Can I Make A Crush Injury Compensation Claim?

Crush injuries can give rise to severe, often life-altering physical trauma including nerve damage, extensive bruising, and compartment syndrome. A person may be able to make a crush injury compensation claim if the injury was caused by the negligent acts or inactions of a third party, such as on roads, in a public setting, or in a workplace. Beyond physical symptoms, crush injury accidents can also have huge psychological impacts including depression, PTSD, isolation and irritability. Due to the unique nature of injuries, crush injury compensation will be valued on a case-by-case basis, considering the severity, prognosis and overall long-term impact. By helping you to gather strong evidence whilst complying with the time limits, our expert solicitors can guide you through each step of your crush injury claim.

At UK Law, our team is here to help you through this challenging time. Through the free services that we offer, our advisors could answer your questions, provide helpful advice, and conduct a case check to determine your eligibility. Following this, you could be connected with one of our specialist personal injury solicitors to start your crush injury claim. With decades of combined experience, our No Win No Fee solicitors focus on building strong evidence and fully assessing the long-term impact of your crush injuries.

To start the crush injury claims process today, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly advisory team:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I Make A Crush Injury Compensation Claim?
2. Am I Able To Claim For A Loved One’s Crush Injuries?
3. How Might A Crush Injury Be Sustained?
4. How Can Crush Injuries Be Prevented?
5. What Are Some Crush Injury Examples?
6. The Complications After Sustaining A Crush Injury
7. How Much Compensation Can Be Awarded After A Crush?
8. Can A Crush Injury Compensation Claim Cover Financial Loss?
9. What Will Be Needed To Bring A Crush Injury Claim?
10. Claiming For Crush Injury Compensation With UK Law
11. More Information

Can I Make A Crush Injury Compensation Claim?

Yes, you could make a crush injury compensation claim if you can demonstrate that your injuries resulted from a third party’s negligence. A duty of care can be owed in many everyday situations, such as public settings, workplaces and roads. If a third party breaches this duty and causes a crush injury, this could amount to negligence.

Please see the following eligibility requirements that you’ll need to fulfil:

1. You Were Owed a Duty of Care

You were a duty of care by another person, business, organisation or an employer. In all, this means that they were responsible for taking reasonable steps to protect your health and safety and prevent crush injuries, such as by correctly stacking heavy objects and performing regular machinery checks to prevent entrapments.

2. That Duty of Care Was Breached

You must be able to show that the duty of care was breached by a third party. This occurs when the party responsible fails to act as a reasonable person, organisation, business or employer would have done. Examples of this can include failing to provide steel toe boots at work, reckless driving or failing to repair broken machinery at a fairground.

3. You Suffered A Crush Injury As A Result

You must have suffered a crush injury as a result of the breach. This can range from minor injuries to more serious or long-term consequences, such as bruising, lacerations, nerve damage, crushed joints and compartment syndrome.

To learn more about your eligibility to make a crush injury compensation claim.

Am I Able To Claim For A Loved One’s Crush Injuries?

Yes, you could claim for a loved one’s crush injuries by applying to be a litigation friend. Typically appointed by the court, a litigation friend can handle claims on behalf of loved one’s who are unable to make a claim themselves. An injured party won’t be able to handle their own claim if they’re:

• A minor under the age of 18
• Lack the mental capacity to do so.

As such, a litigation friend will have multiple duties such as:

• Ensuring the claimant’s needs are prioritised throughout the claims process
• Holding court funds following a settlement
• Making sure the claimant is informed as well as they possibly can be about the ongoing claim
• Assisting solicitor’s with evidence-gathering

Litigation friends are typically close family members such as parents, guardians or siblings. However, solicitors can also be appointed as a litigation friend in certain scenarios.

To discover more about making a crush injury claim on behalf of a loved one, please contact us today.

How Might A Crush Injury Be Sustained?

