Falling Object Compensation – Claim For Your Injuries

By Ian Morris | Updated September 7th, 2023

109 questions have been answered on this subject, why not ask your own?

You’re entitled to claim compensation if you have been injured by a falling object at work or in public and it can be proven your employer or a third party was responsible.

Falling objects can cause head injuries such as concussion, brain damage, severe lacerations and psychological trauma. Claims for compensation commonly relate to an accident at work where an employer has failed to adequately ensure the safety of workers or visitors. Alternatively, it could be a public liability claim if a pedestrian or passer by is injured by an item that falls from height, such as a loose or unsecured part of a building, a falling shop or pub sign, or dangerous practices on construction sites that are adjacent to pedestrian areas.

When it can be shown that there has been a failure to comply with legal statutory duties to minimise and prevent the risk of injury from falling objects, a compensation claim will succeed.

When you can make a falling object claim

A compensation settlement will be awarded to the claimant if it can be proven that the object fell as a result of negligence and a lack of adequate risk management.

Falling object injuries often happen when people are working at height, and commonly on construction or demolition sites. In these environments, the site management company should have adequately assessed the risk of such accidents and taken every precaution to reduce the risk of injury as far as possible. This should include requiring workers and visitors to wear personal protective equipment such as hard hats, and also establishing safety zones with adequate signage near which pedestrians are prohibited from passing. Alternative walkways with adequate signage should be created to ensure that people are not likely to be standing in an area where masonry or other items could fall. If you have been injured by a falling object in this sort of situation, you are likely to have a very strong claim.

Other claims relate to dangerous buildings in disrepair that have footpaths beside them. Building owners and local authorities have a legal responsibility to ensure that unsafe buildings are either cordoned off and repaired, again with pedestrian exclusion zones clearly marked, or where repair is not possible such buildings should be demolished. If you have been injured because of an object that has fallen from a such a building, again you will have a strong claim for injury compensation.

Other common causes of falling object injuries include:

Shop or building signs that fall from height on to pedestrians standing or walking below.
Wall mounted pictures or mirrors in venues such as pubs or restaurants that fall on to patrons sitting or standing below.
Ceiling tiles in public venues that fall on to people standing or sitting below

Why claim injury compensation if you’re hit by a falling object?

If you have been injured as a result of a falling object, claiming personal injury compensation can help ease some of the problems you’ll experience and help in a number of ways:

It will compensate you for injuries that were not your fault.
A successful claim could fund private medical treatment and rehabilitation therapies to speed your recovery.
Settlements can help you recover any lost income now and in the future if you are prevented from working again.
In the case of a fatal accident, loved ones can claim compensation for their loss.

As all claims are made on a No Win No Fee basis, you will never be charged if your claim does not succeed. A successful claim will lead to a compensation settlement being made to you, with the value of the claim including any lost income and incurred costs as well as a settlement for the injuries and medical treatment that you have sustained.

How Direct2Compensation can help with your claim

Any person who suffers an injury because of a falling object is entitled to make a claim for personal injury compensation. As with all claims, it is important to make sure that the details of your accident have been recorded properly and that medical attention is sought for any injuries that you have sustained. For help with reporting your accident correctly, contact us for free advice.

At Direct2Compensation we have the right expertise to manage your claim successfully. We know your rights and can help you to understand whether you have a valid claim or not.

Direct2Compensation work with some of the best expert injury compensation solicitors in the UK. With our easy to understand claims process and ability to handle your claim quickly, simply and transparently, there are many reasons that make us the right choice.

To start your claim today, or even to find out a little bit more about the claims process and how we can help, call us on 01225 430285 or if you prefer, . In just a few minutes on the telephone with you, we’ll obtain the initial information needed for our solicitors to commence a claim.

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Questions

Read on for questions and advice about claiming, plus falling object claim examples...

While loading trailer at work and quite heavy box fell on my head. For the rest of the shift I had mild pain in the back and that continued for further day. Two days after accident I had very bad head ache, sensivity to sound and dizzyness throught my shift at work and got diagnosed with concussion day after. Since then (past 3 weeks) the symptoms continued to appear whenever I tried to do anything even slightly physical (such as cooking food) and I wasn’t able to work. The workplace never properly trains you and doesn’t have any training logs, the stacking on pallets is usually poor and big metal cages usually end up overflowing over the top. I do feel good enough to resume work now, but would like to know if I would have a claim.

Our view is that you have valid grounds to pursue a claim for personal injury compensation as a result of the concussion injury that you sustained at work. The symptoms you describe and the fact that the severity of the injury wasn’t immediately obvious is consistent with such an injury and this matter certainly warrants further pursuit. We’d be delighted to help you with this and can explain your rights in terms of making a claim and how doing do does not jeopardise your employment.

If successful with a claim in this matter, you would be able to obtain a settlement for the injury and the impact that the concussion had on you for the period of time that symptoms remain present (even though you are now ‘fit enough’ to return to work, you no doubt have some residual issues caused by the concussion injury) and also recover lost income or costs caused by your absence from work.

