To be able to make a claim following a crane accident at work, you must meet certain criteria. Firstly, the accident must have been caused by your employer breaching the duty of care they owed you. Additionally, you must have suffered an injury in the accident.
This guide will explain the duty of care all employers owe their employees. We will also explain how long you will have to begin your claim and the evidence you could use to help support your chances of your claim being successful. Furthermore, we will share examples of compensation guidelines for various types of injuries.
You can also contact one of our friendly advisors today if you have any questions regarding your potential claim. Our team is available to help you 24/7. They could also provide you with free legal advice.
To discuss your potential claim with an advisor today, you can:
- Call the number provided at the top of this page.
- Use our live chat to talk to an advisor in real-time.
- Or you can contact us online.
Crane accident claims guide
When Can I Claim For A Crane Accident At Work?
You might be eligible to make a claim if you have been injured in a crane accident at work. However, you must prove that your employer caused the accident you were injured in due to breaching their duty of care. When a breach of duty of care causes injury, this is known as negligence.
According to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, your employer owes you a duty of care. They must ensure that they are taking reasonable steps to keep you safe.
Additionally, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 states the duties of those who own or have control over lifting equipment, such as cranes. For example, it states the need to have equipment involved in lifting operations checked and maintained.
If your employer did breach this duty of care, this could result in you being injured in a workplace accident, you could make a claim. Contact one of our advisors today to see whether your case is valid.
How Could A Crane Accident At Work Happen?
There are various ways that you could be injured in a crane accident at work. Some examples include:
- If your employer were to instruct you to move objects that are too heavy for the crane’s specifications, this could result in the crane collapsing, and you could suffer a neck injury.
- Due to your employer not regularly maintaining workplace machinery, the crane could malfunction, and you could suffer a crush injury.
- If an object was not properly secured to a crane, this could cause it to fall from a height and hit you, causing you to suffer a head injury.
No matter what injury you suffered, to be able to make a claim, you must prove that your employer was responsible for the accident because they breached their duty of care.
Contact our advisors today if you have any additional questions about making a personal injury claim.
Is There A Time Limit To Claim Compensation For An Injury At Work?
As well as ensuring that you meet the criteria for pursuing a claim, you must ensure that proceedings begin within the time limit that is stated within the Limitation Act 1980. This is 3 years from the date that negligence occurred.
However, some exceptions could be made to this 3-year time limit in certain circumstances. This applies to claims being made involving children or those who lack the mental capacity to claim for themself.
Contact one of our advisors today to see whether you have enough time to start your claim if you have been injured in a crane accident at work. They could also provide you with further information about the time limitation exceptions stated above.
What Amount Of Accident At Work Compensation Could I Receive?
If you have been injured in a crane accident, general damages could compensate you for the pain and suffering you have experienced due to your injury.
Many legal professionals, including solicitors, will use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help them calculate the value of various injuries alongside other documents, such as the results of a medical assessment. The JCG is a document that contains compensation guidelines for different injuries at varying levels of severity.
Below, we have produced a table using the amounts stated in the most recent edition of the JCG, published in April 2022. However, it is important to remember that the various factors of your claim could affect the amount you receive. Therefore, they may differ from the figures listed below.
Compensation Guidelines
| Injury | Severity | Notes | Compensation Guidelines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain Damage | Very Severe | Despite maybe being able to follow simple commands, the person will show little response to their environment that is meaningful. | £282,010 to £403,990 |
| Brain Damage | Moderately Severe | The person will depend on constant care from others due to being seriously disabled. They may suffer with an intellectual impairment and limb paralysis. | £219,070 to £282,010 |
| Back | Severe (i) | Severe damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots leading to issues such as severe pain and incomplete paralysis. | £91,090 tp £160,980 |
| Back | Severe (iii) | Soft tissue injuries or disc lesions/fractures that lead to chronic conditions and disabilities. | £38,780 to £69,730 |
| Neck | Severe (ii) | Serious fractures or damage to the discs in the cervical spine that result in disabilities of a considerable severity. | £65,740 to £130,930 |
| Neck | Moderate (i) | Severe immediate symptoms due to fractures or dislocations that may also require spinal fusion. | £24,990 to £38,490 |
| Arm Amputations | Loss of One Arm (iii) | One arm is amputated below the elbow. | £96,160 to £109,650 |
| Arm | (d) | Simple forearm fractures. | £6,610 to £39,170 |
| Shoulder | Severe | Involving damage to the brachial plexus and is usually associated with neck injuries. It will result in a significant disability. | £19,200 to £48,030 |
| Shoulder | Fracture of Clavicle | How much is awarded will be affected by the level of disability, the extent of the fracture and other factors. | £5,150 to £12,240 |
Special Damages In Construction Injury Claims
Special damages are another potential head of claim that could compensate you for the past and future financial losses incurred due to your injury. Some examples of the losses you could claim under special damages include:
- The cost of home adaptations.
- Medical expenses, such as the cost of prescriptions.
- A loss of earnings.
- Travel expenses, such as paying for taxis to medical appointments.
However, to successfully claim special damages, you will need to provide evidence regarding these losses. Receipts, bank statements, invoices, and payslips could all be used as evidence in your claim.
Contact our advisors if you have any questions about calculating compensation for a workplace accident claim. They could also provide you with free legal advice if you have been injured in a crane accident at work.
Evidence That Could Be Used In Construction Accident Claims
Providing the correct and sufficient amount of evidence could help support your personal injury claim. It could help with proving how the accident happened, who was liable for it, and the type of injury you suffered. Some examples of the evidence you could use to support your claim include:
- Any CCTV footage or other videos of the crane accident.
- A completed report in the accident book (if your workplace has one).
- The contact information of any eyewitnesses to the accident.
- Medical evidence about the type of injury you suffered, such as a copy of your medical records.
Contact our advisors if you have any further questions about the evidence you will need to claim for an injury in the workplace.
Make A No Win No Fee Accident Claim Using Our Panel Of Solicitors
One of our advisors could inform you whether you could make a claim if you have been injured in a crane accident. They could connect you with a solicitor from our panel if they believe you may be able to make a claim.
Our panel of accident at work solicitors have experience handling various claims for workplace accidents. They could also represent you on a No Win No Fee basis by offering you a Conditional Fee Agreement.
When claiming with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel, you generally will not be expected to pay them anything upfront for their legal services. This also includes any going fees. Furthermore, if your claim fails, you will not be obligated to pay them for their services. However, you will have to pay them a success fee if you’re awarded compensation. This success fee will be a legally capped percentage deducted from your compensation settlement.
Contact our friendly advisors today to discuss your potential claim and receive free legal advice. They are available 24/7 to help you and answer any questions you may have about starting a personal injury claim.
To discuss your potential claim with an advisor today, you can:
- Call the number provided at the top of this page.
- Use our live chat to talk to an advisor in real-time.
- Contact us online.
Learn More About Crane Accident Claims
Additional articles about workplace accident claims can be found below:
- How to claim for an injury at work while self employed.
- I had an accident at work but didn’t report it – can I still claim?
- How to find fatal accident solicitors?
Further information and resources:
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – Health and Safety Statistics.
- UK Gov. – Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
- NHS – First aid.
Contact our advisors today if you have any further questions about making a claim after you have been injured in a crane accident at work.
Writer Megan Rogers
Publisher Fern Summers
