Working in a warehouse can be dangerous, and warehouse accident claims can be quite common due to the unsafe nature of the workplace. An accident in a warehouse has the potential to lead to some very serious injuries and financial consequences as a result. Beacon Law is a specialist personal injury law firm with a team of experienced solicitors who are ready to assist with warehouse injury claims.

If you have been injured in a warehouse accident due to someone else’s negligence, then you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Our team of personal injury lawyers are highly experienced in this area of the law and can assist you in claiming the compensation you deserve for your injuries. 

Common types of warehouse accidents

Warehouse accidents can vary widely can vary depending on the nature of the work and the industry. However, some common types of warehouse accidents that lead to claims include:

1. Slips, Trips, and Falls: Warehouse floors often become slippery due to spills, leaks, or inadequate maintenance. Tripping over obstacles or uneven surfaces can also occur, leading to injuries such as sprains, strains, fractures, or head trauma.
2. Forklift Accidents: Forklift trucks are essential for moving heavy loads in warehouses, but they also pose significant risks. Accidents involving forklifts can result from collisions with other vehicles or stationary objects, improper loading or unloading procedures, or operator error, leading to serious injuries or fatalities.
3. Falling Objects: In busy warehouses, items stacked on high shelves or improperly secured loads can fall onto workers below, causing head injuries, concussions, fractures, or even fatalities.
4. Manual Handling Injuries: Lifting, carrying, or moving heavy objects manually can strain muscles, joints, and ligaments, leading to injuries such as back sprains, herniated discs, or repetitive strain injuries (RSIs).
5. Machinery Accidents: Warehouse machinery such as conveyors, palletisers, or packaging equipment can pose hazards if not properly maintained or operated. Accidents involving machinery can result in crushed limbs, amputations, or severe lacerations.
6. Exposure to Hazardous Materials: Warehouses often store and handle hazardous materials such as chemicals, gases, or flammable substances. Exposure to these materials can cause chemical burns, respiratory problems, or long-term health issues.
7. Electrical Accidents: Faulty wiring, overloaded circuits, or damaged electrical equipment can lead to electrocution or electrical burns for warehouse workers.
8. Improper Training and Supervision: Inadequate training on equipment operation, safety protocols, or emergency procedures can contribute to accidents in warehouses, leading to liability claims against employers for negligence.

Employers’ responsibilities

The workplace should be a safe environment where employees feel safe. Your employer has a duty of care under the ‘Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974′. To prevent injury at work and ensure all employees are safe in the workplace. 

Additionally, the Workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations (1992) and ‘The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 impose a duty on your employer to ensure that the work environment is always clean and maintained to a high safety standard. Employers should regularly carry out risk assessments and inspections of the working area to maintain employee safety.

If an accident at work occurs, then your employer has a responsibility to report it to the Health and Safety Executive in some circumstances. If your employer has breached their duty of care, you could be eligible to make against them.

What should I do following a warehouse accident?

If you have been involved in an accident during your employment in a warehouse, there are a number of steps which you take do after the accident.

• You should report the accident to the warehouse manager or a supervisor as soon as possible, providing all the details of the accident. You should ensure that the details are recorded in an accident book, make sure all the details are correct, and request a copy of the accident report, if possible.

• Take photographs of the scene of the accident if possible, including the object/defect which caused your accident, whether it was a defective machine, or something on the ground causing you to trip or fall.
• Record the names and contact details of anyone who was in the area and may have witnessed the accident.
• Seek medical attention for your injuries at hospital or with your G.P. as soon as possible.
• Keep receipts for any expenses incurred as a direct result of the accident.
• Contact Beacon Law to start your claim, or to have a free, no obligation, initial conversation with one of our specialist solicitors.

What is the claims process of making a warehouse injury claim?

During your initial consultation, our specialist solicitors will provide you with legal advice about warehouse injury claims and will inform you about the relevant limitation rules.

Our personal injury lawyers will then ask you for details about your accident and the initial injuries that were suffered as a result. This will help our injury lawyers to assess the likelihood of your claim being successful.

During these initial stages of your claim for compensation, it is vital that you gather the relevant evidence to support your claim. Relevant evidence may include CCTV footage of the incident, medical records, accident books, photographs of your injuries, and witness statements.

Your personal injury solicitor may also ask that you undergo an official medical examination in order to receive medical reports about the injuries that you have sustained. These medical reports will provide vital medical evidence of the nature and extent of your injuries. Even if you have received other medical care prior to starting your workplace accident claim, a more thorough medical assessment may still be needed to produce detailed, accurate, and reliable medical reports.

If we think that your warehouse injury claim would be likely to succeed, we will offer a no win, no fee basis; if your claim is unsuccessful, you will not be required to pay any legal fees.

How much compensation could you receive?

The amount of compensation awarded will aim to put the claimant in the position they were in before the accident that resulted in their injuries took place. The amount of compensation awarded will depend on the pain and suffering caused by the injury, as well as the severity.

General damages that could be awarded will also depend on the impact that the injuries have had on the claimant’s daily life, whether any long term care is needed, and whether any structural adaptations need to be made to the claimant’s home in order to assist their new way of living.

Special damages will also be awarded to compensate for any further financial loss that the claimant has suffered as a result of their original injury. This could include compensation for a loss of earnings due to the time spent off work, loss of future earnings if the claimant has been left unable to work, the cost of medical treatment, travel costs, and the cost of ongoing care if this is needed.

We advise that you keep evidence of all financial losses suffered as a result of your injuries. This could include receipts and invoices from medical treatment and evidence of any loss of earnings.

What are the time limits for warehouse injury claims?

Before starting your claim for compensation, it is important to note that there are strict time limits on personal injury claims. From the date of the accident that caused the injuries, the injured party will have 3 years to commence proceedings for claiming compensation.

It must be noted, however, that there are some exceptions to this rule:

For example, if the claimant was under the age of 18 at the time of the incident, they have until their 21^st birthday to make their workplace compensation claim. In the meantime, provided that the claimant is still under the age of 18, a litigation friend such as a parent, guardian, or close family member could claim compensation on their behalf.

Another exception to the 3 year time limit occurs when the claimant who has suffered an injury does not have the mental capacity to begin their accident at work claim. Rather than being limited to making a claim within 3 years from the date of the incident, the claimant is entitled to begin their compensation claim at any moment in time once they regain the mental capacity to do so.

How can Beacon Law assist?

Beacon Law are a law firm of specialist personal injury solicitors. We have helped many of our clients claim compensation for warehouse accidents, enabling them to move on with their new way of life.

Please call us on 0330 1332 857, and we will be happy to assist you with your query.

Beacon Law are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. To find out about our no win, no fee funding options, have a look at the funding section on our website.