Crush injuries can be sustained if a body part is subjected to high-force, prolonged, or sudden compression between two hard surfaces. The primary causes of crush injuries often includes accidents on roads, at work and in public places. As such, please see the following causes and how a crush injury compensation claim could arise as a result:

Crushes During Road Traffic Accidents

All road users, such as drivers, motorcyclists and pedestrians, owe a duty of care to one another. In doing this, road users must navigate the roads in a way that prevents injuries to themselves and others.

You could make a road traffic accident claim if you suffered crush injuries due a third party road user’s negligence. For instance:

• A lorry driver failed to brake at a crossing, causing a collision with a pedestrian. The pedestrian’s leg became trapped under the heavy vehicle, resulting in serious crush injuries, fractures and tissue necrosis.
• A van driver was using their mobile phone, causing them to swerve into incoming traffic at a high-speed. A collision could occur, causing a passenger to be trapped between their vehicle and the ground. The passenger therefore suffered serious crush injuries to the chest, brain damage and compartment syndrome.

Workplace Crush Injuries

All employers have a duty of care to their employees. As part of this duty, employers must take reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of their employees at work.

If you’ve sustained crush injuries due to your employer’s failure to ensure your safety, you could make an accident at work claim. For example:

• An employer could fail to repair an industrial press, despite multiple complaints of it malfunctioning. As such, the machinery malfunctioned in operation, causing a worker’s arm to become trapped. The worker could suffer with serious crush injuries and PTSD as a result.
• An employer of a building site failed to provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) to staff members, such as steel toe cap boots. Heavy debris fell onto a workers foot, resulting in serious crush injuries to multiple toes.

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, otherwise known as RIDDOR, is a law that requires employers to report specific workplace accidents to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Incidents that must be reported include the following:

• All work-related deaths
• Serious injuries, including fractures, amputations, serious burns or a loss of consciousness
• Injuries that cause an employee to be unable to perform work duties for over 7 consecutive days
• Dangerous ‘near-miss’ events that could have caused a serious injury

Therefore, if you suffered a crush injury at work that lead to a fracture, amputation or a loss of consciousness, your employer has a legal duty to report the incident to the HSE. The HSE monitor health and safety in Great Britain’s workplaces.

Crush Injury In A Public Place

Owners and occupiers of public places must take steps to ensure that their premises is reasonably safe for its intended purposes.

If you’ve suffered crush injuries as a result of an occupier’s negligence, you could make a public liability claim. For example:

• An occupier of a concert arena failed to adopt proper crowd control techniques, leading to overcrowding. Due to this, many concertgoers suffered from traumatic crush injuries and bruises.
• A restaurant owner failed to properly install a chandelier fixture, causing it to fall on a member of the public. As a result, the visitor became trapped under the chandelier, resulting in crush injuries, broken legs and psychological injuries.

To discuss your accident with one of our friendly advisors, please get in touch with our team today.

How Can Crush Injuries Be Prevented?

Crush injuries can be prevented by implementing controls, using proper safety procedures and providing comprehensive training. For instance, crush injuries can be prevented in the following situations:

• Road traffic accidents: Drivers should maintain a safe following distance, avoid distractions, manage their speed and be aware of pedestrians to prevent pinning injuries.
• Accidents at work: Employers could adopt safety measures such as using guards to prevent contact with dangerous machinery, storing heavy items properly and providing adequate equipment to protect limbs from crushes.
• Public liability accidents: Occupiers could install fixed barriers to prevent crowding, secure fixtures, and perform checks on machinery to prevent crush injuries.

To learn more about how your crush injuries could have been prevented and find out if you are eligible for compensation, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of our team today.

What Are Some Crush Injury Examples?

Crush injuries can occur when body parts are subject to high pressures, causing damage and destruction to skin, muscles, bones and nerves. For instance, crush injuries can include the following:

• Acute tissue destruction
• Bleeding
• Lacerations
• Fractures, such as finger, hand, toe and leg fractures
• Soft tissue injuries
• Bruising
• Muscle necrosis, also known as tissue death
• Skin degloving from being trapped between two objects

To discuss your crush injuries with our advisory team, please contact us today.