Please call us on 01225430285 for further help. Alternatively, use our contact form to request a call from us or email us at justice@direct2compensation.co.uk

I was on the pavement to the side of my property and the tree along the edge of the road has fallen and hit me on the back of the head knocking me to the floor. An ambulance was called and they checked me over. Today I am feeling a lot worse so I went to the hospital and have been told that I have concussion and trauma to my neck. I have been referred to physiotherapy. Do I have a claim?

This is certainly a matter that should be further investigated. It is unclear at this stage as to whether it will be possible to succeed with a claim, but given the nature of the accident and the type of injuries you have sustained, we would like to look in to this.

Do you know who owns the tree? If it is public land, the tree will be public property and the local authority will have responsibility for it. However, unless there has been any report of the tree needing to be checked (i.e if a member of the public has reported any issue with the tree) it is unlikely that the local authority will be found to have been negligent. Also, if the tree fell due to a storm or other natural phenomenon, there is unlikely to be a claim.

This morning as I left home with my daughter in her buggy, I turned for a few seconds to put recycling boxes away. There is scaffolding on the neighbouring building and in the moments I turned away they dropped a heavy drill from three floors up and it fell right next to my daughter on the pavement. If it had hit her, I have no doubt the injuries would be life changing. What can I do?

As there has been no injury (fortunately), there is no grounds to pursue any claim. However, it would appear that the company in question operate a very risky approach to health and safety and it may therefore be sensible to report the incident and company to the Health and Safety Executive to seek further advice.

I have suffered a work related accident. I had tried to pick up some boxes that had been stacked by other workers. As I tried to take the box from the top of the stack another stack next to it started to fall towards me. Out of a natural reflex movement, I reached up to stop it from falling on to me and in doing so, my back just snapped. I was in immediate pain and I’m now suffering from sciatica. The Doctor has said that I will be affected all my life.

Do I have a claim? I want to mention that the area in question is a very intense area. Management are in the area daily and see it, but nobody says nothing about the boxes being stacked dangerously and too high.

Employers are obliged to ensure that the working practices that they oversee are as safe as possible and that the risks of injuries or accidents at work are minimised. Should an employer fail to uphold this duty, they are likely to then be found negligent should an employee sustain injury as a result of an accident that could have been avoided.

In this case, it would seem that your employer may well have been negligent and we feel that you have a valid claim for personal injury compensation. To allow boxes to be stacked in a manner that is unsafe – such as allowing too many boxes to be stacked, for the stack to be too high or unsteady reflects badly on the management of the workplace in question.

I’ve been hit in the head with a flying big heavy wooden umbrella at a garden centre that wasn’t secured properly by them they have filled out an accident report and I am going to attend the Minor treatment centre

You have a valid claim and our Solicitors are happy to help you with this matter.

My daughter aged 30 has been struck on the head/face by a wooden curtain pole which fell from a second floor window in the property that she was walking past with her boyfriend.
She had to go to hospital and has been advised to be off work for a while. Her injuries are not life threatening but she is very bruised and traumatised by this.
She has to see an ENT consultant next week, as advised by the A and E she attended last night.
How should she proceed if at all in legal terms?

If the property in question was a private residence, any claim for loss or injury would be against the property owners. In reality, unless the property has insurance cover (which is something our Solicitors can investigate and advise further on) it is unlikely to be possible to take action as although the liability is clear in such a matter, if there is no insurance cover, there is no guarantee that recovery of costs or settlement of any claim can be obtained. If the property in question is leased whether privately or through a Housing Association/Local Authority, liability may rest with such an organisation.

The key requirement initially is to ensure that the details of the incident are on record with the appropriate person(s). In this case, it is important to ensure that the incident has been reported in writing to the occupiers at the address of the property. Further, if there were any witnesses to the incident, having their details would be helpful too.

This is certainly a matter our specialist Solicitors can investigate and advise on by way of their No Win No Fee service. Injuries sustained in such an incident will at best be painful and upsetting, but have the potential to cause longer term symptoms of nausea, dizziness, vertigo, blurred vision and may also include neck pain and headaches.

If your Daughter would like to discuss her situation and further consider her rights regarding a claim, please ask her to call us on 01225430285. It is important to note that there is a 3-year claim limitation period for such matters. Whilst it is prudent to start the process at the earliest opportunity, given the recency of the incident, your Daughter should take a few days at least to overcome the initial shock and not worry or stress about contacting us today or tomorrow.

I work at a crisp factory and they were doing some work on the machines on the first floor. I work on the ground floor, but the top floor is open so you can look down into the ground floor from above. A piece of metal fell on to my arm today at around 10:20am and this came from the first floor. It hit just below my shoulder meaning it was only inches away from my head. The metal was a bit smaller than an A4 piece of paper, but was thick like a safe box that you can lock. It was extremely heavy and the manager had not made a risk assessment of it or even noted down the incident. What can I do? My arm is tender and a bruise is forming. A lot of witnesses have seen this happen.

