If you’ve been injured in a warehouse accident due to employer negligence, you may be eligible to make a warehouse accident claim for compensation. Whether you’ve been injured in a forklift accident, by a slip, trip, or fall, or because an item of stock has fallen onto you, we could help you claim. 
Our personal injury team offers free, no-obligation advice. If your claim is strong enough, we could connect you with a specialist solicitor to work for you on a No Win No Fee basis. That means you won’t pay unless you receive compensation.
To find out if you can claim compensation for an accident in a warehouse right away, please call our team on 0800 6524 881. Alternatively, please continue reading to learn more about the warehouse accident claims process.
Table of contents
- Am I Eligible To Make A Warehouse Accident Claim?
- Common Causes Of Warehouse Accident Claims
- Common Injuries From Warehouse Accidents
- How Much Compensation Do You Get For A Warehouse Accident?
- Evidence To Support A Warehouse Accident Claim
- Time Limits For Claiming Warehouse Accident Compensation
- Do I Need A Solicitor To Make A Warehouse Accident Claim?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Starting The Warehouse Accident Claims process
Am I Eligible To Make A Warehouse Accident Claim?
Generally, you may be eligible to make a warehouse accident claim if:
- The defendant (your employer or another party) owed you a duty of care.
- That duty was breached, resulting in an accident at the warehouse.
- As a result, you suffered an injury.
For example, you might be able to claim if you were injured by a forklift truck because the driver wasn’t properly trained, or if boxes fell from unsafe warehouse racking and injured you.
To check your eligibility to make a claim, contact our advisors today.
Common Causes Of Warehouse Accident Claims
While we can’t list all of the scenarios that could result in a warehouse accident claim, we’ve provided a few examples:
- Faulty or poorly maintained equipment. Injuries caused by defective pallet trucks, conveyors, machinery or tools that have not been properly inspected or repaired.
- Falls from height. For example, falls from ladders, loading bays, racking, mezzanine floors or unsafe working platforms.
- Being struck by falling objects. Such as boxes, stock or materials falling from damaged racking or shelves because they were stacked incorrectly.
- Slips, trips and falls. Warehouse accidents caused by spillages, cluttered walkways, loose packaging, uneven flooring or a lack of warning signs.
- Warehouse vehicle accidents. Forklift truck accidents, reversing accidents or collisions caused by poor site layout, lack of training or unsafe driving.
- Lack of suitable PPE. Where warehouse workers are injured because they were not provided with appropriate protective equipment, such as safety boots, gloves, or high-vis clothing.
- Exposure to harmful substances or noise. Injuries or illnesses involving chemicals, dust, fumes, loud machinery, occupational dermatitis or hearing loss.
Please call today if you would like advice on whether you can claim for your accident.
Common Injuries From Warehouse Accidents
Warehouse accidents can lead to a wide range of injuries, such as:
- Manual handling injuries from moving or lifting heavy items.
- Sprains, strains, pulled muscles and torn ligaments.
- Cuts, bruises and lacerations.
- Burns.
- Back injuries.
- Neck or shoulder strain or sprain injuries from lifting heavy items.
- Dislocations.
- Broken or fractured bones.
- Limb and joint injuries.
- Amputation.
- Head and brain injuries.
- Spinal cord injuries.
- Loss of eyesight.
- Repetitive stress injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Loss of hearing.
- Tinnitus.
Generally, the more serious your injury, the more compensation you may be entitled to.
How Much Compensation Do You Get For A Warehouse Accident?
When your solicitor files your warehouse accident claim, they’ll typically base the amount of compensation you should get on two heads of loss:
- General damages. This is where you claim for the pain, suffering, and loss of amenity the accident in the warehouse has caused. Loss of amenity puts a financial value on things that you can’t do because of your injuries (even temporarily). For example, if you enjoy playing a sport but can’t because of your injuries, it could be factored into your claim.
- Special damages. Where you claim back any expenses, costs or losses linked to your warehouse injuries. This part of the claim could recover any medical expenses, travel costs, care costs, lost earnings and future lost earnings.
To help determine the extent of your injuries and suffering, you may need to have a medical assessment. For this, your solicitor will book an appointment with an independent medical expert, which can usually be arranged locally.
Warehouse Accident Compensation Calculator
We have provided the compensation calculator below to demonstrate compensation amounts for a wide range of personal injuries. The amounts included are based on the general damages guidelines provided by the Judicial College that personal injury solicitors and insurers can use when settling warehouse injury claims.
Please note that these amounts are for general damages and can vary. As shown above, any financial costs (special damages) could be added to the value of your claim as well.
Please call our team today if you require any advice on what your warehouse accident claim might be worth.
