Gatwick Airport accident claims
By Olivia Luton. Last updated 16th September 2021. Welcome to our Gatwick Airport accident claims guide. Whether you were working at Gatwick airport and suffered a baggage claim injury, or were injured in a slip, trip or fall at Gatwick airport, your airport experience may not have been pleasant. But what if the accident at Gatwick airport could have been avoided if the airport operator had acted more responsibly in terms of your health and safety?
Contents
In this Gatwick Airport accident claims guide, we take you through all the information you may need about making an accident claim against Gatwick airport. Whether you’ve suffered an air passenger accident when embarking onto an aircraft at Gatwick airport, suffered a Gatwick airport car accident, or another type of incident at Gatwick airport has caused you to suffer an injury, if the airport could be held liable, you could be eligible to claim compensation.
We’ll explain how the process works, what you might need to know about how long you’d have to claim, as well as the kinds of incidents at Gatwick airport that could lead to a claim. We’ll introduce you to our services too, as well as talking about how we could help you make a claim without you having to pay a lawyer upfront for their help. You can call us on 0800 073 8801 if there is anything within this guide that you’re unsure of, or if you’d like to make a claim right away, but you might like to read the information below too, as the questions you have may be answered here.
Could I be entitled to claim compensation?
If you’re reading this guide, it’s likely that you have grounds to believe that you could be entitled to claim compensation. In order to establish whether you have a valid claim to make, you should consider whether you are able to prove that you suffered due to third-party negligence. For example, a surgeon may have operated on the wrong body part and you have the medical documents and injuries to prove it. If you can evidence that they breached their legal duty of care to you, you could have grounds to claim compensation for medical negligence. To receive a free consultation about what steps to take next, please get in touch today and speak to our team of specialist advisors.
Select A Section
- A Guide To Claiming For An Accident At Gatwick Airport
- What Is An Accident At Gatwick Airport?
- Air Travel Health And Safety Statistics
- Types Of Airport Passenger And Workplace Accidents
- Slip Or Fall Accidents At An Airport
- Baggage Claim Accidents
- Accidents In Lifts, Travelators And Escalators
- Airport Bus And Vehicle Accidents
- Accidents In Airport Restaurants And Shops
- Workplace Accidents At Gatwick Airport
- Baggage Handler Workplace Accidents At Gatwick Airport
- Accident At Gatwick Airport Compensation Claims Calculator
- Special Damages Which Could Be Awarded For An Accident At Gatwick Airport
- No Win No Fee Claims For An Accident At Gatwick Airport
- How We Could Help You Make An Accident Claim Against Gatwick Airport
- Start Your Claim For An Accident At Gatwick Airport
- Essential References
A Guide To Claiming For An Accident At Gatwick Airport
There are many situations you could be injured as a result of, leading you to make Gatwick Airport accident claims. The owner/operator of an airport has a duty to ensure that they take care of the people they employ to work there, as well as the members of the public that use the airport. Whether you have been injured at work due to a slip at Gatwick airport due to a spillage that wasn’t cleared up, you were a passenger injured in a baggage claim accident when the baggage claim conveyor belt malfunctioned or was injured in any other accident at Gatwick airport that could have been prevented if the operator of the airport had acted responsibly with regards to health and safety, you might be able to make a claim for compensation for the injury itself and the financial impact the injury has had on you.
The guide below takes you through air travel health and safety statistics, as well as talking about how you could suffer injury in an accident at Gatwick airport. We’ll also cover how to go about making a claim, how long you could have to claim, and provide some guidelines on compensation for certain injuries that could be suffered in an incident at Gatwick airport.
What Is An Accident At Gatwick Airport?
Simply put, in terms of accident claims, an accident at Gatwick airport is something that happens and causes you injury, and that could have been prevented if a liable party had acted responsibly for your health and safety while you were at the airport.
There could be various liable parties for an accident at Gatwick airport. They could include restaurant owners/operators, the airport itself, car park operators and more. Sometimes confirming who could be liable for your injuries could be complicated. However, having a personal injury lawyer on your side could help make confirming the liable party easier, as an experienced solicitor should be able to look at the specifics of your case to see who could be held liable.
Air Travel Health And Safety Statistics
At this point in our Gatwick Airport accident claims guide, let’s look at some relevant facts and figures. According to the HSE, there were a variety of accidents that happened in air transport in 2013/14. These figures include those working in passenger air transport, freight air transport, and other service activities such as terminal facilities and air traffic control, for example). It does not, however, cover cargo handling figures.
In 2013/14, employee injury numbers hit 94 per 100 000 employees for fatal injuries, and 823 in 100 000 for those that cause over 7 days absence from work.
If you were injured at work while at Gatwick airport, why not read our section that covers this in more detail below.
