While furniture often has nice aesthetic properties, it will also need to serve a purpose. Therefore, furniture should be well built and fit for purpose so that you can sit on it, lie on it or stores things on it safely. Importantly, if you’re injured by broken or faulty furniture through no fault of your own, you may be eligible to claim compensation for your suffering. This guide will explain how faulty furniture injury claims work and review how much compensation you could be paid.

We are able to help you navigate the claims process. Initially, we’ll assess the merits of your case during a no-obligation consultation. Then you’ll be given free advice and we’ll try to answer your questions. If you then decide to claim compensation for your injuries, a personal injury solicitor on our team might agree to take your claim on. That’ll mean that you’ll benefit from their skills and expertise on a No Win No Fee basis.

To speak to us about your claim right away, please call 0800 6524 881 today. Otherwise, please carry on reading to find out more about faulty furniture claims.

Consumer Protection Against Faulty Furniture

According to the Consumer Rights Act 2015, all furniture products sold in the UK must be safe, fit for purpose and as described by any marketing materials. Importantly, this law covers both pre-assembled and flat-pack self-assembly furniture.

Also, the consumer protection act covers furniture purchased online and anything purchased from outside the EU (as the retailer would become liable).

Therefore, if you’re injured because of faulty, damaged, defective or dangerous furniture, you may be eligible to claim compensation for your suffering.

Am I Eligible To Make A Faulty Furniture Injury Claim?

Before agreeing to work on a personal injury claim for suffering caused by a faulty piece of furniture, our solicitors will check whether:

• There was a legal duty of care owed to you by the defendant; and
• An act of negligence led to an accident involving faulty furniture; and
• You were injured as a consequence of the accident.

As part of our free consultation, your solicitor will try to determine whether a retailer, manufacturer or supplier of your furniture owed you a duty of care. If they did, and it can be shown that your injury was their fault, you could be compensated for any subsequent injuries.

Examples Of Faulty Furniture Accidents

There are various ways in which defective furniture can cause somebody to be injured through no fault of their own. In some cases, heavy furniture can cause serious and life-threatening injuries if a fault in its design or construction leads to an accident.

Some examples include:

• Faulty chairs or stool collapses.
• Unanchored bookshelves and units falling over.
• Flatscreen TVs falling because of failed TV mounts.
• Faulty garden furniture.
• Defective bed frames or mattresses.
• Trap hazards such as excessively fast closing drawers or doors.
• Faulty electrical components in furniture.
• Poorly designed furniture.
• Self-assembly furniture with poor instructions or missing parts.
• Falling mirrors or glass panels caused by defective fixings.
• Defective children’s furniture (including baby’s cots).
• Shattered glass in display units or tables.

It’s important to note that faulty furniture injury claims are possible in both domestic and commercial environments. We’ll expand on this later in the guide.

Faulty Furniture Accidents In Public Places

If you’ve been injured in a public place due to faulty furniture, you could claim compensation for your suffering. For example, claims could be based on:

• Damaged park benches that cause cuts and lacerations.
• Concussion after a poorly secured mirror fell on you in a changing room.
• Back injuries caused by a broken chair in a restaurant.
• Crush injuries caused by a shelving unit falling onto you in an accident in a shop.
• Neck injuries sustained after a defective beach lounger collapsed.

Faulty Furniture Accident At Work Claims

While you’re at work, your employer has a duty of care to take reasonable steps to protect your well-being. Therefore, they must ensure that:

• Chairs are fit for purpose and well maintained.
• Furniture is built correctly and secured to the wall where necessary.
• Shelving and racking is well-maintained and not overloaded.
• Desks, tables and workstations are suitable for the task at hand.

If you’ve been injured at work and your accident was caused by faulty furniture, please call 0800 6524 881 to see if you could claim compensation for your injuries.

Rental Property Furniture Injury Claims

If you live in a rented property, your landlord will have a duty to try and make sure any furniture provided is as safe as possible. This can include kitchen units, dining chairs and tables, beds and wardrobes.

If regular checks haven’t been made or your landlord failed to replace the furniture that was known to be damaged or faulty, you might have grounds to claim compensation against a landlord for any subsequent injuries.

