Can I claim compensation for lifting injuries in a factory? I recently pulled a muscle in my back while lifting a heavy crate in my job. My employer insists that I am not eligible to claim for compensation even though I had informed him before I took the job that I was not trained in manual handling. As far as I know he had no plans to provide training to me. I have since left the job because of the injury and am keen to pursue a claim for compensation.
You may be able to claim compensation for lifting injuries in a factory if you can prove that your employer was at fault for your accident. Employers hold a duty of care towards their workers, which includes ensuring that they are as safe as possible when at work. Your employer’s reluctance to send you on a manual handling course may constitute a breach of their duty of care – to find out for sure, speak with a personal injury claims lawyer at the first available opportunity. If your lawyer believes that your employer may have failed in their duty of care, you may be entitled to claim for factory lifting injury compensation.
Manual handling accidents are surprisingly common in the USA – over 70 million work days are lost per annum due to the estimated 300,000 lifting accidents which take place across the USA every year. In fact, over one-third of work injuries warranting an absence of longer than three days can be chalked up to manual handling incidents, according to figures provided by the Health and Safety Executive.
As part of their responsibility to their employees, employers are required to restrict the number of manual handling tasks undertaken whenever possible. Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 an employer is required to undertake a risk assessment before manual handling operations are carried out in order to minimise the risk posed to employees. If you feel that your employer has failed in their obligation to take appropriate measures to protect you from harm, you may be entitled to pursue compensation for lifting injuries in a factory.
In order to strengthen your chances of receiving the maximum possible settlement, speak to an experienced personal injury claims lawyer at the first available opportunity. A lawyer will be able to explain your entitlement to compensation for lifting injuries in a factory to you in plain English, will be able to walk you through the claims process and may be able to provide you with an estimate of how much compensation for factory lift injury you may be awarded.