You can make a claim for personal injury compensation and we can help you to do so. Make sure that you have made a written report of the incident with your employer. If your employer won’t let you use the accident book, email your own report of the incident to the company. You should also contact your GP regarding the injury to seek treatment and advice – this will also ensure that there is medical evidence available to support your claim.

I was in work and construction work was being done and the partition wall fell on me, resulting in severe concussion. I’ve had a ct scan and X-rays on my shoulder, should I claim? They have admitted negligence.

Absolutely you should pursue a claim. Claiming compensation after injuries sustained in a non-fault accident is a legal right and is why employers and construction sites such as the one you were working on are mandated to have insurance cover. Whilst nobody at the site would have meant for the incident to happen, it has happened and you have been injured as a result. No individual or colleague will be personally liable for your injuries or claim and it won’t cost you or anybody else their job.

You certainly have a valid right to pursue a claim as a result of your workplace accident and we would like to speak with you further to help.

A box of 5kg chicken fillet was drop on my head at work however I was bleeding then I had a black out for sometime. I went back to work to finish on my way out the boss told me that it’s part of the job and that i have to take it like a man.

If you were injured, make sure that the incident is recorded in the employers accident book and that medical attention is sought as you would have a valid claim for compensation as a result of this incident.

Hi I have been in a accident at work, which has left me with shoulder and neck pain my friend said I was knocked out by this. What happened was i work at a furniture/carpet shop and me and a fellow work college had to bring the big bins through some doors into a archway in the archway there is some sofas stacked up in boxes weighing approx 50kg as I have opened the door.. the bottom box had crumpled and the top box fell from height onto my head neck and shoulder which pushed me to the ground as well as my college once we was on the floor another box then fell on us making us unable to move and trapped under the boxes. I currently don’t know what to do I will be off work as I drive and can not move my shoulder and neck properly and also have to lift heavy items what do we do… I’m currently in hospital getting seen too now with my college please help thanks kind regards Nicholas

You describe an accident that was totally avoidable if the employer had paid proper attention to the risks posed by stacking items in such an area, in such a way. This will be seen as employer negligence. As such, you have a strong and valid right to pursue a claim for compensation.

We would be more than happy to help you make your claim via our No Win No Fee service and our expert specialist personal injury Solicitors. If you haven’t already done so, try to ensure that an accurate record of the incident is made with the employer.

I had a shelf/stock fall on top of me in the backup freezer in work. No signs of serious injury, but after being to A&E looks like possibly a bit of soft tissue damage to my upper back (but not certain). I was just given some painkillers. I was by myself in the freezer, but had 2 witness reports (one who heard a loud bang and one who helped clean the mess; we didn’t take photos which in hindsight was a mistake). I have many people who would vouch for negligence as there was no locking pin on the shelf, which had their been it would have no way of falling off. I’m off work now for a few days at least. Would I still have a claim?

You can make a claim and have every right to do so. Although you are fortunate to have not suffered more serious injuries, soft tissue damage to your upper back – albeit not too serious – is sufficient to make a claim and as you rightly point out, the cause of the injury can be attributed to employer negligence.

I work for amazon. I was working in a pod and there’s two plastic things (don’t know what they called) in between each person working. As I was doing my job, one of the big plastic things fell on to me and hit me. It wasn’t too serious but I had to grip it and push it back. Obviously the things had missing screws and so on. Is this something I should look into or not?

It goes without saying that the missing screws and the fact that the item fell should be reported immediately to the employer in order that it can be repaired and made safe for future use.

With regards to a potential claim, you have a valid claim in terms of the actual accident, but we need to identify whether your injury is sufficiently serious to warrant a claim. The best course of action would be to call our team on 01225430285 to discuss the accident.

I have had my nose broken and will have a scar on my face unloading a container of Tins and they all fell on me, but mainly facial damage is the issue. How much potentially could be awarded as I do not want to upset my boss and claim?

It is impossible to advise of possible settlement valuations at this stage as we don’t know the severity of the injuries and the long term implications. You may require surgery on the nose injury at a later date and if your scarring is permanent and visible, these issues will greatly alter the potential value of your claim.

A shelf fell on me at work what should I do ?

You need to make sure that a record of the accident is made in your employers accident book – or a similar reporting system. You should state clearly what happened, when and where. If you have sustained injury, make sure details of the initial injuries are recorded in the accident book and seek medical attention if appropriate.

If you have been injured by the falling shelf, we can help you claim compensation for the injuries you have sustained. Please call us on 01225430285 to find out how we can help you.

I work for Amazon as a trainer. I was training someone today and some liquid on a tote was coming by up above and landed in my hair. I seek the care team but they told me to go home and wash my hair.

If the liquid was hazardous and caused any injury – either respiratory or through chemical burns to the scalp/skin, you could seek to pursue a claim. If however, you were uninjured but simply left frustrated and annoyed, there is no claim.

I was visiting my parents on Monday 29th June, with my 2year old son. Upon walking to the front door, a roof slate fell from the neighbours house and fell beside where we were walking, fragments hit my leg and hit my son on the arm.

