Forestry Accident Claims – How Much Compensation Could I Claim?

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) deems forestry work to be a high-risk activity. That means that employers in the industry must work hard to try and prevent forestry accidents from happening. If they don’t and a forestry worker is injured, they could be eligible to make a forestry accident claim.

One of the main areas of personal injury we specialise in is employer liability claims. If you contact our claims advisors today, you’ll get free legal advice regarding your options during a no-obligation telephone consultation. If your advisor determines a claim against your employer is viable, they could refer you to a personal injury solicitor from our team who’ll work on your behalf on a No Win No Fee basis. That means the only time you’ll pay legal fees is if compensation is awarded.

To discuss a forestry accident claim right away please call 0800 6524 881 today. Alternatively, continue reading to learn more.

Am I Eligible To Make A Forestry Accident Claim?

When you call to discuss a forestry accident claim with us, a solicitor from our team could evaluate your options and give honest advice about your chances of being compensated. Some of the checks they’ll make before agreeing to work for you include:

• Did your employer breach their duty of care towards you; and
• Did a forestry accident occur because of that negligence; and
• Were you injured as a result?

Laws such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Work at Height Regulations 2005 are typically relevant in forestry accident claims as they place a duty of care on your employer to try and protect your welfare while you’re working.

You can improve the chances of your claim being successful by helping your solicitor to find the evidence to prove how the accident occurred and why your employer was to blame. Later in this guide, we’ll explain the types of evidence that could be useful.

Common Risks Associated With Forestry Work

The machinery used in forestry and the height that some operations are performed at makes forestry work dangerous. Some of the biggest risks to forestry workers include:

• Being hit by falling trees or branches.
• Working with powerful chainsaws.
• Touching overhead power cables.
• Working at height.
• Working alone.
• Being hit by forestry vehicles.

However, just because there are risks associated with forestry work does not mean that you should dismiss an accident at work as part and parcel of the job. If you’ve been injured in a forestry accident, please call our team to see if you might be entitled to claim for your suffering.

Our solicitors can help any type of forestry worker to make a claim including lumberjacks, arboricultural consultants, forest managers, tree surgeons, silviculturists and harvesters.

Common Forestry Injury Claims

It is possible to sustain an array of different injuries if you’re involved in a forestry accident. Some of the most common forestry-related injuries that can lead to an accident claim include:

If you believe that your forestry accident happened because your employer was negligent in some way, please let us know so that we can review your claim for free.

Negligence Leading To Forestry Accident Claims

Generally, you will only be able to claim for any forestry-related injuries if your employer’s negligence caused the accident to occur. That means that you might be eligible to start a claim if the accident happened because of:

• A lack of proper safety training (including regular refresher training).
• Tiredness due to insufficient rest breaks or working for too long.
• Inadequate risk assessments.
• Broken, poorly maintained or faulty equipment.
• Missing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) or PPE that was not fit for purpose.

Whatever type of forestry accident you’ve been involved in, if you believe your employer could’ve foreseen it and prevented it, you might have a valid forestry accident claim. Therefore, please feel free to call us and discuss your options.

Fatal Forestry Accidents

Unfortunately, workers do sometimes die in forestry-related accidents. If you’ve lost a loved one in this way, we know that claiming compensation for them won’t make your loss any easier.

However, if you decide to seek justice on your loved one’s behalf, one of our solicitors could help. Also, you may wish to claim further compensation if you’re struggling financially as a result of your loss. For example, one of our solicitors could help you to claim if you relied on the deceased’s earnings. Similarly, they could help you to claim back any expenses you’ve paid for such as the cost of the funeral.

Please call if you need our help. There’s no obligation to claim and we will review your case for free.

How Much Compensation For A Forestry Accident Claim?

The severity of your forestry injuries will need to be determined if you’re to receive the correct amount of compensation. Therefore, all personal injury claims should ideally be backed up by an independent medical report. Your solicitor will arrange this and use the subsequent report to help work out how much compensation should be claimed. Our compensation calculator shows guideline general damages-related figures for several forestry-related injuries:

After the physical impact of your forestry injuries has been assessed, your solicitor will check whether you might also be owed compensation for:

• Emotional distress, flashbacks and other forms of psychological suffering.
• Medical treatment costs including physiotherapy.
• Travel costs.
• Lost income.
• The cost of a carer.
• Loss of amenity (to cover any normal activities prevented by your injuries).
• Future lost earnings.
• The cost of changing the layout of your home to make it easier to deal with any permanent disabilities.

Your solicitor will go through everything with you before your claim is sent to your employer. That way, they can try to ensure that no aspect of your suffering is missed our from your compensation claim.

Evidence To Support A Forestry Accident Claim

There’s no doubt that if you’re to win compensation for your injuries, you’ll need plenty of evidence to prove your case. This needs to demonstrate the cause of the accident, the party that was liable for it and how you’ve been affected by it. In forestry accident claims, the types of evidence you might use include:

• Accident report. Ensure that the accident is recorded in the forestry company’s accident book to substantiate the accident happened.
• Witness statements. Collect statements from anybody who witnessed the forestry accident.
• Photos/videos. Take or collect photographs, videos and/or CCTV footage of the accident scene, including any hazards or industrial machinery involved.
• Medical records. Have your injuries properly treated at A&E so you’ll have medical records related to the injuries from the accident.
• Health and Safety compliance documents. Request copies of any documentation that shows whether health and safety protocols were followed. Non-compliance can be a significant factor in forestry accident claims.
• Employment and training records. These can show if you or anybody else involved was properly trained and equipped to handle the forestry tasks you were given.
• Equipment maintenance records. Check if the equipment involved in the accident was maintained according to the manufacturer’s guidelines and safety standards.
• Correspondence. Collect any relevant emails, memos, or other correspondence that pertain to the accident or the safety conditions at the forestry site.
• Financial records. Add any financial evidence that shows loss of earnings or additional expenses incurred due to the accident. This helps with calculating special damages for financial losses directly related to the forestry accident.
• Personal diary. Write a diary or journal detailing your day-to-day experiences and the impact of the accident on your life.

If you call us for a free review of your claim, please let us know about any evidence available to you. If further evidence is needed, your solicitor will strive to find it if your claim is taken on.

Time Limits For Claiming Forestry Accident Compensation

If you are thinking about claiming compensation for forestry-related injuries, you will need to be aware of the 3-year time limit that usually applies to all claims. This will either start on the date of the forestry accident or your date of knowledge (if your injury or illness was not immediately obvious).

Claims made outside of the 3-year time limit may be refused so it’s best to start your claim quickly. Making your claim early will mean you’ll be compensated sooner if there’s a positive outcome. Also, it will mean your solicitor should have more than enough time to collect evidence to build their case.

If you’ve lost a loved one to a forestry accident, you can claim compensation on their behalf within 3 years of their death (or when you were made aware of it). Please get in touch if you’d like us to help you do so.

Starting The Forestry Accident Claims Process

If you or a loved one have been injured in a forestry accident, please call 0800 6524 881 to speak with a specialist about your claim. During your free consultation, you’ll receive legal advice about your next steps and we’ll answer any questions that arise.

If you wish to pursue compensation for your injuries and we believe your claim is viable, one of our work accident solicitors will discuss your case with you in more detail. If they agree to support you, they’ll deal with everything on a No Win No Fee basis.

You can call or use our live chat service if you have further questions about the forestry accident claims process.