Compensation for injuries caused by moving machinery
Official Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures reveal that accidents involving contact with moving machinery were responsible for 14 fatalities in the UK in 2018/19. Of the 69,208 Reported non-fatal injuries under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), more than 2,700 of these involved contact with moving machinery.
For those who survive a moving machinery accident, the serious and catastrophic injuries suffered can have profound consequences. For example, injured parties may require sustained periods of hospitalisation as well as ongoing treatment, home adaptations, specialist equipment and rehabilitation.
Inevitably, this is likely to mean that injured parties must come to terms with lower levels of independence and mobility than they enjoyed in their pre-injury life. Furthermore, the financial consequences of an accident can be profound, all of which makes a compensation claim for a moving machinery accident more than a simple legal right: it is an essential course of action for any party in these circumstances. Talk to Thompsons today.
Moving machinery accident injuries
The types of machinery used in the workplace, particularly in manufacturing, agriculture and mining, is frequently heavy, sharp, abrasive and fast-moving. These factors help explain some of the most common moving machinery accident injuries, which include the following:
- Trapped limbs or fingers
- Severed limbs or fingers
- Crush injuries – for example, to the skull, torso or spine
- Degloving and scalping injuries – i.e. those caused by machinery pulling skin from the body, typically the hands, limbs and head
- Eye injuries
- Facial injuries
- Brain injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Severe wounds and abrasions caused by sharp or unguarded edges
- Fatal injury
The consequences of such injuries go beyond the purely physical – for example, as well as the many skin grafts, reconstructions and possible amputations that may be necessary, there may also be numerous profound psychological and lifestyle changes required, and these may affect not only the injured party but also their friends and families.
The causes of moving machinery accidents
Employers have a legal duty to provide safe, suitable, risk-assessed and well-maintained machinery in the workplace. This responsibility is enshrined in numerous legislative and regulatory instruments, including The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.
Some of the major causes of moving machinery accidents include the following:
- Inadequate or unsuitable training
- Inadequate machinery guarding
- Inadequate or unsuitable maintenance
- Inadequate or unsuitable safety equipment
- Failure to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Improper use of machinery
Moving machinery fatal accident claims
Thompsons' fatal accident solicitors in Scotland can help you and your family discover the causes behind your loved one's accident and help ensure that the responsible parties are held to account.
We can also help you deal with the financial fallout of a fatal accident – although we cannot turn back the clock and bring your loved one back, we can at least help you ensure recognition of and compensation for your loss to help you manage what will inevitably be a difficult time.
Moving machinery fatal accident compensation can help provide for the following:
- Lost earnings
- Loss of benefits, including pensions
- Funeral costs
- Medical and care costs
- Your pain and suffering
Thompsons moving machinery accident solicitors
Thompsons Solicitors is regarded by many as the leading personal injury law firm in Scotland. We have specialist teams of solicitors, solicitor advocates and other professionals who deal solely with fatal and catastrophic injury claims.
We can help you and your family ensure some justice for a moving machinery accident in the workplace.
Call us on 0800 0891 331 for more information about how we can help you claim on a No Win, No Fee basis so that you are protected from all financial risk when making your moving machinery accident claim. Furthermore, we are committed to ensuring that our claimants receive interim payments whenever appropriate to help them meet their most pressing needs.