I know the housing estate of the house – do I have a claim and how do I do this?

The Housing Association may be liable for the injuries that you and your Son sustained. If the owners (housing association) were made aware of repair issues and failed to act upon those reports, they are likely to have to accept liability and you could succeed with a claim.

Our Solicitors can certainly consider this matter for you.

My mom raised falling roof tiles with the housing association months ago but they never came to fit the issue. Yesterday, I was visiting to drop shopping off outside while complying with social distancing and a piece of tile fell off and hit me on the top of my head. My mom has informed the housing and they have said they will list the repair as urgent now. I had a headache all day and I have a small but very sore cut on the top of my head. Where do I stand with compensation as they injury is only small?

In the scenario you describe, it should not be too hard to establish liability. However, the issue that could prevent a claim is whether or not your injury is sufficiently severe to allow a claim to proceed.

Whilst you have already had headaches and have a small laceration, to bring a claim your symptoms will need to persist a while. We would strongly recommend that you contact your GP or attend Hospital as if you are diagnosed with concussion and your headaches are ongoing, you would be able to make a claim and we would be happy to help you with this.

You can start your claim by calling us on 01225430285.

I was injured at a school a child was rocked a bench that weighs a ton and it fell on my foot causing crush injures that required a visit to the hospital. I received a letter stating that the county was not liable as the benches came from a reputable supplier and the child was not using the bench properly. Also I found out in the letter that a risk assessment was not carried out as the benches were new and not defective and considered low level risk. Are they allowed to put furniture in a school canteen that weighs a ton and half without having them risked assessed. I want to know if I have a case to take the matter further as my pain is still ongoing.

To be able pursue a claim against an employer for an injury sustained in the workplace, you have to consider whether the employer could have reasonably been expected to have prevented the accident.

In this case, it would seem that the student in question caused the accident by misuse of the bench in question and even though the new benches were not risk assessed, it is unclear at this as to any employer negligence.

Hi I had a Big metal light fall on my head whilst at work. I have a small lump on my head which is really sore and bruised, it may get bigger. Am I entitled to a claim? I work in a corporate bank.

Essentially, if you have reported the incident with the light in your employers accident book and sought medical attention for the impact injury and ongoing symptoms, our view is that you do have a valid claim.

Hi there

A month or so ago I was involved in a work place injury at a Amazon warehouse. Metal container fell on my head and knocked me unconscious, Amazon themselves were down to move all the boxes out of the work area, they failed to do this and boxes were not stacked properly. This resulted in me having a sprained neck and Spine and now suffer with back problems and having to keep going to see a physiotherapist.

You are likely to succeed with a claim for compensation based on the description of the incident you have given. Please call us on 01225430285 or use our online forms to make further contact with us to start your claim.

As a teacher I tripped over improperly stacked exam desks that fell over. The teachers were leaning them against a wall after a meeting “to help out the estates team” and this was done in a hurry without instruction. I suffered bruised and swollen knees and a lower back injury.
Were the school negligent? I wasn’t aware of the correct way to store the exam desks – there is no method or storage system.

The school are likely to be found negligent in this scenario as the tables could certainly be hazardous to health if stacked dangerously or in a poor location – as has happened in your case.

If you would like to start a claim for personal injury compensation for the injuries to your knees and lower back, we would be very happy to help you.

If you have not already done so, please ensure that an incident report is completed at your workplace and seek medical attention for the injuries sustained.

Hi a work colleague dropped approximately half a tonne of tarmac footway on my foot. I’m at home atm, just had surgery i had three open fractures. The big toe’s tendons was damaged and they think that 2 of my toes have died. Do I have a claim please? Thank you.

You have suffered serious injuries with long term implications to your earning capability and normal lifestyle. You certainly should make a claim for compensation and appear to have strong prospects of succeeding with such action.

We build huge data cooling systems, which includes putting industrial fans of approximately 30 kilos or more into a metal frame that becomes the roof.
We have to do this by hand, two people. Yesterday the other person dropped that one side too early and the fan with its sharp metal front fell on my left forearm. I needed emergency surgery since it destroyed an artery and nerves. I’m on heavy painkillers and the doctor reckons a recovery time from 2-3 months, she also told me my arm and hand will never be at 100%.

Your situation and potential claim is something we would like to discuss with you. Our Solicitors will be keen to assist you in making a claim and would be able to recover compensation for the potentially permanent damage to your arm/hand and any associated loss of income in the future (if successful with a claim of course).

Hi.
April 2018 while at work I was putting glass bottle of drink on top shelf.
I then began to clean the mess on the floor below when the whole shelf with 50 glass bottle fell on my head and neck.
Moving forward two days which I hadn’t been able to get out of bed. On the 3 day I manage to get up but lost all vision and numbness down one side of face and very dizzy.
I was admitted into hospital as they thought I had a bleed on the brain. I was kept in two days.
Scan showed that I had chairi so I was sent to see a neurologist and head ache specialists. However this isn’t the cause for my headache. Still 2 years later I’m I have terrible headache daily.
A accident report was filled by my co worker.

