A Guide To Factory Accident Claims

By Jo Anderson. Last Updated 11th March 2024. When you go to work, the last thing you want or expect is to suffer an injury. However, in workplaces like factories, we’re exposed to risks that our employers should protect us against. Below, we take a look at factory accident claims in detail.

We consider the criteria for making a claim, what evidence to gather to prove your employer was at fault, and discuss potential compensation payouts.

If you’d like to make a claim for a factory accident, then we can help. We’re specialist in workplace accident claims and have helped thousands of people take successful legal action.

We offer a free case check to everyone who gets in touch. And if we believe your case has a good chance of success, we can represent you on a No Win No Fee basis.

To get in touch:

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Click below to find out more about making this type of No Win No Fee claim:

The Criteria For Factory Accident Claims

If you have been injured in a workplace accident, you might be eligible to make a personal injury claim. However, you will need to prove that your employer breached their duty of care and this directly caused your injuries.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 states that your employer owes you a duty of care. Per this duty, they must take reasonable and practicable steps to ensure your safety whilst you are in the workplace and performing work-related duties. For example, they could perform regular risk assessments and maintenance checks on any necessary work machinery. Failure to adhere to this duty of care could result in you coming injured at work, and you may be eligible to make an accident at work claim.

How Long Do I Have To Make A Factory Accident Claim?

If you are eligible to make a personal injury claim following your workplace accident, you must also ensure that you start the proceedings within the relevant time limit. Under the Limitation Act 1980, this is usually 3 years from the accident date. However, there may be some exceptions to this.

To learn more about factory accident claims, and the exceptions to the three-year time limit, you can contact our advisors today.

Common Causes Of Factory Accidents And Injuries

There are many different ways in which a factory accident could occur. However, as we’ve already mentioned, not all injuries can be claimed for. Some examples of causes of factory accidents that you could potentially claim for include:

  • Lack of PPE – Your employer is required to provide adequate and free personal protection equipment (PPE) if your job role requires it, such as gloves or steel-toed boots. If they fail to do so, this could lead to an injury, such as a chemical burn or a foot injury.
  • Lack of risk assessments – Your employer must also make sure that your workplace is safe for you to work in. They must risk assess the workplace and remove any hazards possible. Anything that cannot be removed should be signposted so that you are aware of the risk.
  • Failure to provide sufficient training – Your employer is expected to provide free training if your role requires it. For example, if you work in a factory, you may need training in using a machine or in manual handling. If you don’t receive this training, you could suffer an injury. 

If you are injured in a factory accident as a result of your employer breaching their duty of care, you could be eligible for factory accident compensation. 

Please don’t hesitate to contact an advisor to learn more about making factory accident claims.

What Injuries Can You Claim Compensation For After A Factory Accident?

Having looked at some of the most frequent causes of factory accidents, we will turn to the injuries sustained in them. Looking at information from the Health and Safety Executive and the Labour Force Survey, we can look at some of the most common types of injuries from a factory accident.

Injuries suffered from accidents in a factory might include (but are not limited to) the following types of damage.

  • Burn injuries: these are some of the most common types of damage suffered in a factory accident. While most of these will be minor burns, they can also be very serious and even fatal in some cases.
  • Broken and fractured bones: suffering a broken arm or leg can be a frequent type of injury resulting from accidents in a factory. Such injuries can have a wide variety of various causes.
  • Back injuries: no matter the workplace or job role, back pain can be one of the most common forms of injury. In a factory, they could be caused by manual handling accidents.
  • Injuries to the lungs or respiratory system: these will generally be caused by caustic or toxic chemicals, or through smoke inhalation.
  • Damage to your eyesight, or blindness: this could be caused by something penetrating your eye, or fire or smoke damage, or spills or chemicals.
  • Poisoning if you work with harmful substances, you could suffer serious injuries in a single, small exposure, or over time with less hazardous materials.
  • Amputation and severed limbs: amputation injuries are the most severe type of injury caused by factory accidents. They will often be caused by trapping a limb or body part in machinery.