Common Injuries Caused By Faulty/Broken Furniture

Some of the most common injuries caused by faulty or broken furniture include:

If you’ve suffered any sort of injury caused by faulty items of furniture, please let us know.

How Much Compensation For A Faulty Furniture Injury Claim?

There isn’t a set amount of compensation for injuries caused by faulty furniture. Therefore, during the claims process, your solicitor will ascertain how you’ve suffered physically, emotionally and financially because of the faulty furniture accident. These types of suffering will all need to be factored into any settlement you are paid if the claim is won.

Generally, your solicitor will use an independent medical expert to get an idea about the extent of your injuries. During a medical assessment, the expert will examine your injuries and try to determine your prognosis for the future. They will report back to your solicitor (and the defendant’s insurers) and their report will be used to calculate the potential compensation levels. The compensation calculator below includes some guideline payout amounts for injuries commonly caused by faulty furniture:

In addition to compensation for any physical and psychological injuries, compensation might also be paid for:

• Physiotherapy and other rehabilitation costs.
• Care costs.
• Travel expenses.
• Lost income along with future loss of earnings if needed.
• Replacement costs for clothing or other items damaged during the accident.
• Loss of enjoyment of any normal activities due to your injuries.
• Modification of your home to make it more suitable for you if you’ve been left disabled by the broken furniture accident.

To secure the right level of compensation for your injuries, your solicitor will review your claim in some detail with you before sending it to the defendant.

Evidence To Support Faulty Furniture Injury Claims

To strengthen your claim as much as possible, your solicitor will try to obtain evidence that proves the injuries you sustained and how the accident that caused them occurred. In faulty furniture injury claims, this could include:

• Photographs. Take clear and detailed photographs of the faulty furniture, highlighting any visible defect or problem, and of your injuries.
• Purchase documentation. Keep records of all relevant documents, including purchase receipts, warranties, or any correspondence with the retailer or manufacturer regarding the furniture.
• Product information. Research the product and gather any available information on recalls, safety warnings, instruction manuals, or prior incidents related to the same furniture model. This can demonstrate that the manufacturer was aware of the potential dangers associated with the product.
• Medical records. Copies of your medical records, including doctor’s reports, diagnoses, treatments, and receipts for medical expenses. This documentation will demonstrate the link between your injuries and the faulty furniture.
• Witness statements. If there were witnesses to the faulty furniture accident, gather their contact information and request written statements regarding what they saw. Witnesses can provide valuable testimonies to support your version of events.
• CCTV footage. Request a copy of any CCTV footage that shows the furniture accident happening.
• Maintenance and repair records. If you had any previous repairs or maintenance of the furniture carried out, gather records or receipts to demonstrate that the defect was not caused by misuse or improper handling on your part.
• Financial records. Keep track of any financial losses you incurred due to the accident, such as medical expenses, lost wages, or property damage. Maintain receipts, invoices, and pay stubs as evidence of these losses.

It’s helpful to present as much evidence as possible when you make a faulty furniture injury claim. Therefore, if you have any of the above evidence available, please let us know when you call.

Faulty Furniture Injury Claim Time Limits

If you have been injured in an accident caused by faulty or damaged furniture, you will generally have 3 years to seek personal injury compensation. This time limit will usually commence on the date you were injured or from the date when you became aware of your injury or its connection to the faulty furniture. You could also become a litigation friend and claim compensation for your child injured by faulty furniture as their time limit doesn’t apply until their 18^th birthday.

In our experience, claims that are started early are usually less difficult to resolve. That’s because it’s often easier to obtain the medical evidence and other information needed to substantiate your claim.

In all cases, if you try to claim outside of the 3-year window, your case will likely become statute-barred so please call today to try and avoid missing out on any compensation you’re due.

Starting The Faulty Furniture Injury Claims Process

To find out if you might be eligible to make a faulty furniture injury claim, simply call our advice centre on 0800 6524 881. We provide no-obligation legal advice and will review your options for free.

In cases where there is a fair chance that you’ll be compensated, one of our personal injury solicitors may offer their services. That means they’ll try to secure compensation for you on a No Win No Fee basis. Importantly, that means legal fees only apply if you’re awarded compensation.

To ask us anything else about faulty furniture injury claims, please call or use our online chat service.