Under UK law, any person at work in the UK is afforded a period of 3 years from the date of an accident at work in which they can seek to make a claim for personal injury compensation. As 2 years appear to have passed since your accident at work, you have a further period of 12 months (or until the 3rd anniversary of your accident) in which you can seek to make a claim. Therefore, if you have not already instructed a Solicitor to act for you, please call us on 01225430285 as our initial assessment of your comment indicates that you have valid grounds to pursue a claim for compensation.

I had an accident whilst alone on site after making a point I shouldn’t be working alone. Sods law happened and I was injured and was without help. The injury was because a big heavy bit of equipment fell on top of me after being told to move it. I filled in the accident book and now my manager is pushing for a second accident report, is this normal or strange?

There is nothing untoward in requesting a further, perhaps more detailed report of the accident in which you were injured. As you had already pointed out that working alone on that site was perhaps dangerous, you should ensure that you make note of that in any report you make.

Whilst we would need to know more about your accident at work before we could be certain, our initial view is that you would well have valid grounds to pursue a claim for compensation against your employer. If you would like to take that further and discuss your situation with our specialist team, please call us on 01225430285.

I got hurt at work when the crane dropped the pipe hook to pick up the pipe and I was in the walkway. The pipe crane hook that picks up the pipe came down and and hit me in the neck and my head. The jolt hurt my back too.

I had surgery on my back 3 years ago. My employer has said that as I have previously hurt my back, they will not pay for my surgery? Is this right? Can they refuse to compensate me even though I was hurt at work?

As you were injured at work in the way you describe, we would have every confidence that you would succeed with a claim for compensation against your employer. Whilst you have a pre-existing back condition that has previously been treated in surgery, that would not prevent you from being able to recover compensation for the exacerbation of that condition and the causing of new injuries such as concussion, neck pain and for your associated losses.

A lantern fell on me in the store I work at. One of my colleagues was stocking the top shelf in the next aisle & pushed an item which then hit a lantern on the top shelf of the aisle I was working at. I was bent down stocking shelves myself & the lantern then fell & hit the bottom of my head/my neck. I am suffering from a headache currently as it only happened a few hours ago. There is a mark on my neck & I feel slightly lightheaded. I was not asked if I wanted to go home but I need the money so I will stay on as I would not get paid if I went home. I do not believe any accident/injury report was filled out. Do you think I can claim?

Yes, you can make a claim. You should find out whether an accident report was completed and if not, make your own report in writing.

My partner had a wooden sofa frame fall from a shelf at work and cut the back of his head. He had a trip to A+E and was told that there was no need for any stitches/glue as it wasn’t too deep. He had a constant headache/neck ache all day yesterday but has gone back to work today (as he doesn’t get paid for sick days as he does piece work although employed by the company)

Is he able to make a claim?

Your partner is absolutely able to claim. The fact that the laceration did not require stitches or glue is irrelevant as an injury has clearly been sustained. Whilst the immediately obvious injury was the laceration, it is not uncommon for people who suffer a laceration to the head when an item falls from height to develop other symptoms associated with such incidents including headaches, concussion, blurred vision, nausea and neck pain. Your partner should re-attend his GP to discuss the headaches and ongoing symptoms as it is important that they are noted in his medical records.

We would be very happy to help your partner better understand his rights after his accident at work and would like to discuss a potential claim with him.

I received a back injury and aggravated the arthritis in my knee at work when an industrial work fridge door fell onto me. I had no help and had to lever the door up to avoid further injury to myself.

Because I have not been paid for 3 DAYS plus the shift when it happened and I had to go home within 2 hours. Is there anything I can do?

Yes, you can make a claim for personal injury compensation against your employers insurance cover. You would be entitled to recover compensation for the physical injuries sustained (including exacerbation of your knee problems) and recover all lost income and incurred cost – if you were to succeed.

Given that a heavy door has fallen on you, there is a good possibility that your claim would succeed.

Hi just looking for advice, I had an accident at work last year with my previous employer, what happened was my manager asked me to straighten a rug (I was a housekeeper) as I was on my knees doing this task he lifted/tilted an antique wardrobe, when he done this the wardrobe door became detached and fell on my head, I was offered no first aid and had to finish my shift as normal, another housekeeper witnessed this, would I have a claim? It was recorded in the accident book, not by me personally.

The incident you describe would certainly warrant a claim for compensation – but only if the injury sustained was sufficiently serious. You mention having to complete your shift. Did you suffer headaches afterwards? Perhaps neck/head pain for a while? Did you discuss any of these issues with your GP?

We would like to discuss this with you to find out whether or not you can take this further and make a claim for compensation.

Yes I did suffer with neck pain and sore heads, I eventually ended up on sick leave with depression, my doctor was fully aware of the accident.

Hi, I deal a lot with lifting at work. I’ve told them on numerous occasions box’s are too heavy, they have took photos but still nothing has changed because I lift boxes at top of a cage, I don’t know how heavy they are until I’ve picked it up. I caused injury to my shoulder, the box’s should be 10kg but a lot are way over that and they know about it. They have took photos of them and still nothing done about it and now I have a shoulder injury off work. I said I will put it in accident book, they said because it’s a injury and not a accident I don’t need to do that, which is right or wrong, thanks.

