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Could I Sue Amazon In The UK?

Could I Sue Amazon In The UK Guide

Could I sue Amazon in the UK? A guide

Every employer in the UK has a responsibility to protect the health and safety of their staff. If there are reasonably practical actions they can take to protect their staff’s safety, they have a responsibility under work safety legislation to take them.

If you as an employee were injured, because of unsafe working conditions, then you could be eligible to make a personal injury claim. This is a guide to making accident at work claims. We’ll look to answer the question, “in what potential circumstances could I sue Amazon in the UK?”.  

This guide will inform you about what you need to know when making a personal injury claim and show you what will be important to building a successful case. It will explain the time limits involved and factors that can help you. We’ll also explain to you how to get in touch with a personal injury solicitor to represent you. 

You can also speak to one of our advisers directly. They offer free legal advice and can discuss your claim with you. You can speak to them now by 

Select A Section 

  1. Types Of Workplace Accidents 
  2. Does Amazon In The UK Owe A Duty Of Care? 
  3. What Evidence Do You Need To Support A Claim? 
  4. Is There A Time Limit To Sue Amazon In The UK? 
  5. How Much Compensation Could I Claim In The UK 
  6. Find Out If You Could Sue Amazon In The UK 

Types Of Workplace Accidents 

Employees are protected by workers’ health and safety legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). Under these pieces of legislation, employers have a responsibility to make sure that any work they assign, and any environment they ask an employee to work in, had been made as safe as is reasonably practical. 

If an employer does not take necessary actions to safeguard employees, then they can be found liable for an injury caused by this negligence. In the case of warehouse accidents for example, an employer could be found liable for an injury if they failed to: 

  • Perform a risk assessment: Risk assessments are a requirement under HASAWA. These are risk assessments on the environment, the work tasks and any provided equipment. An employee, for example, could be injured by defective equipment because of a lack of safety checks. 
  • Provide training: Employers have a responsibility to make sure that employees are suitably trained before they are assigned to tasks that could pose a risk to their health. An employee, for example, could cause an injury to themselves or their colleagues, if they are operating a forklift they are not suitably qualified to operate. 
  • Provide safe equipment: Any necessary safety equipment should be provided and in working order. Hard hats, for example, can be a requirement in warehouses. 
  • Address safety hazards: Any safety concerns presented to an employer should be addressed. Examples are concerns about a colleague’s aggressive behaviour or the safety of provided equipment. 

These are examples of actions employers are expected to take to provide a safe working environment. If you suffered an injury because of a lack of similar actions, and you have evidence to clearly demonstrate this, then please speak to an adviser. They can answer questions such as “can I sue Amazon in the UK?”.  

Does Amazon In The UK Owe A Duty Of Care? 

Every employer owes a duty of care to their employees. This means that employers have a responsibility to take any necessary, practical and required actions that can help ensure the health and safety of their employees while they are at work. 

Failing to sufficiently carry out this responsibility, is seen as negligence and a breach of their duty of care. 

If an employer is negligent in this duty, and an employee suffers an injury as a result, then the employee can be eligible to make a personal injury claim. 

Please speak to one of our advisers for information on when it might be appropriate to sue Amazon in the UK. 

What Evidence Do You Need To Support A Claim? 

You may be wondering, “if someone were to sue Amazon in the UK, what evidence could be used to support the claim?”. You can provide evidence on the cause of the accident and evidence showing how you were injured.

For the cause of the injury, you can collect evidence such as: 

  • CCTV (or similar recordings): You can collect recordings of your accident, or the hazard that caused your injury 
  • Work documents: Documents that could show your employer was not fulfilling health and safety requirements (e.g. providing necessary personal protective equipment) 
  • Witnesses: You can collect the contact details of witnesses to your accident who can provide statements at a later date

For evidence of the injury, you can collect: 

  • Medical reports of your injury: The treatment you receive and medical records from your GP can act as evidence. You might also be invited to an independent medical assessment, the report from which can be used to support your claim. 
  • Records of financial losses: You should maintain evidence of any financial losses caused by your injury. This can include receipts for costs you’ve spent towards treatment or payslips showing a loss of income. 