Evidence To Support A Warehouse Accident Claim
Some steps you could take following a warehouse accident that could improve your chances of receiving compensation include:
- Report the warehouse accident. Tell your employer what happened and make sure it’s written up in the accident book, and ask for a copy. This can help prove when and where the warehouse accident happened.
- Take photos of the scene. If it’s safe, take plenty of photos before anything gets tidied up. Spills, broken flooring, faulty equipment, whatever caused the accident, try to photograph the hazard before it is moved or repaired.
- Keep any physical evidence. If something like faulty personal protective equipment or broken equipment played a part in your accident, don’t throw it away. Keep it, or at the very least, take photos. It could be important later.
- Get witness details. If anybody in the warehouse saw what happened, take their name and contact details. Independent witnesses can make a big difference if your employer disputes what went on.
- Get proper medical attention. Don’t just rely on first aid. Go to A&E or a minor injuries unit so your injuries are properly checked and recorded. Those medical notes will become vital evidence later.
- Ask for CCTV footage. Most warehouses have CCTV cameras in place to protect staff and stock. If the accident was caught on CCTV, you can legally ask for a copy. Act quickly because footage can be wiped within days.
The next step you could take to help you is to call our free advice line. We will review your evidence with you and explain if anything further is required.
Time Limits For Claiming Warehouse Accident Compensation
When you claim compensation for a warehouse accident, there’s usually a 3-year time limit. For most people, that typically starts on the day the accident happened. However, if your injury only became obvious later, for example, for something gradual like noise-induced hearing loss, the 3 years might start from when you first realised the problem was work-related. That’s called the date of knowledge.
We strongly suggest not leaving things until the last minute. The earlier you start, the easier it is to gather evidence, remember what happened, and get any medical assessments sorted. Leaving things too late can make the whole process harder than it needs to be.
We are here if you need us to check how long you have left to claim or if you have any other questions.
Do I Need A Solicitor To Make A Warehouse Accident Claim?
When you seek compensation from your employer, you’ll need to prove to your employer’s insurance provider the exact nature of the warehouse accident and your injuries, and why your employer is ultimately to blame for them. Doing this alone can be tricky, and it’s why we’d suggest taking on legal representation.
If your warehouse accident claim is taken on by one of our personal injury solicitors, they will typically:
- Review your claim thoroughly so that they are aware of how your injuries have affected you.
- Contact your employer to let them know you are claiming.
- Arrange for your medical assessment.
- Handle communication with your employer and their insurer so you don’t need to deal with them.
- Provide regular updates about the progress of your warehouse injury claim.
- Answer any queries you might think of.
- Try to counter any objections over liability for your injuries or the warehouse accident.
- Aim to secure the highest level of compensation possible in your case.
All of this work will be carried out on a No Win No Fee basis if one of our solicitors works for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here we’ve answered some common questions on warehouse accident claims.
What if the warehouse accident wasn’t reported at the time?
Ideally, workplace accidents should go straight into the accident book, but if yours wasn’t, all is not lost. You could still make a claim, but you may need other evidence to show what happened, such as photos, medical records, witness statements, or emails you sent afterwards mentioning the injury.
Can I claim for a warehouse accident if it was partly my fault?
Yes, you could still have a claim even if you were partly to blame for your warehouse accident. This is known as contributory negligence, where fault is shared between you and your employer (or another party). Your compensation, however, will usually be reduced to reflect your share of blame.
Can I claim as an agency worker or temp?
Yes, you may be able to, as the company you’re working for will usually still owe you a duty of care. If you’re injured because they failed to provide proper training, equipment or a safe working environment, you may have a claim just like a full-time warehouse worker. Your employment status does not automatically stop you from claiming.
Will I get the sack for claiming against my employer?
You should not be sacked or treated unfairly simply because you are making a genuine claim against your employer. If your employer were to react badly, you should seek advice, as you may have separate rights depending on your circumstances.
What does No Win No Fee mean?
A No Win No Fee agreement means you won’t usually pay your solicitor’s fees upfront. If your warehouse accident claim is unsuccessful, you won’t have to pay those fees. If your claim succeeds, a success fee will be deducted from your compensation. This fee is capped by law and should be explained to you before the claim begins.
Starting The Warehouse Accident Claims Process
If you would like to discuss starting the warehouse accident claims process, then please get in touch. You can do so via our live chat feature, by filling out a callback form or by calling our team of specialist advisors on 0800 6524 881.
As part of the consultation, we’ll assess your case on a no-obligation basis and offer free legal advice. If your claim has a good chance of success, a personal injury solicitor could be appointed on a No Win No Fee basis.
Thanks for reading our guide on making a warehouse accident claim, and please call today if you’d like further information.