The manufacturing industry can be a hazardous, high-risk environment, no more so than in factories, with people working alongside machinery, heavy equipment, moving objects, and sometimes chemicals.

Your employer has a legal duty of care to keep you safe while you’re at work. If you’ve suffered an injury in a factory through no fault of your own, our specialist accident at work no win no fee solicitors can help you claim compensation.

When can I make a factory accident claim?

You can make a claim if you were injured while working in a factory and the accident was caused by someone else’s negligence.

In most cases, you have up to three years from the date of your accident, or from when you became aware of your injuries, to start your claim.

To receive compensation, it must be proven that your employer’s negligence in providing a safe working environment caused the accident that led to your injuries.

Your rights to claim compensation are the same whether you are employed, self-employed or on a zero-hours contract. The law also covers agency workers and even visitors.

Our specialist solicitors have over two decades of successfully representing people who have been injured in a factory through no fault of their own. If you have been injured, contact us today to learn about your legal rights to compensation.

Who is responsible for my safety if I work in a factory?

Your employer is legally responsible for your safety while working in a factory. To keep you safe, your employer must comply with several health and safety regulations.

As part of your employer’s duty of care, they should, where applicable:

• Provide training on how to do your job safely, including health and safety training.
• Carry out regular risk assessments and eliminate identified hazards wherever possible.
• When required, provide protective clothing or equipment.
• Ensure all equipment is adequately maintained and repaired when needed.
• Keep the workplace clean, tidy and organised, especially after spillages.
• Display appropriate hazard warning signs when necessary.

If your employer hasn’t met the legally required level of duty of care, and you have been injured as a result, you may have a legal right to claim compensation for their negligence.

What are the most common types of factory accident claims?

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), there were an average of 55,000 non-fatal injuries in the manufacturing industry between 2022 and 2025.

The most common causes of injuries in factories include:

• Workplace slips, trips and falls, including falls from height
• Manual handling injuries, including injuries caused by lifting.
• Injuries from workers being hit by falling objects, including crush injuries
• Injuries caused by factory machinery, including those caused by poorly maintained or defective machinery.
• Injuries caused by forklift trucks and other factory vehicles, such as pallet trucks and cranes.
• Injuries caused during the processing of goods, such as defective conveyor belts, compactors, and loading onto delivery trucks and vans.
• Chemical burns and scalding.

How much compensation can I claim for a factory accident?

The amount of compensation you may receive for a factory accident depends on how severe your injuries are and how they affect your daily life.

There is no average compensation amount for factory injury claims, and compensation amounts can vary from £2,000 for relatively minor injuries to £200,000 or more for serious and life-changing injuries.

Compensation is awarded based on the level of pain and suffering you may have experienced, loss of income and any expenses, including medical expenses, you may have incurred.

As the circumstances of each claim is unique, we recommend speaking with our specialist accident at work solicitors to find out how much you may be able to claim.

Once we have a few details about what happened, we can assess your situation and explain your legal rights, including the amount of compensation you may be entitled to.

What is the time limit to make a compensation claim for an accident in a factory?

In most claims resulting from accidents while working in a factory, you will have three years from the date of the accident or the date you became aware of your injuries. For the latter, your injuries will need to be diagnosed by a medical professional.

The three-year period is set by the Limitation Act 1980. However, there are exceptions. These include:

The person injured lacks the mental capacity to claim

The timeframe for claiming is extended until the person can claim. If this is not possible, a trusted family member may claim on their behalf.

The injured person was a child

The time limit for minors to claim is paused if the injured person was under the age of 18 at the time of the accident. They will have up to three years after their 18th birthday to start their claim. Alternatively, a parent or legal guardian can claim on their behalf within the same period.

The accident proved fatal

In these extremely unfortunate circumstances, the three-year time limit starts from the date of death rather than the date of the accident.

No win no fee factory accident claims

We are able to offer our legal services for factory accident claims on a no win no fee basis.

Often known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), no win no fee provides reassurance to those who have suffered an injury that they will be at no financial risk when making a claim.

As part of our no win no fee agreements, clients are protected from any upfront legal costs or hidden charges and can focus on recovering from their injuries without the stress of any financial risk.

A fee, sometimes known as a success fee, will only be paid once your claim is successfully settled. The amount is usually a small percentage of the total compensation amount. We will agree on this before legal proceedings begin. This payment is to compensate your solicitor for their time and work put into assisting with your case.

In some cases, we recommend taking out an After The Event (ATE) insurance policy. This protects you in the rare instance that the claim is unsuccessful. An ATE policy means you have no upfront costs and nothing to pay if you lose the case.

Beacon Law provides complete transparency with how we charge our clients. All fees and costs will be explained at the beginning of the claim process.

How much does it cost to make a no win no fee claim for an accident in a factory?

Our no win no fee legal services for claims after an accident on a construction site mean you will not have any upfront costs and will not pay a penny if your claim is unsuccessful.

If your claim is successful, the person you are claiming against will usually pay the majority of the legal costs, and you will only have to pay the agreed fee at the beginning of the claim process. Typically, this fee is less than 25% of the compensation you may receive, and is to compensate your solicitor for their time and work put into assisting with your case.

Additionally, if you are a member of a trade union, you may be able to receive free legal advice and representation as part of your membership.

What do I need to prove when claiming compensation for a factory accident?

To successfully claim compensation following a factory accident, you must prove that your employer’s negligence caused your injuries.

With the help of our solicitors, we will need to show that your injuries were caused by your employer’s breach of their duty of care to you and that you have evidence to support your claim.

Our solicitors may ask for the following information when you contact us.

• A copy of the accident report that was filed in your company’s accident report book.
• Witness statements from colleagues or anyone who saw the accident and is happy to provide a statement.
• If available, photographs or video of the accident scene, including CCTV footage.
• Any information, such as workplace safety records or evidence that risk assessments were not conducted or that maintenance of equipment was not carried out to the legal requirements
• Investigate if there have been any similar accidents or complaints that may be relevant to your accident.
• Medical records from your GP or hospital, you may have visited after the accident, including any treatment you may have received or are currently receiving.
• Records of any financial losses incurred because of your accident.

Do not worry if you do not have all of this information. Our solicitors can help compile this information on your behalf, which will help to build the most comprehensive case possible to support your claim for compensation.

How long does it take for a factory accident claim to settle?

The time frame for a factory accident claim will vary depending on the complexity of the case.

Straightforward claims, where liability is clear, may settle within 6–9 months, while more complex cases can take longer.

As a general guide, the length of the process depends first on how easily liability can be established, and then on how quickly both parties can agree on a fair and accurate level of compensation.

Who pays the compensation in a factory accident claim?

In most cases, the employer’s liability insurance pays the compensation awarded to an employee if they have successfully proved their employer was negligent in their duty of care.

During the claim process, negotiations are often conducted between the insurance company and the injured party’s solicitors.