For advice call 0800 612 8196

Forklift accident claims

Forklift truck accidents can cause serious, life-changing injuries. There are many situations that can result in a forklift truck accident, but if you or your loved one have been injured in an accident at work, you may be able to claim compensation.

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Overview

Supporting you after a forklift accident

We have a dedicated team of specialist serious injury solicitors who have the expertise and a track record of success in helping people who have been injured in forklift truck accidents. They understand the impact a serious injury can have on you and your family and are here to support you in any way they can.

Making a claim for compensation isn’t just about claiming a sum of money at the end of the case. It can also fund ongoing treatment and rehabilitation to assist your recovery, help to pay bills throughout the case, as well as pay for other support, aids and equipment you may need to improve your mobility and independence.

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There are no hidden costs and we don’t claw back shortfall fees, meaning you keep more of your compensation

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Dedicated rehabilitation & support coordinators to help you access the specialist help you need

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Our support

How we can help you

We're specialists - we only do injury-related law, which means you can be sure you're receiving expert guidance and advice.

Why choose us?
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Caroline Trinder

Rehabilitation and Support Lead

Our rehabilitation and support coordinators

We have a dedicated team of rehabilitation and support coordinators, who all have a background in health and social care, on hand to help you with our full wraparound support.

  • Specialist support at the earliest stage, alongside your legal team
  • Plugging any gaps in the care you're receiving
  • Emergency fund to pay for initial care, aids and equipment
  • Collaborative working with your treating team to get you home safely
  • Psychological support and arranging counselling
  • Exploring grants and funding options available to you
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Our Process

Guiding people through the legal process

You might be worried about making a claim against your employer if you've sustained injuries in an accident at work. However, your employer cannot dismiss you for making a claim. We're here to help you make a claim and will deal with everything for you. 

1
Free meeting without the need to go ahead with a claim
We’ll come to see you face to face wherever you feel comfortable to find out more about you and your family, what you’re worried about and how we can start helping you. We’ll also talk to you about how your case can be funded, so you’ll have peace of mind and reassurance that making a claim won’t cost you money, even if your claim isn’t successful. We don’t believe in taking money off injured people like some other firms, so there are no hidden charges
2
Introduce our Rehabilitation and Support Team
Once we understand what’s worrying you, our Rehabilitation and Support Team will be in touch to understand more about your needs and to help you access the urgent support you need. The team include health and social care professionals who can help to plug any gaps in your care. They’re on hand to help with discharge planning and making sure you have everything you need to go home safely. We’ve also got an emergency fund to help pay for any initial care, aids and equipment you might need.
3
Contact the other side to get the ball rolling
We’ll send a letter of claim to the defendant insurers—this is basically a letter telling them what’s happened and why we think they’re responsible. It’s important we make contact with the defendant insurers as soon as possible to make sure your claim can move forward without any delays. They’re allowed time to look into what’s happened and tell us if they admit they’re to blame, they think they’re partly to blame, or they deny blame all together. Sometimes, there’s no response at all. However, while they’re doing this, we’ll be working with them to try and get funding for private rehabilitation to help your recovery from the very beginning of the claim.
4
Asking for interim payments
You might be worried about the impact your injuries have had on you and money worries if you can’t work. While steps one to three are ongoing, we’ll also be asking the defendant insurers for interim payments. These are payments that you get as soon as possible before your case has settled that can help pay for any suggested treatment, help with any financial worries you might have about paying your rent or mortgages, or paying bills, and to put in place a full treating and care team, helping to make sure you achieve your best possible outcome.
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Gathering evidence
Next, we’ll start gathering the evidence. This could be to help prove that the other person involved was to blame (known as liability) and medical evidence to show what injuries you have, that these injuries were caused by the incident and how they’ve affected your life (known as causation and quantum). Liability evidence could be CCTV or police reports, and medical evidence includes your hospital or GP records, as well as reports from medical experts who specialise in your injuries.
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Getting you the rehabilitation you need
As we carry on gathering all the information to build your case, we’ll be working alongside professionals who are specialists in your injuries to look at how we can support you and get you the best recovery possible. We do this by organising the highest quality rehabilitation and treatment for your specific needs. We’ll keep working with the defendant insurers to get all this funded for you while your claim is still ongoing so that you don’t have to wait.
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Working out how much your claim is worth
After gathering all the evidence, we’ll also calculate how much your claim should be worth. We’ll look at what losses you’ve had since your injuries including from not being able to work, as well as any losses you’ll experience in the future. We’ll also think about all the things you’ll need now and in time to come, including things like care packages, treatment, aids, equipment, changing your home so it works better for you, and any number of others things that might be important to you (for example getting back to a hobby you love or sourcing an adapted holiday home for you to enjoy time with your family).
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Fighting for your best possible outcome
Throughout your whole case we’ll be negotiating with the defendants—whether it’s to get them to accept they’re to blame, agree to release some interim payments to help with your recovery or discussing how much compensation you should get. We’ll always fight for your best possible outcomes.
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Lifelong support
Even after your case has settled, we’re still here for you. Our specialist Court of Protection team can help you if your family member can’t manage their own affairs anymore, or we can set up a Personal Injury Trust to make sure you can still claim the benefits you need. We’re also here to help with financial advice to make sure your compensation lasts you for the rest of your life.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Here are the answers to a few of the questions we get asked regularly. But if you have any other questions, please get in touch. We're here to help.

