As large and immovable waste containers, skips are most commonly used for collecting and disposing of unwanted materials. That being said, skip accidents can occur unexpectedly, whether it be from overloading, incorrect placement or poor maintenance. These accidents could occur at work or in public, often giving rise to a wide-ranging scope of injuries. Especially if the accident wasn’t your fault, this can add another layer of frustration to an already upsetting experience. If you’ve experienced something similar, you may be giving some thought to the injured by a skip claims process. Fortunately, our useful team is here to help you through each step of the way.
At Accident Claims, our advisors will aim to provide you with a fundamental understanding of the claims process. By answering your questions, giving helpful advice and providing a free case check, you could discover your eligibility to claim. Following this, you could be connected with one of our specialist solicitors. As experts in personal injury claims, our talented solicitors operate on a No Win No Fee basis and are ready to pursue the compensation that you deserve.
To start your claim today, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team:
- Call us on 0800 073 8801
- Contact us by filling out our online form
- Ask about claiming compensation in our live chat.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- How To Claim After Being Injured By A Skip
- How Much Compensation Could Be Awarded For Injured By A Skip Claims?
- Common Examples Of Injuries That Might Occur After A Skip Accident
- What Evidence Will Support a Skip Accident Claim?
- Is There A Time Limit For Claiming After Being Injured By A Skip?
- How Can Accident Claims Help After A Skip Injury?
- More Information
How To Claim After Being Injured By A Skip
To claim after being injured by a skip, you will need to demonstrate that a third party acted negligently, resulting in your injuries. By this, we mean that you will need to fulfil the following criteria:
- A third party owed you a duty of care
- This duty of care was breached
- You suffered injuries as a result of the breach
Essentially, a duty of care relates to a legal obligation that is owed to protect the safety of other people. A duty of care can therefore be owed in many different situations, which will be explored below relating to injured by a skip claims below.
Injured By A Skip At Work
You could be injured by a skip at work due to your employer’s failure to ensure your safety. All employers have a duty of care to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of employees in the workplace; this is per the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. For instance, employers should provide personal protective equipment and conduct machinery checks as part of their duty.
Therefore, if you were injured by a skip at work due to your employer’s negligence, you could make an accident at work claim.
Public Place Skip Injuries
You could also sustain public place skip injuries if an occupier failed to ensure your safety. As per the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, those responsible for a public place have a duty of care to take steps to ensure the reasonable safety of visitors to their premises. To illustrate, occupiers should erect safety barriers around skips and perform routine checks as part of their legal obligation.
Therefore, if you were injured by a skip due to an occupier’s failure to ensure your safety, you could make a public liability claim.
Address any questions about eligiblity for injured by a skip claims to one of our friendly advisors. They can give you a free claim check.
How Much Compensation Could Be Awarded For Injured By A Skip Claims?
The amount of compensation you could be awarded for in injured by a skip claims will vary on a case-by-case basis, influenced by the nature of the injuries you sustained and whether these resulted in any financial hardships.
In successful injured by a skip claims, you will be awarded with general damages as part of your compensation. General damages are awarded for the physical and mental pain and suffering caused by the skip accident.
Your compensation could be calculated by a solicitor or other legal professional using a copy of the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to value your injuries. As compensation guidelines for many different injuries, the JCG publication is widely used among legal professionals to value personal injury claims.
All entries in the table below, apart from the first figure, have been taken from the JCG. Please be aware that they are merely guidelines and do not guarantee how much you could receive.
| Injury | Notes | Guideline Compensation Pay-out |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Injuries of a Severe Nature With Financial Losses | A serious injury in more than one instance with special damages such as loss of earnings, medical expenses and home modification costs | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Very Severe Brain Damage | The level of the award will depend on the life expectancy and sensory impairment | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Moderately Severe Brain Damage | The level of the award will depend on communication skills and any risk of epilepsy | £267,340 to £344,150 |
| Severe Neck Injuries (i) | Where the injured person has little movement even if a collar has been worn for a number of years | In the region of £181,020 |
| Loss of One Arm (i) | An arm that has been amputated at the shoulder | Not Less Than £167,380 |
| Leg Amputations - Above-Knee Amputation of One Leg | The level of award will depend on factors such as any phantom pains, problems with a stump and any side affects. | £127,930 to £167,760 |
| Severe Leg Injuries - The Most Serious Injuries Short of Amputation (i) | Injuries including extensive degloving and extensive bone grafting required. | £117,460 to £165,860 |
| Severe Knee Injuries (ii) | Permanent and constant knee joint pain causing a limitation of movement. | £63,610 to £85,100 |
| Serious Foot Injuries | Continuing pain from traumatic arthritis with prolonged treatment and the risk of surgery | £30,500 to £47,840 |
| Severe Toe Injuries | Causing an amputation of one or two toes with significant continuing symptoms. | £16,770 to £25,710 |
For a detailed analysis of your case, please get in touch with our advisory team today.
Special Damages In Skip Injury Claims
You could also be entitled to special damages if your skip injury claim is successful. In essence, the award of special damages will compensate you for monetary losses you have suffered due to your injuries.
As such, you could include the following special damages in your claim:
- Loss of earnings. You could include the cost of any current or future lost earnings, as well as the loss of a bonus and overtime pay.
- Medical expenses. You could include the cost of private medical appointments in your claim. This could also include prescription costs such as painkillers and antidepressants.
