Manual handling injuries are common in workplaces. If you’ve suffered one, you could make a claim for compensation.
Manual handling in the workplace is not usually a dangerous task, but there are times when it doesn’t go according to plan – and people can get hurt.
In fact, the Health and Safety Executive reported that in 2020, 19% of all non-fatal injuries in the workplace were caused by handling, lifting or carrying accidents.
This could be a pure accident – such as a misstep while carrying something – or it could be the result of someone’s negligence. And if this is the case, you could be able to make a manual handling injury claim.
Negligence can come in many forms. This means you may not realise right away that you may be entitled to compensation. The First4Lawyers team is here to help you work out whether you could be able to make a claim after this type of injury at work.
It is your employer’s duty to do all they can to keep you and your colleagues safe. If they don’t, and you are injured while lifting or carrying a load, they could be held responsible. You’ll need to show that they were negligent to do so.
Your employer’s negligence may have been responsible for your injury if:
According to the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, your employer should avoid the need for employees to carry out manual handling that involves a risk of injury.
If this isn’t possible and manual handling is necessary, they should carry out a risk assessment and take the necessary steps to reduce the risk of injury to anyone involved in the task.
But you and your colleagues also have a role to play in avoiding manual handling injuries. You should ensure you are following the safety guidelines set out by your employer and reporting any dangerous practices you see.
To keep yourself as safe as possible, you should be aware of the sorts of negligence that could cause an injury – but more importantly, you should know how to avoid this.
There are some things you should ask yourself before manually lifting an object to give yourself the best chance of avoiding an accident. These include:
Manual handling comes with risks. It is more likely to cause certain injuries.
Some of the most common types of injury when lifting and carrying heavy loads include:
If you suffered any of these types of manual handling injuries through work, you could be able to make a compensation claim.
It’s not just large and heavy loads that you need to worry about. As part of your job, you may have to lift small loads regularly. Over time, this can lead to certain injuries.
Lifting small loads over a period of time can cause injuries like repetitive strain injury (RSI).
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work explains that the “gradual and cumulative deterioration of the musculoskeletal system” can lead to health conditions, such as lower back pain.
If your injury – whether it was caused over a long period or came on suddenly – was caused by your job, you could be able to make a claim for compensation.
First4Lawyers works with expert No Win No Fee solicitors. This means if they think you have a strong claim, they will represent you on a No Win No Fee basis.
This kind of funding arrangement means that there is no fee to pay if your claim is unsuccessful – just as the name suggests. This means there is no risk involved in making a claim.
There is also nothing to pay upfront. All costs are settled at the end of the claim – and only if you are awarded compensation. Instead of worrying about how you’ll pay your solicitor at the start of a claim, you can focus your energy on your recovery.
Only pay a fee if you receive compensation
Our No Win No Fee solicitors will take a success fee from the compensation you are awarded for a successful claim in the form of a percentage of your damages. This could be up to 25% but it won't be more than that, except in cases of road traffic accidents. Changing laws mean our solicitors will now take a payment of 30% of the final compensation amount plus VAT for all road traffic accident claims.
First4Lawyers are an award-winning claims management company with a track record of delivering service that our clients love.
Manual handling injuries come in many different forms. This makes it difficult to say exactly what you might be entitled to without a conversation about what happened to you.
Our compensation calculator could give you a rough idea of what you could be awarded for your injury. It depends on your specific injury and how long your recover is expected to take.
But that’s not the only compensation you could claim. You’re also entitled to compensation for any financial losses your injury caused you to experience.
This includes a loss of earnings if you can’t work and then don’t get paid. It can also cover medical expenses, like medication or physiotherapy.
Your solicitor will be able to let you know what they think you could be entitled to. And they will work hard to get you what you deserve.
Simply fill in our form below and we’ll call you back at a time to suit you.
You’ll usually have three years to make a claim for a manual handling injury suffered at work. It’s important not to delay your claim because there are very few reasons why a claim would be accepted after three years.
The sooner you begin your claim, the clearer your memory of the accident will likely be. The same will be true for any witnesses.
You might also find it easier to access certain pieces of evidence when you start a claim quickly. This could include CCTV footage of your accident, or copies of your workplace’s accident book.
So if you think you have a claim, the best thing to do is speak to an expert to find out.
If you’ve lost out on earnings after being injured, you could find yourself under financial pressure. A compensation claim could help to take some of this stress away.
You’re entitled to compensation if you’re hurt through someone else’s negligence. It is your legal right to make a claim for it.
Don’t forget that by making a claim, you could help the same accident happening to a colleague. This is because it draws your employer’s attention to what went wrong. And that can help them fix the problem.
And although we understand how intimidating it can be to claim against your employer, you have legal protection. Your employer can’t sack you for making a claim against them. If they do, you could claim unfair dismissal against them.
First4Lawyers is here for you during this stressful time. For a no obligation chat about your options, just give us a call or start your claim online.
You have the right to make a personal injury claim after an accident at work. You are entitled to be treated fairly by your employer throughout that process.
You also have the right to Statutory Sick Pay if you earn at least £1 per week before tax and are off sick for four or more days in a row.
If you have been injured in an accident at work, you should ensure you do the following:
No, your employer is not legally allowed to end your employment just because you made a claim. Under Health and Safety Executive guidance, your employer is obliged to provide a safe working environment for you, where any risks to employee safety are properly controlled. When your employer fails in its duty of care and an accident occurs, you are entitled to seek compensation.
If you are dismissed after making an accident at work compensation claim, you could also have a claim for unfair dismissal.
After an accident at work, you will likely want to keep your losses to a minimum. This will mean you’ll probably want to get back to work as soon as possible. But you should not feel pressured. Your employer cannot legally force you to return to work before you are ready – physically or psychologically.
If you successfully claim for injury because of an accident at work, your employer’s insurance company should cover the costs of the compensation. Employers are legally obliged to have this form of insurance, and you can find out which insurance company they use by asking to see the insurance certificate all employers must display by law.
An accident at work can be caused by a variety of circumstances. The injury could result from actions taken by another employee or your employer, unsafe work environments, or a lack of protective clothing or training.
You may also decide to claim compensation if an incident in the workplace has caused a psychological illness – such as severe and avoidable stress or even PTSD – or if you have contracted an industrial disease associated with your role.
If your injury was caused by an accident in your workplace, you may be able to claim compensation.
Reporting an accident at work can help not only you, but your colleagues and anyone else who may visit your workplace. By making your employer aware of what happened, you can help them realise that something has not gone according to plan. They can use this knowledge to help correct the situation, ensuring that it won’t happen to anyone else.
You may also be required to prove that you reported your accident to your employer when making a claim for compensation. If you can do so, it can make the process far more straightforward.
Yes, most of our accident at work claims can be made on a no win no fee basis. This means there is nothing to pay upfront. It also means that if your claim is not successful, there is nothing to pay, eliminating any risk to you.
If this is not possible in your situation, we will talk you through your options so you can work out what the best course of action is.
The length of time it takes to conclude an accident at work claim depends on your situation. The circumstances of your accident, how severe your injury is and how much it has affected your daily life will all have an impact on how long your claim takes.
Your employer will also affect the timeline. If they accept liability, your claim will be settled quicker than if they deny it.
How long it takes your solicitor to negotiate an appropriate compensation amount will also depend on your employer and their insurer and what they are willing to offer.
Your solicitor will let you know how long they think your claim will take.