See all FAQ's

How long do I have to make a forklift truck accident compensation claim?

The general rule with all compensation claims is that you have three years from the date of the accident to bring a claim. However, although you have these three years, it is always advisable to speak to an expert solicitor about your claim as soon as possible. This is so that your solicitor can help and support you and your family straightaway, as well as advance your case by collecting all the relevant evidence.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

Who is at fault for a forklift truck accident?

There could be several people at fault for a forklift truck accident, so it is important to explore all the circumstances carefully. The driver of the forklift truck itself could be at fault if they have failed to drive in an appropriate way or have not followed their training. Likewise, if an employer has not put in place the correct safety procedures or the forklift has not been properly maintained, they may be at fault for any accidents that occur. There are often many factors that contribute, with several people partly to the blame. Even if you think you are partly to blame for an accident, it is worth speaking with a specialist solicitor who will be able to look into your case and advise you if you may be eligible for compensation.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

Does my employer have a duty of care to keep me safe at work?

No matter what your job, your employer has a duty of care to make sure you are safe whilst you are at work. This included ensuring that any jobs that need the use of a forklift truck are safe and the environment is appropriate for the work being carried out. If you become injured as a result of them failing in this duty of care, you may be able to claim compensation.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

Will I lose my job if I try and claim compensation from my employer?

No, your employer cannot dismiss you for bringing a compensation claim after an accident at work. By law, your employer must have insurance that covers them should one of their employees be injured in an accident. This insurance company will pay any compensation, not your employer.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

Can I make a No Win No Fee claim?

Yes, if you have been involved in a forklift truck accident, you can make a claim on a no win no fee basis. This means that if you lose your case, you will not have to pay our fees, meaning there’s no financial risks to you in pursuing a claim. Our solicitors will be able to talk you through what this means and provide you with all the details, as well as answering any questions you may have.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

Can I claim even if the accident was my fault?

You may still be able to claim compensation even if you were partly to blame for the forklift truck accident. Even if your employer is only partially responsible, you should speak to a specialist solicitor who will be able to explore the case for you and determine if you can claim compensation. There could be a number of reasons why your employer may be partly to blame, including the condition of the forklift, whether they have undertaken adequate risk assessments or if the conditions were unsuitable.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

Can I make a forklift accident claim?

If you have been injured in a forklift truck accident, you may be able to claim compensation. The term forklift truck not only includes the trucks themselves, but can also include reach trucks, which are used to lift and lower items from high stacks or shelving, and stand up trucks, which are operated by drivers standing on the truck to control and steer them.

There are many different things that can cause an accident to happen. These can include:

  • Insufficient training – to drive a forklift truck in the UK, you must have undertaken certified forklift training by an accredited provider. If you have not undertaken this training, and your employer asks you to operate a forklift and you are injured as a result, you may be able to claim compensation.
  • Defective machinery – any machinery in a workplace should be maintained and kept in good working order. Regular checks are important to ensure they are working safely and correctly.
  • Unsuitable conditions – whether its uneven surfaces causing the forklift to tilt and lose balance, driving forklifts within the same area as pedestrians, or using them for inappropriate tasks, all of these things can result in forklift accidents.
  • Falling items – reach trucks causing items in high stacks to be pushed too far over the stack and falling down on the other side.
  • Incorrect loading and operating – this can include loads not being secured correctly and falling off the truck and onto someone, as well as loads being elevated when the forklift is moving.

Unfortunately, most accidents at work caused by forklift trucks could have been prevented by employers implementing the correct system of use and accurately assessing risks. Employers must assess the risks to everyone, not just the drivers and take appropriate measures to protect their staff from the risk of injury.

It is also advisable that employers provide workers with adequate safety equipment. This can include such things as fluorescent jackets, so pedestrians can be easily recognised and seen by drivers of forklift trucks, as well as hard hats and safety boots, to better protect them if they are struck by a forklift truck.

It is not only workers and their colleagues that can be in danger of injury due to a forklift accident. Business owners must also protect the general public and visitors to their premises, for example, contractors or shoppers in DIY stores, wholesalers and garden centres.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

How much is my forklift accident claim worth?

There are many things that determine how much a claim is worth. This includes the type of injuries you have sustained and the impact they have had on your life. Our specialist solicitors will value your claim based on several different areas and will give you an estimate of what your claim might be worth. We have vast experience supporting people after life-changing injuries, including:

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

What can claiming compensation help fund?

There are lots of things that a compensation claim can fund, above and beyond just a lump sum of money at the end of the claim. We will work collaboratively with the defendants throughout your case to agree interim payments to help to support you throughout the process. Interim payments are paid whilst a case is ongoing and before any final settlement has been agreed. These payments can fund things such as:

  • Easing financial strains and help with any loss of earnings you may be experiencing because of being off work.
  • The cost of travelling to medical and hospital appointments, whether it is for petrol and parking, or to pay for taxis.
  • Any treatment, support and rehabilitation you may need to assist your recovery or to cover the cost of specialist medication.
  • Emotional support and counselling to alleviate any psychological symptoms you may be experiencing.
  • Aids and equipment to help with your mobility and independence.
  • Help you to return to work or other hobbies and activities through vocational support.
  • Involve case managers and other private treatment and therapy providers such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists and psychologists.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

Get in touch

Request a callback,
or call 0800 612 8196

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