LIFTING INJURY AT WORK CLAIMS 

If you have suffered an injury whilst lifting at work, we may be able to help you claim compensation. If the accident happened in the last three years and it was not your fault, talk to us.

Many jobs require heavy lifting such as; 

Delivery drivers, garden centre workers,  removal men, warehouse operators, production operatives, stockroom assistants, care workers, and funeral operatives. 

Some occupations may require frequent lifting whilst others may require lifting on more of an ad hoc basis. If your occupation involves lifting, your employer is legally obliged to ensure that you receive training to work safely such as receiving manual handling training to ensure that you carry out your job safely and providing machinery or other assistance to lift heavy items. 

LIFTING INJURIES 

You may suffer injuries if your job requires you to lift a heavy object but you don’t receive adequate training, or you are required to lift heavy items which require additional persons or machinery to assist you and you are not given the aid you need. You may receive injuries such as a;

• Hernia from lifting heavy items 
• Neck injury from movement 
• Back injury from lifting and carrying 

According to the Health and Safety Executive “Manual handling causes over a third of all workplace injuries. These include work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as pain and injuries to arms, legs and joints, and repetitive strain injuries of various sorts.”

LIFTING INJURY AT WORK CLAIMS 

The first rule of heavy lifting is that if there is a potential risk involved with lifting a certain item then completing that task should be avoided if possible or machinery should be used. If it is not possible to avoid the task or use machinery then the risk should be minimised as much as possible.  

There is a specific assessment that each worker should complete in their heads or with others when they encounter a task that could incur an injury. This assessment is:  

• What is the task at hand? 
• How heavy is the load I am attempting to lift? 
• What is the working environment like, is it safe? Is it obstructed? 
• Is my individual capability up to lifting this item or completing this task? 
• Are there any other factors that I should consider? 

Your employer should inform you about when and how to make this risk assessment as well as other relevant training to your job role. You should be allowed to use equipment and be informed on how to use it, such as lift trucks or trolleys.  

AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION IN A LIFTING INJURY AT WORK CLAIM 

All personal injury cases are unique and so the amount of compensation that is awarded in each case is also unique. The amount of compensation that is awarded falls into two distinct factors – general damages and special damages. 

GENERAL DAMAGES 

The pain and suffering that your injuries have caused is the main factor that is used to determine how much compensation you are owed. This will usually be determined by undergoing a medical examination, from which a report is created that outlines the length of time the injuries will take to heal as well as their severity. 

Our compensation calculator gives an indication of how much you might be entitled to based on your injuries. 

SPECIAL DAMAGES 

However, compensation also takes into account any financial losses that you might have suffered as a result of your injuries, such as a loss of earnings due to being unable to return to work. If you have had to pay for treatment or travel to treatment, compensation may also be able to cover this as well. Therefore, you should keep any receipts or other documents that help to outline the extent of your financial losses, as caused by your accident/injuries. 

MAKING A LIFTING INJURY AT WORK CLAIM 

If you have suffered an accident at work and believe you could have a claim then it is advisable to get in touch with a qualified personal injury lawyer. 

Your claim will assess the level of pain and suffering you have experienced. If you have experienced any financial loss through being unable to work this will be factored into your claim. In addition, if you have had to pay for medical expenses, you may also be able to recover these in your claim. 

To learn more and to discuss your potential claim in confidence, contact our team on 0333 358 3034. Alternatively, complete our online contact form to arrange an initial no-obligation telephone consultation with a member of our expert team.