The Complications After Sustaining A Crush Injury

Crush injuries can also give rise to long-term complications, including the following:

• Systematic crush syndrome – This is caused by muscle destruction, also known as rhabdomyolysis, which causes a multi-organ dysfunction from toxic substances leaking into the bloodstream. This can lead to kidney failure, heart complications and severe shock.
• Acute kidney injuries – These injuries are caused by myoglobin-induced obstructions of the renal tubules, typically caused by severe crush injuries.
• Compartment syndrome – This arises when excessive fluid accumulates in muscle compartments, causing a cut-off in circulation. This can result in nerve damage, tissue death and blocked blood flow.
• Traumatic asphyxia – When the chest is severely compressed, this can seriously interrupt breathing, giving rise to swelling in the head and neck.
• Infections – Dead tissue and contaminated crush injuries can often lead to infections, sometimes resulting in sepsis and amputations.

Our expert solicitors are here to help your recovery in any way they can. To learn if you can be connected to a member of our team, please get in touch with our advisors today.

How Much Compensation Can Be Awarded After A Crush?

The amount of compensation that can be awarded after a crush will ultimately depend on the severity of your injuries, your estimated recovery period, and the overall impact on your quality of life.

If your crush injury compensation claim is successful, you’ll be awarded with general damages for your physical and mental pain and suffering. These damages will be assessed by a solicitor, typically using a combination of medical evidence and the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This publication is popularly used among legal professionals as they contain a wide variety of compensation guidelines for different injury types.

All entries in the table below, apart from the first figure, have been taken from the JCG. Please bear in mind that they are merely guidelines, and do not confirm how much compensation you could receive. For a more accurate estimation of how much crush injury compensation you could be awarded based on your unique injuries and circumstances, speak to one of our advisors now.

Injury	Severity	Compensation Pay-out
Multiple severe injuries and financial losses	Serious - with special damages such as travel costs, home modifications and lost income.	Up to £500,000+
Amputation of Both Feet	This will be treated similarly to a below-knee amputation due to the lost ankle joint.	£206,730 to £245,900
Amputation of One Foot	Also treated as similar to a below-knee amputation because of the loss of the ankle joint.	£102,470 to £133,810
Foot Injuries	Very Severe - the injury will produce a permanent or severe disability, including the traumatic amputation of the forefoot.	£102,470 to £133,810
Total or Effective Loss of Both Hands	Serious - resulting in extensive damage to both hands.	£171,680 to £245,900
Damage to Both Hands	Serious - also giving rise to permanent cosmetic disability.	£68,070 to £103,200
Hand Injuries	Serious - where several fingers may have been amputated but rejoined to the hand.	£35,390 to £75,550
Amputation of All Toes	The award will depend on whether the amputation was traumatic or surgical with effects on mobility.	£44,570 to £68,430
Amputation of the Great Toe	Serious	In the region of £38,210
Toe Injuries	Severe - severe crush injuries leading to the amputation of one or two toes.	£16,770 to £25,710

Can A Crush Injury Compensation Claim Cover Financial Loss?

Yes, a crush injury compensation claim can cover financial losses in the event that your case is successful. Otherwise known as special damages, you could receive a financial redress for monetary losses you suffered due to your crush injuries. However, you will need documented proof of these losses so make sure you save your payslips, receipts and invoices.

Examples of special damages can include the following:

Lost Earnings

If you took time off work due to your crush injuries, you could include the following special damages as part of your claim:

• A loss in current or future earnings
• Loss of overtime pay
• Loss of a promotion
• Loss of a bonus
• A loss of benefits, including pension schemes and healthcare contributions

Medical Expenses

If you sought private healthcare to aid your crush injuries, you could include the following costs in your compensation claim:

• Private consultations and surgeries such as debridement, fluid resuscitation and reconstruction.
• Physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions
• The cost of prescriptions, prosthetics, painkillers and bandages

Care Costs

If you relied on professional help or family members to aid your crush injuries, you could claim for the following:

• Professional care costs for help with cooking, cleaning, nursing and dressing if your crush injuries left you unable to do so.
• The care costs of family members performing the same tasks.
• Indirect care costs. For instance, you could claim for the lost earnings of a family member who took time off work to look after you.

