Defective work equipment injury claim solicitors

What types of injury can result from faulty work equipment?

Many different types of injuries can result from using faulty or broken equipment at work. These include:

• Crush injuries: This type of injury happens when a part of your body gets stuck between two objects. Crush injuries can damage muscles, nerves and skin. 
• Burn injuries: Whether minor or severe, a burn injuryat work is painful. Defective equipment may burn you if it overheats or has faulty wiring.
• Soft tissue injuries: Damage to your soft tissue may impact your tendons, ligaments or muscles. You may sustain an injury like this if you were asked to handle faulty machinery without the appropriate PPE, for example.
• Back injuries: This is often caused by falling from a height, such as if using a defective set of ladders.
• Cuts and lacerations: This can happen at any workplace that has equipment with sharp edges. Severity can vary, with one of the most extreme scenarios being amputation from cutting equipment. 
• Electric shock: Common reasons for electric shock in the workplace include incorrectly assembled wiring and otherwise faulty machinery.

Non-fatal workplace injuries and work-related ill health result in 36.8 million working days lost per year. On average in 2021/22, employees with work-related injuries lost 10.6 days per year to sickness because of their accidents. 

In extreme cases, workplace accidents may cause injuries that are life-altering or even fatal. 

Whatever the scale of your workplace accident, it's worth talking to us if it was caused by faulty or broken equipment. We can help you find out if you could claim compensation for the time you've lost, the medical expenses and the distress. 

What types of equipment may be risky to use when faulty?

Injuries can be caused by defective equipment in any sector. The two industries with the most non-fatal injuries are construction and agriculture, forestry and fishing. 

Examples of equipment that can be hazardous when faulty include: 

• Handheld tools
• Power tools
• Factory machinery
• Kitchen appliances
• Scaffolding 
• Ladders
• Office chairs and desks
• Plug sockets
• PPE
• Safety harnesses
• Forklifts
• Drain cleaners
• Coffee machines
• Computers
• Conveyor belts

What scenarios may lead to a defective work equipment claim?

Work equipment not being maintained properly and falling into disrepair is a common cause of injury. Other circumstances where faulty or broken equipment at work can lead to a claim include: 

• Your employer repairs a piece of equipment but does not do so correctly. 
• You're expected to use equipment or machinery that is not adequate for the job your employer asks you to use it for. 
• You're asked to use some equipment without training on how to do so safely.
• You're given faulty PPE or protective gear that doesn't fit you correctly.
• They expect you to use machinery that has broken or incorrect safety guards.
• Your employer has failed to keep up with regular inspections of equipment. 

Who is responsible for maintaining machinery at work?

The Provision and Use of Workplace Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) is in place to make workplaces fully aware of their safety obligations. 

It states that the company's chief executive is responsible for ensuring health and safety compliance and may delegate some of this responsibility. Below them, directors and senior managers must ensure the policy is complied with and that all equipment is safe for its intended use. 

How much compensation can I get for a defective work equipment claim? 

This is difficult to say until we've had a chance to speak to you and get to know the details of what happened. If we can prove that your employer didn't do an adequate job of preventing a workplace injury caused by faulty equipment, there's a good chance you'll be able to claim.

If your claim is successful, the compensation figure awarded will be designed to help you get your life back on track. Settlements usually consist of two types of compensation.

1. General damages: This is based on the physical and psychological suffering your workplace injury has caused. 
2. Special damages: This covers the financial loss you have incurred because of the accident. Travel costs, lost earnings and medical expenses are all part of this. 

Lawyers refer to the Judicial College Guidelines when determining how much compensation a claimant can pursue. 

Why choose National Accident Law for you broken equipment at work claim?

We know how important it is that you get the expert legal help you come to us for, as well as a sensitive, listening ear. We're authorised with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and our lawyers in England and Wales are regulated by the SRA.

We want to make it as straightforward as possible for people dealing with personal injuries to get the compensation they deserve, so we've limited the amount of paperwork and jargon that you'll have to deal with.