Learn When You Could Make A Scaffolding Accident At Work Claim

By Stephen Moreau. Last Updated 29th May 2024. This article will explain what to do if a scaffolding accident has injured you. Construction companies in the UK must abide by strict health and safety regulations when constructing scaffolding. So, if improper use of scaffolding has caused an accident that injured you, you could claim compensation.

Injured worker lying on floor next to scaffolding is helped by a work colleague

A scaffolding collapse or accident can injure workers or members of the public who happen to be passing by. Improperly used, defected or wrongly constructed scaffolding can cause severe head injuries or even life-altering injuries at work. So, construction site managers should take the risk seriously.

Please contact UK Law for free to see if you could make a scaffolding-related accident claim. A claims advisor will be happy to speak to you about your situation. And if you meet the right criteria to claim compensation, a skilled personal injury solicitor from our panel will start working on your claim. So, use the details below to get in touch today.

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Alternatively, you can keep on reading this guide to learn more about claiming compensation for injuries caused by a construction site accident.

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What Is A Scaffolding Accident At Work Claim?
What Are The Regulations For Scaffolding?
Causes Of Scaffolding Accidents At Work
Compensation Payouts For A Scaffolding Injury At Work
Start A No Win No Fee Scaffolding Accident At Work Claim

What Is A Scaffolding Accident At Work Claim?

Construction work very often requires the assistance of scaffolding, especially when work needs to be completed at a height. Ensuring that the scaffolding is constructed and used correctly is essential to prevent accidents and injury.

Employers owe their workforce a duty of care, which means they are legally responsible for taking all reasonable precautions to protect their workers’ health and safety at work—the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA 1974) codifies this rule. Likewise, under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, businesses occupying a space the public has access to owe them a duty of care.

Who Is Liable For A Scaffolding Accident?

A construction company is considered negligent if they fail to meet the proper health and safety requirements. Therefore, to claim for a scaffolding accident, it is important to prove that those who had a responsibility to your health and safety breached their duty of care and this led to you suffering an injury. This is known as negligence. We will explain how to prove liability later in the guide.

If you believe a construction company is responsible for your scaffolding injury, please contact UK Law today to see if you can claim compensation.

What Are The Regulations For Scaffolding?

As well as the HSWA 1974 and the Occupiers Liability Act 1957, mentioned above, other regulations and laws apply:

For example, The Work at Height Regulations 2005 states that employers must properly plan and supervise all work-related activity that takes place at a height. Employers must provide workers with the correct safety equipment to carry out their tasks safely. And working at height tasks should only be carried out by workers with the correct training to do so safely.

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 also applies. The PPE is equipment that protects the worker from workplace hazards. Employers must provide workers with the appropriate PPE where necessary without charging them for it. For example, construction workers may need hard hats to protect their heads if scaffolding collapses.

Finally, employers must have measures to control health and safety risks at work under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) 1999. For example, carry out risk assessments of their premises and activities.

What Are The Hazards Of Scaffolding?

Workers can experience a slip, trip, or fall accident on scaffolding, especially in adverse weather. Moreover, workers can fall from scaffolding if safety precautions are not taken. A fall from a height could cause life-changing spinal injuries or become a fatal accident.

What’s more, if scaffolding is not constructed safely, pieces of scaffolding can fall and injure a worker or pedestrian. If the scaffolding strikes them on the head, they may suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or head injury.

Causes Of Scaffolding Accidents At Work

A scaffolding accident in the workplace can happen if construction site managers do not follow the correct health and safety practices. Here are some examples of scaffolding hazards that could cause an accident:

Scaffolding is overloaded and could collapse
Adverse weather conditions are not taken into consideration
Workers have received no training or supervision required
Scaffolding is poorly constructed
A piece of scaffolding comes loose, so a worker or passerby is hit by a falling object.

If you were hurt on the job because your employer acted negligently, please contact UK Law today to see if you can sue your employer.

Compensation Payouts For A Scaffolding Injury At Work

A compensation payout for a successful scaffolding injury claim can include general damages and special damages. General damages compensate you for the pain and suffering caused by the injuries you’re claiming for.

The table below includes some of the compensation guidelines found in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document may be used by those valuing your scaffolding injury at work claim for general damages, as it lists various types of injuries alongside guideline compensation brackets.

The table is a guide only and the first entry is not taken from the JCG.

Type Of Injury	Information	Notes
Multiple Serious Injuries Plus Special Damages	If you are able to claim for multiple serious injuries from a scaffolding accident at work, then your payout could cover all injuries plus any related special damages, such as the cost of home care provisions.	Up to £500,000+
Head And Brain Injuries - Moderately Severe	The victim suffers severe disabilities and they are left substantially dependent on others.	£267,340 to £344,150
Back Injuries - Severe (i)	The injury could have affected the nerve roots. The person suffers other serious consequences.	£111,150 to £196,450
Neck Injuries - Severe (i)	Neck injuries in this bracket include those which are associated with (incomplete) paraplegia.	In the region of £181,020
Ankle Injuries - Severe	An injury which leaves the joint unstable and which requires extensive treatment.	£38,210 to £61,090
Ankle Injuries - Moderate	Fractures and ligament tears	£16,770 to £32,450
Wrist Injuries (b)	Wrist injuries resulting in permanent and significant disabilities.	£29,900 to £47,810
Wrist Injuries (e)	An uncomplicated Colles’ fracture.	In the region of £9,070
Back Injuries - Moderate (i)	Compression/crush fracture of the lumbar vertebrae.	£33,880 to £47,320
Back Injuries - Moderate (ii)	Injuries could include disturbances of ligaments and muscles.	£15,260 to £33,880

If you can claim general damages following a scaffolding accident at work, then special damages may potentially also be included. This compensates you for financial losses that have occurred due to your injury. Examples of what may be covered by special damages include:

Loss of earnings if your injuries have forced you take unpaid time off work.
The cost of medications or private treatments such as physiotherapy.
The cost of adjustments made at home or certain equipment required to aid your recovery.

You’ll need evidence to claim special damages. This could include documents such as wage slips, bank statements or invoices.

For more advice on the potential compensation payout for your work accident claim, please get in touch with our advisors for free today.

Start A No Win No Fee Scaffolding Accident At Work Claim

If you wish to claim compensation for scaffolding injuries, see if UK Law can help you. UK Law works with a panel of expert lawyers with solid experience handling workplace injury claims. Please call our helpline today. And we can appoint a skilled solicitor to work on your injury claim if there is enough supporting evidence.

When you work with a No Win No Fee solicitor, you will benefit from not paying a solicitor’s fee upfront. Instead, you will pay a success fee if you win your compensation claim. But, your success fee will not be payable if the case fails. And The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 caps the rate at which the success fee can be charged.

To see if you can make a claim, please get in touch with UK Law today