By Danielle Jordan. Last Updated 12th August 2024. Working in a warehouse invariably comes with a certain level of risk. Heavy goods, industrial machinery and lifting equipment can all contribute to the risk of an accident occuring. In this guide we examine the eligibility criteria for warehouse accident claims.
As well as exploring who could make an accident at work claim for an injury in a warehouse, we examine how these types of accidents can occur, and what injuries could be sustained. We also look at how warehouse accident compensation is calculated under the two relevant heads of loss.
Towards the bottom of the guide, you’ll see information on the type of No Win No Fee contract offered by our expert solicitors and what benefits you can enjoy when making your potential claim under these terms.
Our dedicated advisory team can provide free advice on claiming warehouse accident compensation. They can also assess your eligibility to claim free of charge. Talk to the team today via:
- Phone on 0800 073 8804
- Our online “contact us” form.
- The live window in the bottom left of your screen.
Select A Section:
- Examples Of Compensation Payouts In Warehouse Accident Claims
- Eligibility Criteria For Warehouse Accident Claims
- How Can Accidents Happen In A Warehouse?
- I Had A Warehouse Accident – What Evidence Do I Need?
- How Long Do I Have To Claim For A Warehouse Accident?
- Make A Warehouse Accident Claim With Our No Win No Fee Solicitors
- Helpful Links On Accident At Work Claims
Examples Of Compensation Payouts In Warehouse Accident Claims
Compensation payouts for successful warehouse accident claims could potentially be made up of two different parts. These are general and special damages.
You will be awarded a general damages payout for the physical and mental pain and suffering you have experienced due to your warehouse accident. Examples of factors that will be looked at to help value this award include:
- The changes to your quality of life. For example, your ability to cope with work could decrease if you have suffered warehouse injuries that are permanent.
- How severe the pain of your injury is.
- How long recovery could take if a full recovery is expected.
During the warehouse accident claims process, you may be asked to attend an independent medical assessment. The reports from this assessment can be used with the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help determine what the value of your general damages payout could be.
The JCG is a document containing guideline compensation brackets for different types of physical and mental injuries.
Guideline Compensation Table
From the JCG, we have taken some examples of injuries that could be suffered following a warehouse accident, along with their compensation guidelines.
Please bear in mind that this table is for illustrative purposes only, as all accident at work claims are unique. Also, the top entry has not been taken from the JCG.
| Injury | Severity | Compensation Bracket |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple serious injuries with financial losses | Serious | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Paralysis | Tetraplegia (a) | £396,140 to £493,000 |
| Brain Damage | Very Severe (a) | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Hand Injuries | Loss Of Both Hands - Total Or Effective (a) | £171,680 to £245,900 |
| Back Injury | Severe (a) (i) | £111,150 to £196,450 |
| Neck Injury | Severe (a) (i) | In the region of £181,020 |
| Arm Amputation | Loss Of One Arm (b) (i) | Not less than £167,380 |
| Leg Injuries | Most Serious, Short Of Amputation (b) (i) | £117,460 to £165,860 |
| Injuries To The Pelvis And Hips | Severe (a) (i) | £95,680 to £159,770 |
| Wrist Injury | Complete Loss Of Function (a) | £58,110 to £73,050 |
What Else Can Warehouse Accident Compensation Cover?
You may also be awarded a special damages payout for the monetary losses you have suffered due to your warehouse accident. By receiving special damages, your financial position should be restored to what it was before your accident occurred.
Here are a few examples of what financial losses you could suffer following a warehouse accident:
- Loss of earnings if your warehouse injuries have made you unable to work.
- Mobility aid costs, such as purchasing a wheelchair.
- Nursing care costs.
To recover your expenses, you should submit proof, such as payslips, invoices, bank statements, and receipts. If you have no proof of your expenses, then you may not receive a special damages payout.
For more information on how compensation is calculated in successful warehouse accident claims, please get in touch with us.
Eligibility Criteria For Warehouse Accident Claims
The duty of care that all employers owe their employees (both full-time and part-time) is set out by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). Per their duty of care, employers must take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees while they are at work.
If you would like to seek personal injury compensation for harm you have suffered in a warehouse accident, you need to be able to prove that:
- Your employer owed you a duty of care.
- This was breached.
- Your injuries occurred as a result of the breach.
Warehouse workers can be exposed to a range of different risks and it’s up to employers to safeguard against those.
Please contact one of our advisors if you have any questions about warehouse accident claims.
How Can Accidents Happen In A Warehouse?
There are numerous different types of accidents that could potentially occur in a warehouse and workers may sustain serious injuries as a result. Such incidents could occur as a consequence of an employer failing to uphold the duty of care they owe their employees. Examples of potential warehouse accidents and their causes include:
- Slips, trips and falls – Such accidents that injure warehouse employees may occur because of issues such as spillages, loose cables or wires or objects obstructing a walkway. A failure to carry out a risk assessment by the employer can make such accidents more likely.
- Falling objects – Employees may potentially be injured by falling objects in a warehouse if they are left in a dangerous position or not moved correctly. The potential cause may be linked to a failure by staff or the employer to follow the correct health and safety procedures.
- Manual handling injuries – Staff in warehouse could potentially be injured while attempting to move heavy objects, such as boxes containing items. Such injuries are more likely if an employer breaches their duty of care by failing to provide adequate training on the best manual handling techniques. Some people feel that muscle strains are minor injuries that you can’t claim for, but this isn’t true. You can head here to learn more about claiming for a minor injury at work.
