Our guide will help you understand the process of making a transportation and logistics accident compensation claim. The transport and storage sector is heavily populated and absolutely essential for practically all industries, as it involves goods being taken from place to place. It also covers storage, haulage and warehousing. However, the busy nature of the sector also means workplace accidents are a constant risk.
We explain the eligibility criteria for being able to claim compensation for your injuries should a workplace accident happen due to employer negligence. After looking at relevant health and safety data on the types and frequency of accidents, we discuss how compensation can address the different effects your injuries could have on you.
Finally, we explain why many people making accident at work claims turn to our No Win No Fee solicitors for help.
You can learn even more and ask about your chances of having a successful case by speaking to one of our advisors today. Choose any of these contact details for free round-the-clock guidance:
- Call 0800 073 8804.
- Use the ‘claim online’ form.
- Open a live chat window by selecting the box at the foot of this page.
Select A Section
- When Could You Make A Transportation And Logistics Accident Compensation Claim?
- Types Of Transportation And Logistics Accidents At Work
- Frequency Of Transportation And Logistics Accidents At Work
- How Much Could Your Logistics Accident Compensation Claim Be Worth?
- Why Use A No Win No Fee Accident At Work Solicitor?
- Information Related To A Logistics Accident Compensation Claim
When Could You Make A Transportation And Logistics Accident Compensation Claim?
When working in transportation and logistics, your employer owes you a legal duty of care. Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA), one of the UK’s most prominent pieces of work safety legislation, states that employers must take reasonably practicable steps to maintain employee safety. This duty is legally required while you are working, whether you are inside or outside of the workplace.
Section 7 of HASAWA points out that employees must ensure they take reasonable care of themselves and others.
Companies that operate in the logistics industry will also be subject to the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) and Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER).
PUWER requires workplace equipment to be suitable and safe for use, well maintained and continuously inspected, only used by qualified and trained employees and in accordance with health and safety regulations. Whereas LOLER provides regulations for companies that use lighting equipment such as forklift trucks that all work must be planned by a competent person, supervised and carried out in a safe manner.
Failure on the part of an employer to adhere to all health and safety legislation would make them liable for an incident that resulted from this and allow an employee to seek injury at work compensation.
The eligibility criteria for a personal injury claim are:
- Your employer owed you a duty of care.
- They breached their duty.
- The breach led to an accident that caused you to suffer physical and/or psychological injury.
Time Limits
The Limitation Act 1980 sets out a legal time limit for personal injury claims. This law states that generally, you have up to three years to start a claim from the date the accident occurred. Time limits might differ for some workplace accident claims, depending on factors such as the injured person’s age or mental capacity.
You can learn more about the accident at work claim time limit, as well as check how long you have to begin a claim, by calling the number above.
Types Of Transportation And Logistics Accidents At Work
Employers are legally required to report certain accidents and near-misses under The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Great Britain’s workplace health and safety regulator.
The HSE’s statistics show that there were numerous different causes of workplace injury in the 2022/23 reporting period. The most common accidents were caused by:
- Slips, trips or falls on the same level.
- Manual handling.
- Being struck by moving objects.
- Falls from height.
Other kinds of accidents reported under RIDDOR include workers being struck by a moving vehicle, a collision with something fixed or stationary, and contact with moving machinery.
A No Win No Fee solicitor could help you make a logistics accident compensation claim if your workplace injury happened due to an employer’s breach of duty. For example, if you suffer head injuries because your employer failed to have the brakes on a faulty forklift truck repaired and this crashed into you, leading to your injuries, you could be eligible to seek accident at work compensation.
Causes Of Fatal Accidents In Logistics And Transportation
Sadly, the transport and storage industry sometimes sees workers suffer fatal injuries. 15 deaths were reported under RIDDOR in 2022/23, with the majority happening in the land transport and transport via pipelines sectors.
If you want to know more about claiming on behalf of a deceased loved one under the Fatal Accidents Act, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Frequency Of Transportation And Logistics Accidents At Work
8,059 non-fatal injuries were reported under RIDDOR in the 2022/23 reporting period. A third of them (2,629) were the result of a slip, trip or fall, with over 1,600 cases of manual handling injuries and over 1,000 accidents caused by being struck by a moving object.
4,834 injuries, around 60% of the total, were reported in warehousing and support activities for transportation. Examples of incidents in this field could include a forklift accident, or being struck by objects while unloading a delivery lorry or other vehicle.
Meanwhile, 1,769 reported non-fatal injuries affected those involved in postal and courier activities. A further 927 were attributed to accidents in land transport or transport via pipelines.
Whether a colleague ran over your foot in the warehouse or you fell from height while shelving or racking, you may have a claim if your employer was liable. Please call or use our online services any time to learn whether you have the right to seek compensation for your injuries.
How Much Could Your Logistics Accident Compensation Claim Be Worth?
Making a successful transportation and logistics accident compensation claim would lead to you being awarded a payout.
