you lost as a result of your injuries. Special damages can include compensation for:
- Lost wages, including future loss of earnings and pension contributions.
- Various medical expenses, including prescriptions, therapy, and physical therapy.
- Home help, this could range from nursing care to cleaners to help you cope while recovering.
- Adaptations to your accommodation. For example, installing a stairlift.
To recover your financial losses, you should save any evidence, such as receipts, invoices and wage slips, to submit during the personal injury claims process.
An advisor from our team can value your claim for a defective work equipment injury. They can also advise on special damages, including what you could claim and what evidence you would need to save.
Can I Claim Broken Equipment Injury Compensation Using A No Win No Fee Solicitor
If you are eligible to claim compensation for your workplace injuries, you may like to have the support of a personal injury solicitor. One of the accident at work solicitors from our panel could help with your compensation claim. The legal services provided by our panel are typically offered on a No Win No Fee basis, under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
This means that your solicitor won’t:
- Charge upfront for their representation.
- Ask you to pay any ongoing fees.
- Take a payment if your claim fails.
However, your solicitor will take a success fee from your award if your case is successful. This is a capped percentage subject to a legal limit.
Call our advisors to find out can you claim compensation if injured by broken equipment at work. They can discuss various aspects of the personal injury claims process with you. Furthermore, if you are eligible, you could be connected to one of the personal injury solicitors from our panel.
To discuss accident at work claims:
- Fill in our claim online form for a call back.
- Call 020 8050 2736
- Ask about defective work equipment claims in our live chat.
Read More About Can You Claim Compensation If Injured By Broken Equipment At Work
Here are a few more accident at work claim guides:
- Details about claiming compensation for injuries on construction sites with a No Win No Fee solicitor.
- Information about claiming for a finger injury suffered at work and compensation guidelines.
- Guidance on whether you can make a factory accident claim for compensation.
These external websites might help you:
- Information on workers’ health and safety published by the HSE.
- Government guidance on claiming statutory sick pay (SSP), including the statutory sick pay rate and how it is paid.
- Details about providing first aid from the NHS.
Can you claim compensation if injured by broken equipment at work? Call our advisors to find out.