- Injuries caused by forklift trucks, machinery or vehicles – Packaging machinery, forklift trucks, pallet trucks plus other machinery and vehicles may be used within a warehouse by staff. Injuries involving such machinery or vehicles could potentially occur if a worker using them makes a mistake. Such accidents could more likely occur if an employer does not provide adequate training or fully explain health and safety procedures to staff using such equipment.
For more advice on warehouse accidents and whether you can claim for injuries in this type of accident, contact our advisors for free today.
What Types Of Warehouse Could Accidents Happen In?
Accidents can occur in all types of warehouses if the correct safety measures aren’t in place. Examples of warehouses include:
- Distribution centres
- Logistics centres
- Warehouses that adjoin factories
- Cold storage warehouses
- Bulk storage warehouses
- Wholesalers
- Pick, pack and ship warehouses
- Smart warehouses
- On-demand storage warehouses
This is by no means an exhaustive list so if you don’t see your warehouse listed, feel free to get in touch to discuss it with us further.
A Case Study On Warehouse Accidents
To give you an idea of how warehouse accidents can happen in reality, you can find a real-life case study below.
In October 2023, it was reported in local newspaper Bedford Today that a local business had been fined £67,000 after a warehouse employee suffered severe injuries in a fall at work.
The injured employee had fallen around 3 metres (or around 10 feet) from the racking used in the warehouse.
Inspections by Environmental Health Officers found serious issues with the racking, particularly regarding their installation and maintenance. There were also issues found with the forklift truck used in the warehouse.
Further to this, the investigation found that poor health and safety measures were in place, with staff required to work at height with inadequate protection.
I Had A Warehouse Accident – What Evidence Do I Need?
When making warehouse accidents claims, claimants will need sufficient evidence that shows why and how the employer has acted negligently and how this had led to the injuries that have been suffered. There are different types of evidence that can be collected to support warehouse accident claims and below we look at a few.
This list of evidence is by no means exhaustive, but in order to prove liability and the injuries you suffered, it may be very useful, if possible, to collect the following items of proof:
- CCTV footage: The law says that if you have been captured on CCTV, you have a right to request it. Having proof of the accident and its cause caught on camera can be considered a very strong piece of evidence.
- Accident book logs: It is vital that if you suffer an injury in the workplace, you report this to the allocated person so that it can be logged. This log can act as sufficient proof if you go on to claim compensation as it can show where the accident happed, why it happened, when it occurred and what injuries you suffered.
- Medical records: If you are injured in the workplace, you should always seek medical attention. For serious injuries, you may need to attend your GP and accident and emergency department. Seeking medical attention is not only vital to ensuring you get the care you need but it can also create a record that can be used as evidence to show the injury and its severity.
- Witness statements: Taking down the contact details of those who witnessed your accident, such as any fellow warehouse workers, ensures that their statements can be taken by a professional at a later date.
If you choose to work with a solicitor on your accident at work claim, they can help you gather this evidence. For example, a solicitor could take statements from witnesses.
To find out how one of our solicitors could help you claim compensation, contact our team today. Or, read on to learn more about warehouse accident claims.
How Long Do I Have To Claim For A Warehouse Accident?
When starting a warehouse accident claim, you must adhere to the time limits. Under the Limitation Act 1980, you will generally have 3 years from the date of the incident to initiate legal proceedings for a personal injury claim.
However, in certain circumstances, there are exceptions. These include:
- Children under the age of 18 cannot begin legal proceedings themselves. The time limit is paused until they turn 18. A litigation friend could be appointed by the court to bring forward a claim for them before their 18th. However, if they reach their 18th birthday and a claim was not filed for them, they will have 3 years from this date to begin the process.
- Those without the mental capacity to bring forward a claim for themselves. These parties have a suspension applied to the limitation period that lasts for as long as they are unable to handle legal proceedings. During this suspension, a litigation friend could act for them. If the individual regains this capacity needed to claim, they will be given 3 years from this recovery to begin civil proceedings, provided that a claim was not already made for them.
Talk to an advisor from our team if you have any questions about the limitation period for personal injury claims for a warehouse accident.
Make A Warehouse Accident Claim With Our No Win No Fee Solicitors
If you are eligible to make a warehouse accident claim, you may like to instruct a solicitor to help with your personal injury case. One of our accident at work solicitors could provide legal representation. They typically provide their services under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which is a kind of No Win No Fee agreement.
When a solicitor provides their services under this type of agreement, you usually won’t be asked to pay anything upfront for their work on your claim. There won’t be any ongoing charges either for their services or if your claim fails. However, if your case has a successful outcome, they will subtract a success fee from your award. This amount is a percentage that is limited by the law.
One of our team members can answer your questions about warehouse accidents and the claims process. Additionally, if you meet the eligibility criteria to make a claim for compensation, you could be connected with one of our personal injury solicitors.
To talk about your potential warehouse accident claim:
- Fill out our ‘claim online’ form, and an advisor will call you.
- Call 0800 073 8804
- Connect via our live chat.
Helpful Links On Accident At Work Claims
Here are a few guides about claiming for an accident at work:
- How to claim for a minor injury at work
- 10 things to know about accident at work claims
- What to do if injured from work activities
Remeber, if you need any more advice on warehouse accident claims or if you’d like to connect with a personal injury solicitor, please get in touch today for free.