At least some of the settlement would fall under the general damages head of claim. This accounts for physical harm and emotional suffering.
Those figuring out how much compensation you receive for your injuries can look at your medical evidence for guidance. They can also look at guideline figures for injuries of different forms and severities in a document called the Judicial College Guidelines, or JCG.
Compensation Table
This table features JCG figures, with the exception of the top line. It could be used as an alternative to a compensation calculator, just as a rough guide.
| INJURY | SEVERITY | COMPENSATION | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries Plus Expenses And Costs | Very Serious | Up to £1,000,000+ | A number of significant injuries, coupled with financial losses such as domestic care fees and home adaptation expenses. |
| Head | Very Severe | £282,010 to £403,990 | The compensation award depends on factors like the injured person's life expectancy or the extent of physical disability caused by the serious brain injury. |
| Moderately Severe | £219,070 to £282,010 | Cases that result in a vegetative or minimally conscious state and severely reduced life expectancy could fall within this bracket. | |
| Paralysis | Paraplegia | £219,070 to £284,260 | The presence and extent of pain, the injured person's age and their life expectancy are among contributory factors to deciding the level of award. |
| Leg | Amputation (i) | £240,790 to £282,010 | Either both legs are lost above the knee, or one leg is lost above the knee and the other below. |
| Injuries Affecting Sight | Total Blindness | In the region of £268,720 | A complete loss of sight in both eyes. |
| Neck | Severe (i) | Around £148,330 | Neck injuries linked with incomplete paraplegia, for example. Alternatively, the affected person suffers permanent spastic quadriparesis. |
| Foot | Amputation of A Foot | £83,960 to £109,650 | The loss of an ankle joint means the payout is similar to one given for amputation below knee level. |
| Wrist | Complete Loss of Function | £47,620 to £59,860 | Loss of function in the wrist and an arthrodesis has been performed. |
| Other Arm Injuries | Injuries Resulting in Permanent and Substantial Disablement | £39,170 to £59,860 | At least one arm is seriously fractured. It leaves a cosmetic or functional disability that is permanent. |
| Facial Injuries | Fractures of Jaws (i) | £30,490 to £45,540 | Multiple fractures that are very serious and have permanent consequences. Prolonged treatment is required. |
Explaining Special Damages
Payouts for personal injury compensation claims can be formed of up to two heads of claim. General damages might be accompanied by special damages in certain cases. The latter can only be sought if the injuries had a financial impact.
Gather any evidence of your losses, including payslips, receipts and bank statements. With them, you could look to get compensation for the likes of:
- Lost earnings if you are unable to work due to injuries sustained in your accident.
- Prescription fees.
- Home care expenses.
- Accessibility adaptations to the home or vehicle.
If you seek legal representation for your accident at work claim, the solicitor can advise how much compensation you could receive and push to achieve the maximum settlement possible.
Why Use A No Win No Fee Accident At Work Solicitor?
You don’t have to pursue a logistics accident compensation claim on your own. Our specialist personal injury solicitors have years of combined experience in helping people receive compensation for an accident at work. They offer their expert legal services on No Win No Fee terms with no fee to pay for their work in the event that the case fails.
The Conditional Fee Agreement our solicitors work under also means that there are no solicitor fee’s to pay upfront or during any claim.
A successful claim would see you receive compensation, which then entitles the solicitor to collect a success fee. They would take a small percentage of the compensation, with that percentage capped by law because of The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013.
Contact Us
If you want to learn more about claiming, you can get in touch with us at any time. Our 24/7 support service means you can have any questions about accident at work claims answered and find out if you have the right to seek compensation. You can even be connected to one of our solicitors if you have grounds to sue your employer. However, you will always have the final say on whether you want to start a legal case.
Most importantly, talking to us is completely free. Reach out to us at a time that suits you, either by:
- Calling 0800 073 8804.
- Asking about your possible claim online with our call back form.
- Clicking the live support option in the pop-up tab on your screen now.
Information Related To A Logistics Accident Compensation Claim
Some further workplace accident claims guides from our archives:
- An interim payment could allow you to receive some of your settlement in advance. Read our interim payments guide to learn when you can apply.
- If your accident was caught on CCTV footage, and you want to know, ‘Can I request footage of an accident?’ our guide should help.
- Logistics can also be referred to as the transport of people i.e. on a bus. See if you could make a public transport accident claim after suffering an injury in a road traffic accident.
- More information on public transports accidents with this helpful claims guide.
- Our falls slip, and trips guide discusses when head injury settlements are possible after workplace accidents.
Also, here are a few informative resources:
- NHS guidance on when to call 999 and seek urgent help from a medical professional.
- Evidence of medical treatment is useful for a claim, so read this NHS information on how to request access to your GP health record online.
- A government guide to claiming Statutory Sick Pay from your employer if you miss work through injury.
Thank you for reading. Remember, you can contact us to discuss making a transportation and logistics accident compensation claim any time.