To ensure that your rights are protected, you should make sure that a record of your workplace injury is in place with your employer. If they refuse to allow you to record it in the accident book, you could email your Manager and HR department to report the injury and outline your attempts to have avoided injury by having previously reported the overweight items.

You would appear to have a valid claim against your employer on the grounds of negligence and we would be happy to help you make a claim. Please call us or we can call you to find out more about making a claim for compensation.

Hi I’m 18 weeks pregnant and I work in retail I’ve recently got a new manager who has me working in furniture and storage. I was in the warehouse trying to do the task he gave me and boxes came down on me I have been suffering with pains in my stomach and feeling bruised from this. I went to my doctor who also said it might be bruised on the inside. I feel as if the manager is pushing me out of the job as he can’t sack me. I explained to him I wasn’t able to work 12 to 9 at night because I don’t drive and live a hour away on the bus and don’t feel comfortable coming more into my pregnancy and a few days later he gave me the whole week 12 to 9 shifts is there anything I could do about this please? I also have hospital appointments and he has me to go to work straight after I am there 7 or 8 months now and I am part time but work full time hours. Am I entitled to be payed for my hospital appointments?

You have a right to make a claim for compensation for the injuries you sustained at work when those boxes fell upon you. If successful with the claim, you would be entitled to compensation for the injury (the value of which is based on medical evidence and your recovery) and importantly, you will be able to recover any lost income caused by the injuries sustained or time off for medical appointments.

If you haven’t already done so, please do ensure that the details of your accident at work are recorded within the accident book.

Hi. I was at work as I was called in for emergency. I was in the medication room where I was trying to look for service user tablets in the medication cabinet. The medication cabinet is metal and is attached to the wall and is just under 1 metre in size. As I was putting my hand right at the back to find tablet the full cabinet fell on me and hurting my head and causing me to fall and falling on top of me. I had a bump to my head and my neck was sore. I had to ambulances come and they observed me but i was dizzy. I was okay at the time and went home. Was advised if I have continuous headaxhes then go straight to hospital. I went home and rested but started to vomit and constant headaches. Went to A&E and they were concerned I had internal bleeding after checking it was all clear but I had a tender neck pain. Was given morphine and was told to rest and take time off work. Hospital said if that had hit my neck or spine then I could have been paralysed. Can you tell me if I have a valid claim as I was given the all clear?

You have a valid claim in this matter. Our specialist Solicitors can help you claim compensation for the injuries you have sustained in this accident at work.

I had a car cleaner bottle from the very top shelf fall on my head yesterday at work because a co worker on the other aisle was top stocking and knocked some over on me. My head hurts, but not to the point where I think it’s a serious injury or anything. Is that something I should file?

Any injury at work, no matter how small it may seem and insignificant the damage, should be recorded within the employers accident book or accident reporting system. Whilst you appear to have escaped any serious damage, having the initial incident reported is vitally important as it proves that an incident happened. This would be very important if you began to develop other, unexpected symptoms that indicated that you had actually suffered a more serious injury and needed Doctor or Hospital treatment. If that were to happen and you then needed to make a claim for compensation, it would be much easier for a specialist Solicitor to prove a causal link between the bottle falling on your head and the injury sustained.

I work in retail clothing shop and my manager was in rushed and she was trying to do stuff faster and by mistake she threw metal object on one of the racks and it didn’t go inside the box but fell on my head and neck. I am still in pain, she didn’t use the step ladder to put the things away – am I still able to claim for negligence of my manager?

Was your injury and the cause (the actions of your Manager) recorded in the workplace accident book? If so, you may be able to succeed with a claim for compensation.

A metal shelf fell on my head today as I opened a filing cabinet which had been moved. I was taken to A&E by a colleague but sent home as they had serious team as in and weren’t seeing any patients unless life threatening injuries. I’m going to try and get and emergency appointment at my GP’s tomorrow morning. I believe I have concussion as feel dizzy and nauseous.

I think you have a valid claim for compensation and it would appear that you have suffered concussion. Make sure that you have reported the incident to your employer and that your injuries and symptoms are on record.

I am a school escort working for a council. On 12th October last year during storm Callum, a tree fell on the taxi minibus I was in and i injured my back and was taken to hospital. I am still suffering pain now but have returned to work. The council say I can not claim compensation from them as it was an act of god…Where do I stand in this please?

As the passenger in this accident, you may have a chance of claiming compensation from the minibus insurers. However there is a chance that you could be blocked from claiming under the ‘act of god’ issue you have come up against so far.

To succeed with a claim against the owner of the tree, or organisation responsible for the management of it (the local authority), you would have to demonstrate that their Tree Officers and Parks Department were negligent and that the tree that fell was unsafe and should have been felled before the storm felled it. As you can imagine, to prove such negligence would be extremely difficult and it is most likely that the force of the storm was simply beyond mitigation.