- Travel costs. You could include fuel and public transport expenses you may have incurred due to travelling to and from appointments.
- Care costs. If your skip injuries left you unable to care for yourself, you could include the cost of professional help you may have sought for cleaning, cooking and nursing.
It’s also essential that you support any special damages with evidence such as receipts, invoices, payslips and bank statements.
To learn more about special damages, please contact our friendly team today.
4.8 (948 reviews)Common Examples Of Injuries That Might Occur After A Skip Accident
There are many scenarios where injuries may occur after a skip accident, such as crush injuries or a broken arm. Please see the following examples and how injured by a skip claims could arise as a result:
Workplace Accidents Involving Skips
You could be involved in the following workplace accidents involving skips:
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- Your employer could fail to provide training sessions, yet instructs you to drop off a skip at a building site. Due to this, the skip could fall on you resulting in crush and psychological injuries.
- Your employer could fail to place heavy materials at the bottom of a skip, causing it to become top-heavy. The skip could therefore tip over onto nearby workers, causing serious head and back injuries.
Injured By A Skip On Public Property
You could also be injured by a skip on public property in the following ways:
- An occupier of a pub could have placed a skip in their car park on uneven ground. As such, the skip could tip-over on nearby pedestrians, resulting in serious arm injuries and broken bones.
- A skip placed outside a fairground could contain materials that stick out with sharp edges. The fairground company could fail to secure this skip, causing lacerations and injuries to internal organs of visitors and road users.
- You may throw an item into a skip, but the lid came down on your arm because it wasn’t secure, causing it to break.
Accidents Caused During Skip Collection
Due to their heaviness, a skip collection can cause serious injuries if proper care is not taken. For example:
- Skip lifting equipment may be faulty due to a lack of inspection, causing the skip to fall. This could cause serious multiple injuries to those nearby.
- A skip could be overfilled past the maximum weight requirement, causing it to fall during skip collection. Workers surrounding the skip could then be hit with falling debris, causing neck, head and chest injuries.
To discuss your experience with one of our advisors, please get in touch with our team.
What Evidence Will Support a Skip Accident Claim?
To support a skip accident claim, you will need items such as video footage and eyewitness contact information.
The following types of evidence will support injured by a skip claims:
- CCTV footage of the incident; you also have a legal right to request CCTV footage of yourself.
- Photographs of visual injuries
- A copy of an accident report form from your workplace or an occupier
- A copy of your medical records to support the injuries you sustained
- Contact details of potential witnesses who could provide a statement at a later date
In all, you must be able to demonstrate that a third party breached their duty of care, directly resulting in your injuries. Don’t worry if you don’t have the exact items on the list; every claim is different and will use different supporting evidence.
Our expert solicitors could assist you in evidence-gathering efforts. Please contact our team to get started with your claim today.
Is There A Time Limit For Claiming After Being Injured By A Skip?
Yes, there is a time limit for claiming after being injured by a skip as per the Limitation Act 1980. In essence, the limitation period is 3 years from the date of the accident to start your claim.
However, in cases where an injured party is unable to manage the claims process for themselves, a litigation friend can act on their behalf. The role of litigation friend can be appointed by the court, or a suitable adult can apply to act on behalf of the injured party. Part of this role involves handling communication with the injured party’s solicitor and conveying the injured party’s wishes. A litigation friend can be appointed at any point during the time limit’s suspension.
Parties who cannot manage a claim include minors and those deemed not to have the mental capacity to do so (whether due to the skip accident or a pre-existing condition). The time limit will start once an injured party turns 18 or regains their capacity.
For more information about personal injury claims time limits or the role of litigation friends, please speak to one of our friendly advisors now.
How Can Accident Claims Help After A Skip Injury?
Accident Claims can help after a skip injury by helping you understand the claims process and your rights. Following a free eligibility assessment, you could also be connected with one of our specialist No Win No Fee solicitors. With decades of combined experience, our solicitors can provide the following benefits under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA):
- No solicitor service fees at the beginning of your claim, as it progresses or if your case is unsuccessful.
- If your case is a success, you’ll be required to pay your solicitor a success fee. This fee is a percentage that is capped by law and taken from your compensation.
You could also enjoy the following advantages on a No Win No Fee basis:
- Arrangement of physiotherapy sessions to aid ongoing injuries
- Help with evidence-gathering such as medical records and witness statements
- Legal advice about injured by a skip claims
- Explanations of legal terminologies to provide a better understanding of the process
- Help with signing complicated documents and an explanation of what you are signing
- Someone to handle negotiations with the defending party’s solicitor
To discover more about the benefits of Conditional Fee Agreements, please get in touch with our team today.
Contact Our Solicitors
To start the injured by a skip claims process today, feel free to get in touch with our team:
- Call us on 0800 073 8801
- Contact us by filling out our online form
- Ask about claiming compensation in our live chat
More Information
To learn more about personal injury claims, please see some of our other guides:
- Learn about how to make road traffic accident claims
- See the following advice on bin man injury claims
- Get help with fatal accident claims
Additional external resources:
- Learn how to find urgent and emergency care services
- See the following advice on the safe use of skip loaders from HSE
- Get help with applying for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from Gov.UK
Thank you for reading our useful guide about how to make injured by a skip claims. Please get in touch to start your claim today.