This list includes the types of factory accidents which most frequently happen. However, it should be noted that there are many other causes.

Examples Of Compensation Payouts In Factory Accident Claims

Compensation settlements for all successful factory accident claims will include general damages. This is the head of your claim that compensates you for the injuries you have suffered and the pain they have caused you.

Those valuing your claim may refer to any medical evidence provided as well as the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). Within the JCG are compensation guidelines for a range of physical and mental injuries.

Using these guidelines, we have created the following table. Please only refer to it as a guide and note that the top entry has not been taken from the JCG.

Nature of injuryNotesCompensation
Multiple Serious Injuries with Monetary LossesMultiple serious injuries with compensation also awarded for their monetary losses such as lost wages, medical expenses and travel costs.Up to £250,000+
Back InjuriesSevere (a) (i) - The most severe injuries leading to spinal cord and nerve root damage.£91,090 to £160,980
Back InjuriesModerate (b)(i) Injuries such as a crush or compression fracture that risks osteoarthritis. £27,760 to £38,780
Neck InjuriesSevere (a) (i) - Where there is incomplete paraplegia or permanent spastic quadriparesis.In the region of
£148,330
Neck InjuriesModerate (b) (i) - Dislocations and fractures leading to severe immediate impacts, and often referred symptoms to other areas of the body. £24,990 to £38,490
Leg injuries Severe (i) The most serious injuries falling just short of amputation. £96,250 to £135,920
Foot injuriesVery severe (c) causing permanent disability or severe and permanent pain. £83,960 to £109,650
Knee injuriesSevere (a)(i) Disruption to the joint of the knee with development of osteoarthritis and where there is likely to be an arthroplasty.£69,730 to £96,210
Shoulder InjuriesSevere (a) With impact on the brachial plexus, causing significant disability. £19,200 to £48,030
Shoulder InjuriesSerious (b) Lower brachial plexus that cause neck and shoulder pain, as well as impacting the elbow. £12,770 to £19,200

Your settlement may also include special damages. Any financial losses you have experienced due to your injuries could be compensated under this head. This could include:

  • Medical costs, such as prescription fees.
  • Care expenses for at-home care.
  • Travel costs for taxis to essential appointments.
  • Lost earnings for time taken off work to recover.

Providing documents such as receipts, invoices and payslips could be used as evidence when claiming special damages.

Contact our friendly advisory team today to discuss your claim and how much compensation you may be able to receive.

Can I Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis?

Before the advent of no win, no fee claims, people would often have had to make large upfront payments for a solicitor’s services, as well as to make further payments whilst their claim is being conducted. These costs could be prohibitively high for many people, preventing them from making a claim they would be entitled to make.

In order to make it easier, or for some people possible, to make a compensation claim, we are happy to offer no win, no fee agreements to remove the bar of legal costs.

We could be able to provide you with a personal injury lawyer able to offer their services without asking for any payments until you have been given a settlement. As such, you won’t have to make any payments until you have the money to do so. If the solicitor we provide you with can not win your factory accident claims, you will have nothing to pay.

A solicitor explaining the factory accident claims process to a client.

Contact Us To Start Your Claim

When you are ready, you can start the process of making your factory accident or injury claim by contacting our specialist team. They will guide you through the initial steps, leaving you confident in the knowledge that you have the legal support you need.

You can start your claim today by calling us on the number supplied above and talk to our specialist advisors. You can also get in touch with us by using the contact form on this page to provide us with your details and allow us to call you back. We will then organise your initial, free consultation and call back at a time of your convenience. The number to the call is
0800 073 8801.

Talk to us today to start the process of making your factory accident claims and getting the help you deserve.

Useful Links And Additional Resources On Factory Accidents

Below, you can find links to some more of our guides on accident at work claims:

Thank you for taking the time to read our guide on factory accident claims.