Pallet Truck Accidents At Work – How To Claim
By Danielle Jordan. Last Updated 11th June 2024. In this guide, we will explain how negligence could contribute to pallet truck accidents and injuries. Accidents occur in workplaces daily. But in this guide, we examine examples of accidents that could occur through an employer’s negligence. All employers owe their workforce a duty of care to take reasonable practical steps to prevent injury and illness to staff while they are carrying out work duties. If an employee is injured because this duty is breached, this amounts to negligence for which a personal injury claim can be pursued. Not only in this guide will we look at health and safety laws that protect you while working, but we will also examine how these can be the basis of an accident at work claim.
Pallet Truck Accidents At Work Compensation Claims Guide
Throughout this guide, we will look at the eligibility criteria, what evidence can be used to support your case, what sources are referenced when valuing injuries and how our No Win No Fee solicitors could help you.
Our advisors are here to help if you would like to learn more about the accident at work claims process. They can offer free legal advice and an evaluation of your claim and what it could be worth. In addition to this, if your claim is valid, they could put you in contact with one of our solicitors to help you start your claim.
To find out if you could be eligible to access their services on a No Win No Fee basis, contact our team of advisors today:
- Call on 0800 073 8804
- Start your claim online
- Use the live chat feature
Browse Our Guide
- Pallet Truck Accidents At Work – The Criteria For Claiming Compensation
- Examples Of Pallet Truck Accidents At Work
- Proving Liability In Accident At Work Claims
- How Much Compensation Can You Claim For A Pallet Truck Accident?
- Pallet Truck Accident Claims With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
- Learn More About Workplace Accidents
Pallet Truck Accidents At Work – The Criteria For Claiming Compensation
To claim for injuries caused by pallet truck accidents, you must be able to prove that your accident was caused by negligence. This means that:
- Your employer owed you a duty of care
- They breached this duty
- Because of this, you were injured
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA), every employer owes their employees a duty of care. This means that they have a responsibility to take all reasonably practicable steps to keep you safe while carrying out your work duties.
How Long Do I Have To Claim For An Injury At Work?
Under the Limitation Act 1980, the personal injury claims time limit for an accident at work is generally three years. This means that you will have three years from the date of your accident to start your claim.
There are exceptions to this time limit. Get in touch with our team to determine if you are eligible to make an accident at work claim.
Examples Of Pallet Truck Accidents At Work
Pallet truck accidents can happen in a number of ways, but as we’ve already mentioned, you must be able to prove that your injuries were caused by negligence in order to claim. Some examples of how employer negligence could result in a pallet truck accident can include:
- If your employer provides inadequate training before asking you to move heavy loads with a pallet truck, this can result in an accident.
- Your employer could breach their duty of care by knowingly providing defective equipment, such as a broken pallet truck or roll cage, which causes you to become injured in an accident.
- If your employer does not undertake a risk assessment before asking you to move stock or heavy loads with a pallet truck despite knowing that you have a pre-existing back injury that could be exacerbated through this action.
For more information on claiming for injuries caused by your employer’s negligence, we recommend you contact our team of advisors.
Proving Liability In Accident At Work Claims
An important part of making an accident at work claim is showing how you think your employer is liable for your injuries. One way of going about this is by collecting evidence. You can do this by yourself, or you could do it with the help of a solicitor.
Some examples of evidence that could be beneficial can include:
- CCTV footage: If your workplace has a CCTV system, you may be able to request footage of the accident to use as evidence.
- Medical records: Your medical records can help prove the extent of your injuries and can detail the treatment that you receive for them.
- Accident book logs: Workplaces with ten or more employees must have an accident book. Logging your accident in a timely manner ensures that there is a record of your accident.
- Witness contact details: When you collect the contact details of potential witnesses, this allows a professional to take their statements later.
Get in touch with our team today to find out how one of our solicitors could help you collect evidence for your claim. Or, read on to learn more about compensation for injuries caused by pallet truck accidents.
How Much Compensation Can You Claim For A Pallet Truck Accident?
How much will be awarded for a pallet truck accident claim if successful is determined by firstly gerenal damages, how severely you are injured and special damages, how much this has affected you financially.
When making a personal injury claim for accident at work compensation those valuing your general damages will use your medical records, possibly a report done by an independent medical expert and guidelines that have been provided by the Judicial College known as the JCG. The JCG lists many different types of suffering accompanied by their severities a long side compensation guidelines.
Below in the table you will see an excerpt from the JCG but please bear in mind that these are only for guidance purposes and what is awarded in a personal injury claim for a pallet truck accident is unique to the case. The first entry that you can see in the table is not part of the JCG.
JCG Examples
| Injury Type | Compensation Bracket |
|---|---|
| Multiple and very severe injuries plus financial losses such as lost income. | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Brain Damage - Moderate (i) | £183,190 to £267,340 |
| Foot Injuries - Amputation of One Foot | £102,470 to £133,810 |
| Foot Injuries - Severe | £51,220 to £85,460 |
| Toe Injuries - Severe | £16,770 to £25,710 |
| Back Injuries - Severe (iii) | £47,320 to £85,100 |
| Shoulder Injuries - Severe | £23,430 to £58,610 |
| Other Arm Injuries -Simple Fractures of the Forearm | £8,060 to £23,430 |
| Hand Injuries - Loss of the Terminal Phalanx of the Ring or Middle Fingers | £4,820 to £9,610 |
Special Damages Awarded In Pallet Truck Injury Claims
As well as general damages you could also be awarded special damages compensation. This can reimburse you for your past and future financial losses related to:
Lost earnings, work benefits or lost pension contributions
Medical costs such as prescription fees
The cost of a carer or domestic help
Vehicle or home adaptations such as a wheelchair ramp if you are left disabled.
It is important to keep any documentation, such as payslips, receipts, or invoices, that can prove these losses.
If you are not sure what can be claimed for give our advisors a quick call and through a free consultation they can evaluate your accident at work claim.
Pallet Truck Accident Claims With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
If you are eligible to claim for injuries suffered in a pallet truck accident, you may like to instruct a solicitor to work on your case. One of our accident at work solicitors could support your claim. They generally use a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) to provide their services. This is a type of No Win No Fee agreement.
When your solicitor uses this type of agreement to work on your claim, you usually won’t be asked to pay upfront or ongoing fees for their services. You also won’t be charged for their work on your case if you are not awarded compensation after an unsuccessful claim.
However, if your claim is successful, your solicitor will deduct a success fee from your compensation award. This amount is taken as a percentage that is capped by the law.
To discuss pallet truck accident claims, get in touch with one of our advisors. They can also assess your claim and if it is eligible, you could be connected to one of our solicitors. To speak to an advisor:
- Use our live webchat feature.
- Start your claim online by filling in our form.
- Call 0800 073 8804
Learn More About Workplace Accident Claims
For more helpful articles on workplace injury claims, we recommend:
- Lifeguard Accident At Work Claims
- Can I Claim Compensation For A Lifting Injury While Pregnant?
- Injured By Scrap Metal Claims
- Can I Make A Claim For Nerve Damage After An Accident At Work?
- Cleaner Injured At Work Claims
Or, for more helpful resources:
- NHS – How do I know if I’ve broken a bone?
- GOV – SSP (Statutory Sick Pay)
- HSE – Workers’ Health and Safety
For more information on pallet truck accidents and when you could claim, contact our team today.
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