Should I claim after a curtain rail support falls an hits my head in my supported housing accommodation?

Had you previously noticed any issues with the curtain rail? If no issue had been noticed and the landlord hadn’t been put on notice of a need to carry out some maintenance, it is unlikely that you would succeed with a claim.

We would be happy to discuss your accident in more detail with you in order to be able to advise you as to whether or not you could take this matter further.

Boxes were haphazardly stacked up in the ladies changing room at work over new year and one fell off onto my arm on my way to the toilet. This has caused me pain ever since. I went to the minor injury unit and they said it wasn’t broken. Do I have any recourse please?

On face value, you would appear to have a valid claim for accident at work compensation. The employer is likely to be seen as having acted negligently in allowing the boxes to be badly stacked and thus become a possible hazard. Did you report the accident at work?

We would be happy to assist you further with a No Win No Fee claim for this injury at work. Please use the ‘start a claim’ page of our website to make further contact in order that our team can speak with you to discuss this.

I broke my toe at work after dropping a heavy object on it. When I started my job I signed something which said I wouldn’t lift heavy objects. Would this mean I would not be able to claim?

You may still be able to make a claim for compensation against your employer. We would like to investigate your claim and take this matter forward for you.

Can I ask for interim pay, as I am unable to work.. large sign fell on me, where men were working on the building..this was 7 days ago!!
If I’m granted interim payment do you take any of it, or would you wait until the case is settled?

Any claimant who is pursuing a claim for personal injury compensation can seek an interim payment if it is appropriate for them to do so. However, an interim payment will only be claimable if an admission of liability is in place.

Therefore, a claim would have to be commenced and the defendant insurers would have to be allowed appropriate time to investigate the incident and then respond to the claim. If and when they admit liability, an interim payment can be made. In most cases, interim payments are applicable in claims of a fairly high settlement value.

In your case, as your accident was only 7 days ago, it is very unlikely that you will be able to get an interim payment for a considerable time. If you do obtain an interim payment, the amount received would be deducted from your final settlement value (for example, if you received an interim payment of £200 on a claim that had a final settlement value of £2000, your final settlement payment would be £1800 as you would have already had £200. In both cases, 25% would be deducted towards the costs of the claims process.

On the actual accident you have had, it would appear that you do have a strong claim for compensation. As such, we would recommend that you commence a claim at the earliest opportunity and use our ‘start a claim’ page to get the ball rolling.

Good day On Friday I went to spar and the pole at the till point fell on my leg and I got hurt. I have not been to the doctors as i don’t have funds to go to one I have not been to work from Saturday up until today. Can you advise me on this matter please.

Was your accident reported in to the store accident book? If not, you should ensure that the store has a record of the injury.

Whilst at work I had a heavy notice board fall off the wall on me which winded me and caused neck and headache for about 1hr. No other injuries and didn’t require medical attention. Would I be entitled to claim?

If the board falling on to you has caused injuries that are sufficiently serious, you would be entitled to make a claim against your employer. In your case, you seem to have escaped serious injury and if your symptoms were eased within an hour or even a couple of days, you would not be sufficiently badly injured to enable a claim to proceed.

We often hear from people involved in accidents such as yours where an item has fallen on to their head that they have gone on to suffer ‘whiplash’ related symptoms with neck pain and associated discomfort. If that is the case for you, then you would be able to pursue this.

Hello Ian, around 2-3 months ago my area manager caught a falling tray(s) that almost hit my head from an elevated state. This near miss wasn’t recorded and no corrective action was implemented, 4-5 days ago the trays fell again and knocked me out. I was out cold for around a minute an ambulance was called and I was luckily okay, I went home with a severe headache and back ache but am slowly feeling better, i went back to work a couple of days ago to find no corrective action was taken on the object that fell on me. Also my manager gave no interest in my well being asking if someone was able to cover the shift, is a claim on the table?

Yes, you definitely do have a valid claim in this matter and I would very much like to help you further with getting your claim started.

Given that an Ambulance has attended the scene, there will be evidence to support your claim but you should ensure that an accident book entry has been completed at work. Further, it is important that you do not underestimate the damage/injury that such an incident can cause. You should keep an eye on all symptoms as it is likely that you will have sustained soft tissue injuries such as whiplash as well as muscle spasm and possible concussion. You should make sure that all relevant symptoms are recorded with your GP.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Hello i was moving a shelf at the supermarket i work at and the shelf fell and landed on my leg it wasn’t a serious injury but i had the rest of the day off and my leg still hurts when i move it the shelf was not fastened on properly which is why it fell on my leg and i should not of been even changing them as it wasn’t my job too but i was told to do it anyway.

Although your injury is not too severe, the scenario you describe is likely to give rise to you being able to succeed with a claim for compensation against your employer. It is important that you make sure that you have properly reported the accident at work and that an accident book has been filled in – in which you should (if you can) mention that you were not doing your usual job.