A personal injury solicitor can help advise you on the evidence you would need specifically in your claim. Get in touch with an advisor today to see if you could be connected with a solicitor. 

Is There A Time Limit To Sue Amazon In The UK? 

There is a time limit to making a personal injury claim for negligence. As per the Limitation Act 1980, your time limit will either be three years from the date of your accident, or three years from the date you learned about your injury.  

There are exceptions to the time limit, such as: 

  • If you were under the age of 18; in which case, your time limit will begin from the date of your 18th birthday. While you’re underage, a litigation friend can claim for you and no time limit applies. 
  • If you were lacking mental capacity during this period; a litigation friend can claim on your behalf at any point. While you lack the mental capacity, no time limit applies to starting the claim. 

You could potentially be able to sue Amazon in the UK if they were to breach their duty of care and you had clear evidence that this directly led to your injuries. Speak with an advisor for more information. 

How Much Compensation Could I Claim In The UK 

If someone were to sue Amazon in the UK, what could their settlement consist of? Compensation in personal injury claims can be made up of two heads of claim. 

The first head of claim is general damages. This is the amount of compensation you are awarded for the injury you had suffered, and the pain and distress it has caused you.  

While the figures in the table below will not be an exact reflection of what you are awarded, we have included a selection of injuries and their general damage awards to illustrate this type of damages. The figures in the table come from the Judicial College Guidelines, which is a publication that legal professionals use to help them value claims. 

Edit
Injury Notes Award
Severe Back Injury (iii) Continuing pain from a fracture or soft tissue injury £38,780 to £69,730
Moderate Back Injury (ii) Continuing back pain from a muscle injury £12,510 to £27,760
Serious Shoulder Injury A dislocated shoulder causing pain and restricted shoulder movement £12,770 to £19,200
Moderate Shoulder Injury A frozen shoulder with limited movement persisting for 2 years £7,890 to £12,770
Hand Injuries: (e) Serious injuries that greatly diminish a hand’s function £29,000 to £61,910
Hand Injuries: (f) Serious finger fractures Up to £36,740
Severe Leg Injuries: (iii) Open fractures with a lengthy recovery period £39,200 to £54,830
Severe Leg Injuries: (iv) Complicated fractures with future risks of complications £27,760 to £39,200
Serious Achilles Tendon Injuries A ruptured tendon leaving remaining effects £24,990 to £30,090
Moderate Achilles Tendon Injuries A partial rupture of the tendon £12,590 to £21,070

 

The second head of claim is special damages. This is the amount of compensation you would seek for the financial losses caused by your injury.  

This can cover: 

  • Loss of earnings 
  • Costs towards treatment 
  • Adaptations you need to cope with your injury 

It is important to know as much as you can about the injury, as you cannot go back and claim again if something was missed from your case the first time. For this reason, you might want to work with a No Win No Fee lawyer. 

Our advisers can value your claim and give you an estimate of the compensation you could be awarded if you had a valid case,

Find Out If You Could Sue Amazon In The UK 

Please reach out to one of our advisers if you are looking for information about making a claim. 

Our advisers can: 

  • Value your claim 
  • Offer you advice on collecting evidence
  • Connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel

Our solicitors handle accident at work claims on a No Win No Fee basis. This means their payment is dependent on the success of your claim.

You will not have to pay an upfront fee and you will not have to make any ongoing payments. Their payment only comes as a success fee, which has a legal cap in place and can only come as a percentage of your compensation. If you are not awarded compensation, you do not have to make this payment. 

To see how a No Win No Fee solicitor can help you, please speak to one of our advisers by 

Learn More About How To Sue Amazon In The UK For An Injury 

Other resources you might find useful include: 

Thank you for reading our guide to when it could be appropriate to sue Amazon in the UK for an injury. Other guides we offer include: 

Claiming Compensation As An Agency Worker

Claims For Suffering Stress At Work

Manual Handling Injury Claims

Written by Charles

Edited by Stocks