Home And Car Adaptations

If your crush injuries are permanent in nature, you may have made adaptations to your home and car. As such, you could include the following costs in you claim:

• Grab bars and handrails
• Stairlifts
• Wet rooms
• Widened doors
• Ramps to accommodate wheelchairs
• Lever taps
• Adjustable beds
• Left-foot accelerators, steering aids and swivel seats for vehicles

Travel Expenses

You may have also incurred travel costs from travelling to and from your crush injury medical appointments. You could therefore include the following costs as part of your special damages:

• Fuel costs, such as petrol and diesel
• Public transport expenses, such as trains and buses
• Parking fees from hospitals and clinics
• Taxi fares

What Will Be Needed To Bring A Crush Injury Claim?

Bringing a successful crush injury claim requires establishing that a third party was negligent and providing solid evidence to strengthen your position. Moreover, you should also be aware of the time limits. Therefore, please see the following:

How Can I Prove Liability For A Crush?

You can prove liability for a crush by providing evidence to demonstrate that a negligent third party caused your injuries. Examples of this can include the following:

• A copy of your medical records to show the crush injuries you suffered
• CCTV or dashcam footage
• Vehicle registration and insurance details of the third party driver (if the crush injury happened in a road traffic accident)
• Photographs of visible crush injuries
• Contact details of potential witnesses

If you’re connected with one of our specialist solicitors, they could gather evidence for your crush injury on your behalf.

Crush Injury Compensation Claim Time Limit

As per the Limitation Act 1980, you will have 3 years from the accident date to start your crush injury compensation claim.

To discover more about time limits, please refer to our dedication guide about limitation periods in personal injury claims.

To learn about the possible exceptions to the 3-year time limit, please get in touch with our advisory team today.

Claiming For Crush Injury Compensation With UK Law

At UK Law, our solicitors have decades of experience in handling complex cases involving serious crush injuries, where securing interim payments and long-term support is essential. Please see the following advantages that you could enjoy below with UK Law:

Why Choose Our Crush Injury Solicitors To Claim?

You should choose our crush injury solicitors to claim due to their focus on achieving an outcome that supports your rehabilitation, recovery, and your financial stability. Having secured over £100 million in personal injury compensation, our solicitors are committed to delivering high standards of legal representation for people just like you. If you’re connected to a member of our team, you could experience:

• Help with applying for interim payments to cover emergency costs caused by your crush injuries.
• Assistance with evidence-gathering efforts so you don’t have to do so yourself, including CCTV footage, police reports and medical records.
• Expert advice about crush injuries, ensuring details are not overlooked such as inadequate PPE, or a lack of safety barriers.
• Connecting you with the help you need, whether it be physiotherapy, counselling and occupational therapy.
• Providing advice about crush injuries that strictly conforms to the confidentiality rules.
• Regular case updates so you’re never left wondering where your crush injury compensation claim stands..

Can Crush Injury Claims Be Made On A No Win No Fee Basis?

Yes, crush injury claims can be made on a No Win No Fee basis if you’re connected to one of our specialist solicitors. They offer their services under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which means that you could enjoy the following benefits:

• No solicitor service fees at the beginning of your case, as it progresses, or in the event that its unsuccessful.
• If your crush injury compensation claim is a success, you’ll pay a success fee to a solicitor. Please be aware that the success fee is taken as percentage that is capped by law, and will be deducted from your compensation.

Contact UK Law’s Solicitors

To start your crush injury compensation claim today, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team:

• • Call us on 0800 953 0698
  • Contact us by completing our online form
  • Use our free live chat feature

More Information

To learn more about personal injury claims, please see some of our other helpful guides:

• Learn if you can claim after being hit by a falling object at work
• Get help with making a permanent scar compensation claim
• See the following advice on making a skull fracture compensation claim

Additional external resources:

• Learn how to treat a broken arm or wrist from the NHS
• Get help with good handling techniques at work from HSE
• See the following advice on obtaining CCTV footage from Gov.UK

Thank you for reading our helpful guide about making a crush injury compensation claim.