Crane Injury Claims – Compensation For Accidents At Work

By Danielle Fletcher. Last updated 3rd December 2024. The impact of a crane accident can be significant. Cranes can weigh several tonnes and the loads they carry are even greater. Should something go wrong, such as the crane collapsing or dropping its load, it could see people seriously injured or even killed. This guide about crane injury claims will provide you with the information you need to bring a case.

If a crane accident injured you because another party acted negligently, you could claim compensation. Our panel of solicitors can work on your claim if you meet the right criteria.

Please get in touch with us to enquire:

  • Call 020 3870 4868 to speak with our team
  • See if you can begin your claim online
  • Or speak to an online advisor using the widget belowA crane set against the skyline.

Select A Section

  1. The Criteria For Claiming Compensation In Crane Injury Claims
  2. How Can I Prove Liability In A Crane Accident Claim?
  3. Examples Of Common Crane Accidents
  4. Safe Work Procedures For Crane Operations
  5. How Much Compensation For Crane Injury Claims?
  6. Make A Claim For A Crane Accident With No Win No Fee Solicitors

The Criteria For Claiming Compensation In Crane Injury Claims

As we have mentioned, the construction industry is potentially hazardous. Therefore employers and site managers need to take proactive steps to ensure the health and safety of workers and other people who use a site.

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers have a duty of care towards their workforce. The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 extends this duty of care to other persons visiting the construction site. A duty of care means that one party is responsible for taking all reasonable steps to protect the health and safety of another party.

You could claim compensation for a construction site accident involving a crane under the following circumstances:

  • Firstly, your employer or the site management owed you a duty of care.
  • Secondly, the relevant party acted negligently, creating unsafe working conditions, which breached the duty of care.
  • Finally, the negligence caused a crane accident that injured you.

If you were involved in a crane accident, please get in touch with us today. If an advisor can see you have solid grounds to make an accident at work claim, they can appoint a solicitor from our panel to handle your claim.

How Long Do I Have To Make An Accident At Work Claim?

There is normally a time limit on personal injury claims of three years. Therefore you will have three years to begin the crane accident claim.

The limitation period will normally start on one of the following dates:

  • The date the accident at work took place
  • Or the date of knowledge which is when you realised negligence had taken place.

Those who lack the mental capacity to claim will have their time limit frozen indefinitely unless they make a recovery in which the time limit will begin. During the frozen time limit a litigation friend could act on their behalf.

To avoid falling outside the limitation period, please get in touch with UK Law to see if you can start a workplace injury claim. Our panel solicitors specialise in crane injury claims.

How Can I Prove Liability In A Crane Accident Claim?

As we discussed above, you must be able to prove that employer negligence caused your injuries to be eligible to make a crane accident claim. Collecting sufficient evidence can help prove who was liable for the accident as well as what injuries you suffered.

Some examples of evidence that could help support your accident at work claim include:

  • A copy of the report in the accident log book. This should be filled in with your details and information about the accident, including the time and date.
  • Witness contact information. If anyone saw what happened, they can be contacted for a statement at a later date.
  • Footage of the accident. This could be from CCTV or a mobile phone.
  • Accident photographs, such as of the scene or of your injuries.
  • A copy of your medical records, which can prove the nature of your injuries and what treatment was required.

Call our advisors to discuss crane accidents. They can talk you through the legal process and advise you on what evidence you could gather.

Examples Of Common Crane Accidents

If proper health and safety standards are not upheld, the following crane accidents may happen:

  • Cranes require a counterweight to balance out the weight of the load. If the crane is improperly balanced, the crane can tip over, injuring the operator and those on the ground.
  • Likewise, mechanical failure can cause cranes to tip. As a result, passers-by may be trapped under the crane and suffer a crush injury.
  • In addition, cranes can drop their loads, potentially striking those on the ground. Inadequate training or failing wire ropes can cause these accidents. The HSE has reported that in 2021/22, workers being struck by a moving object led to 18 fatal accidents at work.
  • Finally, an improperly trained operator can misuse the crane and make contact with live powerlines overhead.

Safe Work Procedures For Crane Operations

Employers in the construction industry are responsible for doing the following to prevent crane accidents and injuries. Firstly they must carry out regular risk assessments. Secondly, they must apply control measures to remove or minimise the risk hazards pose. In addition, employers must follow relevant health and safety guidance and legislation.

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) require workplaces to do the following when using heavy lifting equipment:

  • Operations must be planned safely regarding working procedures for crane operations
  • Ensure that only trained and competent persons can operate cranes
  • The use of cranes must be adequately supervised

How Much Compensation For Crane Injury Claims?

Compensation for crane injury claims could be made up of two heads of loss. They compensate for different things. The first we will look at is called general damages provides compensation for the injuries, pain and suffering you have experienced.

The second head of loss, which we will cover, is called special damages and provides compensation for financial losses caused by your accident or injury.

Several factors could affect how much you receive in general damages for your crane injury compensation. These include how severe the injuries are, with more serious injuries usually attracting a higher compensation figure. Also considered is the prognosis for the future, as a permanent injury would likley be worth more than one that settled quickly. There is also consideration given to the impact on general life, e.g. how your hobbies are affected.

As part of the claims process, an independent medical assessment can be arranged, and a report on your injuries can be produced. This report can be used alongside a publication called the Judicial College  Guidelines (JCG) to help those valuing your claim. The JCG gives a list of injuries and suggested guideline brackets of compensation.

Here is a table of some injuries that could be part of a crane accident claim and the suggested compensation guidelines from the JCG. The top figure, however, is not from the JCG.

 

InjurySeverityCompensation Guideline
Multiple Injuries and Financial LossesSeriousUp to £1,000,000 plus
Brain DamageVery Severe£344,150 to £493,000
Moderate (i)£183,190 to £267,340
Injuries Involving ParalysisTetraplegia (Also Known as Quadriplegia)£396,140 to £493,000
Paraplegia£267,340 to £346,890
ArmLoss of One Arm (i)Not Less Than £167,380
Chest InjuriesSerious Damage£122,850 to £183,190
Severe Leg InjuriesVery Serious£66,920 to £109,290
Serious£47,840 to £66,920

Financial Losses In A Crane Injury Claim

In addition to injuries, there could be financial losses that you have suffered. You will need evidence to help you claim them, but some examples of out-of-pocket expenses could be:

  • Loss of earnings
  • Rehablitaion costs such as physiotherapy or cognitive behavioural therapy.
  • Prothesis or orthotics costs
  • Domestic care and assistance (including professional care) costs
  • Adaptations to your home or vehicle costs

Other financial losses could be included in crane accident compensation and if you would like any further information, you can reach out to an advisor.

Can No Win No Fee Solicitors Help With Crane Injury Claims

Our advisors are available now to offer free advice through a no-obligation consultation where you can see if you have a valid accident at work claim. If they think that you could be eligible to claim personal injury compensation, they will introduce you to a solicitor from our panel.

Benefits of working with a No Win No Fee solicitor:

  • You won’t pay a solicitors fee in advance.
  • You will pay a success fee if you receive compensation.
  • Your success fee is capped. So, most of the personal injury compensation payment goes to you.

Please read our online guide to learn more about working with a No Win No Fee solicitor. Or, to see if you can begin a claim for injuries caused by a construction accident, please get in touch with the team today.

A solicitor who is an expert in crane injury claims meets with a client.

Additional Workplace Accident Claim Guides

Please feel free to read these guides to learn more about claiming for a workplace injury.

Thank you for reading our guide for making crane injury claims.