Factory Accident Claims

Factories can be dangerous places when health and safety procedures aren’t followed. Your employer has a duty to keep you safe, but accidents can occur if it fails to follow precautions. You might be able to make a claim if you have been injured because of:

• Defective machinery: Your employer should have ensured that equipment was well maintained and checked that any additional parts were fitted correctly.
• Electrocution/electric shocks: You could claim if equipment hadn’t been tested, if you hadn’t been given the correct training, if old electrical cords hadn’t been replaced or if appliances weren’t kept away from water.
• Manual handling: We can help if you were asked to lift a heavy load without being given training on the best techniques to use. Your employer should also have provided lifting equipment where appropriate.
• Forklift truck accidents: Your employer should have regularly inspected your truck, only allowing you to carry balanced and reasonably sized loads. Your travel routes should have been kept clear and shouldn’t be used by pedestrians.
• Slips and trips: You could claim if you have been injured because of a spillage that should have been cleared up. Your employer has a responsibility to make sure hazards are clearly marked and be removed where possible.
• Falls from height: You could claim if you have been injured because you were made to work at height with faulty equipment, in unsatisfactory conditions or without adequate training.
• Falling objects: If you have been injured because of parts falling off faulty equipment, due to unstable loads on goods vehicles or because hazards weren’t marked, you could make a claim.

If the factory you used to work for has shut down or your former employer has stopped trading, we could still help you make a workplace accident claim. However, these claims can take longer because it can be hard to track down contacts and information.

Your employer should have had insurance while it was trading and this will be used to pay for any compensation that you are awarded.

Our team is here to help and will find out who your employer’s insurer was so you can claim. We can also discover if they are now trading under a different name, have been taken over by another firm or have become part of another organisation.

To prove your factory accident claim, we will try to source documents on your behalf, such as records of employment and risk assessments, which should have been regularly updated. We will also contact any potential witnesses for statements, including your former workmates.

Making a claim if your employer is no longer in business can be complex, but we have the expertise needed to help you. It’s worth remembering that you only have three years to make a claim, even if the factory has stopped trading, so it’s important to get in touch with us as soon as possible.