Hi a couple of weeks ago I was on the bus for our area and a light fitting fell off and hit me on the head. I reported it to the bus company who reported it to there insurance who are saying I need to take legal advice to take it further?

You did the right think in reporting the incident to the bus company. Making sure that the details of an accident are properly reported and recorded is a very important and helpful step in the process of claiming personal injury compensation.

In your case, if you were injured by the falling light fitting, you could instruct us to help you make a claim against the insurers of the bus company to recover compensation for your injuries and any associated losses – a matter that we would pursue on a No Win No Fee basis for you.

If you would like us to take this further for you, please use the ‘start a claim’ page of our site. One of our team will then contact you to talk you through the No Win No Fee claims process and get your claim started.

Hi,
I was in a store when a large advertising board fell from above and caught me on the top of the head my glasses were broken as it must have caught them. Even though this was caught on t.v and I asked for it to be put in a accident book gave all my details was told head office would get in touch within 3 working days. I had a headache for 4 days and even two weeks later my head is tender when I brush my hair. I never heard from anyone so a week later I went back to the store and was told by the manager she would e-mail them to get in touch. But still nothing. Is this neglect by the store?

The store in question are clearly not great at communication and should have responded to you before now. However, the fact that you reported the accident immediately and requested that it was listed in the accident book indicates that you have done all that could reasonably be asked of you to ensure that the accident has been properly reported and recorded. That you have subsequently returned to the store and been told by the Manager that someone would be in touch further strengthens your position.

On face value, I believe that the information you have provided would indicate that you would be likely to succeed with a claim in this case.

Hi there! So I was stocking some groceries at my job three nights ago and I was trying to take a box from one side of the u-boat, it ended up getting caught on the pile of boxes next to it, resulting the top box hitting me in the back of my head just about where my ear is, resulting in a nice bump. No concussion, but my head hurt for two days and for the first few hours after it happened anything loud made my ears ring and go numb. It turned out the box on top was a 15lbs box of laundry detergent stacked on top of a few boxes of pads so it gave way when it tipped as well. I didn’t know this until after the box was already on the floor and I picked it up to see what it was. I’m not the one who put the u-boat together either. I still have yet to file an accident report due to working third shift with no manager to help me write one. Gonna write one up tomorrow. On top of that, one of the other employees claims she saw me run into the uboat and purposely injure myself (when she was two aisles over and nobody came to check on me especially after screaming when the box fell on my head), which isn’t true and told this to the manager who actually put that u-boat together so I’m afraid they’re not gonna believe me. Even though I have decided to not go to the doctor, can I still request them to look at the cameras that have recorded what actually happened? I don’t want a stupid rumor going around the store that could ruin my reputation.

You cite a great reason for why it is so important to ensure that the details of any accident at work & injury are properly reported and recorded in the workplace. Whilst you appear to have escaped with a fairly minor injury, we would also always recommend seeking medical attention to ensure that the injury details and cause are noted on your medical records. A medical record of the injury is vital should any future developments from what could initially appear to be a minor injury are discovered as it would enable a link to be drawn back to the initial injury.

It sounds as if employer negligence could be established in your case given the dangerous stacking of boxes of weight at height.

Hi, my work colleague had an accident at work a good few years ago whereby a pack of ply leaning against a wall fell on him breaking his leg quite badly. He received some compensation but not as much as you would expect for such a bad accident. He is now having problems with the injury, suffering with arthritis in his older age.would he be able to make a second claim?

Sadly, I don’t think your colleague has any hope of gaining further compensation – I would imagine that the settlement they received some years ago would have been a full and final settlement.

I stopped a falling object weighing 100kg falling on someone’s head whilst unloading a vehicle, injuring myself in the process, but I’m not entitled to claim as it was my fault! How can this be?
Are you meant to let it fall on someone’s head?!?

As you know, we feel you have a claim that should be taken further and we’ve now spoken with you and submitted your details to one of our specialist injury compensation solicitors.

Recently been off work for two weeks and am currently starting my third week off. I was backing a container on to the premises ready to be unloaded, I stopped the container at designated area and as the container stopped it jolted and as I was walking away a box fell on the back of my head n neck, suffering with neck cramps and muscle cramps between the shoulders, unable to do much can’t even hold new born daughter for long before muscles start aching and hurting, just wondering if there is any possible claim? thanks.

We would gladly investigate this matter for you and on face value of the information you have provided so far, I don’t think we’d have any difficulty in placing your claim for accident at work compensation with one of our specialist no win no fee personal injury Solicitors.

You should make sure that your employers have a record of your accident and injuries within their accident book/accident reporting system. I assume that they are aware of the issue given your absence from work.

Hi, at work yesterday, I work in a school, I used a toilet with an old cistern on the wall. When I pulled the flush on a chain, the whole cistern came off the wall onto my head. I put my hands up to save it and my right hand was very sore afterwards and very swollen, I’m unable to fold my fingers over without getting pain. Would I be able to claim? – Vanessa.

You certainly can make a claim and we would like to help you to do so. Make sure that the details of the incident are on record in an accident book at the workplace and that you seek medical attention.

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