Types Of Airport Passenger And Workplace Accidents
There could be many different types of accidents at Gatwick airport that could cause you to suffer an injury. These could include:
- A Gatwick airport baggage claim accident
- A baggage handler accident
- A Gatwick airport road traffic accident
- A Gatwick airport station accident
- Food poisoning from a Gatwick airport restaurant
- Allergic reactions from food served at Gatwick airport
Any accident at Gatwick airport that could have been avoided if a liable party had acted responsibly could lead to an accident claim, but below, we discuss some of the more common types of accidents that could lead to Gatwick Airport accident claims.
Slip Or Fall Accidents At An Airport
With so many people travelling through an airport it is important that walkways are kept free of debris or trip hazards, and the floors maintained to a safe standard. Any spillages on the floors should be cordoned off until they are cleared away and any broken flooring should be cordoned off or signposted as a hazard until it is fixed.
If this does not happen, and you suffer a slip, trip or fall, you may suffer anything from bruising to a concussion, or even more serious injuries. If you have suffered a slip, trip or fall injury at Gatwick, we could assess your case to see if you could make Gatwick Airport accident claims.
Baggage Claim Accidents
A baggage claim injury could happen in a number of ways. For example, if you sit on the edge of a baggage carousel, and it starts up, you could suffer an injury, but you would not be able to claim for compensation for this type of accident at Gatwick airport, as it would be your fault for using the carousel as a seat.
However, if the carousel was not loaded correctly and a bag fell off onto your foot, injuring you, then you may be able to make a claim for compensation, as that would be someone else’s fault. It could also be possible that you’d be eligible to make Gatwick Airport accident claims if you can prove that you tripped over unattended luggage that was left in an unsafe place. It is an airport’s duty to ensure that walkways are kept clear of trip hazards, so they may be able to be held liable for Gatwick airport accidents of this nature.
Accidents In Lifts, Travelators And Escalators
If the Gatwick airport incident you were injured in was due to poorly maintained or operated lifts, travelators or escalators then you may be able to make an accident claim against Gatwick airport for your injuries.
The airport is responsible for your safety while using these methods of moving around the airport, and they should ensure that they are kept in a good state of repair and checked and maintained regularly. If this does not happen and you are injured in an accident at Gatwick airport because a lift malfunctions due to poor maintenance, or you injure your hand on a broken handrail, for example, you could claim compensation for this.
Airport Bus And Vehicle Accidents
Whether you were injured as a passenger in an airport vehicle that was hit by another vehicle, or you were run over at an airport because someone drove through a crossing, if someone else could be held liable, whether a road user, the car park operator or the airport themselves, then you could look at making a claim for a bus or vehicle accident at Gatwick airport.
Our expert advisors could help with many types of Gatwick Airport accident claims. So, if you have been injured in a Gatwick airport incident in the car park, while on an airport shuttle, or on approach to the airport, please do get in touch and we’ll tell you what we could do to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Accidents In Airport Restaurants And Shops
Have you been injured or harmed in some way because of an incident at Gatwick airport caused by restaurants or shops? If you could prove that the shop or restaurant was at fault, then you may be able to claim compensation.
Shops
There are a huge variety of shops in Gatwick airport, including, Next, Hugo Boss, Jo Malone, Superdry and more… If you were injured because there was a trip hazard in a shop that you fell over and injured yourself on, or you were injured when the poorly stacked stock fell on you, or you were injured on a broken shelf, or in any other incident at Gatwick airport shops, we could assess your case to see if it would be appropriate to provide you with a lawyer so that you could make an accident claim against a Gatwick airport business.
Restaurants
There are also lots of eateries within Gatwick airport, including Subway, Frankie and Benny’s, Costa and more…. There could be various types of incidents at Gatwick airport restaurants that could cause you to suffer harm. They could include:
- Food not prepared, stored or heated correctly and hygienically, leading to food poisoning
- Being served food you’re allergic to when the server knew of your allergies
- Selling pre-packaged without allergens listed that caused an allergic reaction
- Getting burned by having drinks spilt on you by servers
- Slipping or tripping in the restaurant on unattended and unmarked spillages
If the accident at a Gatwick airport that caused you to harm could have been prevented, and the restaurant was found liable, you could be eligible for compensation.
Workplace Accidents At Gatwick Airport
All employers, by law, must take care of the safety and the health of their staff. If they do not do so, and you suffer an injury in an incident at Gatwick airport that could have been avoided if they had taken care of your health and safety, then you may be able to make a claim against them.
Whether you have suffered an injury at Gatwick airport station while working there, or you’ve been injured as an employee of the airport itself, or one of the other employers whose staff work at the airport, such as restaurant, shop or cleaning staff, if you could prove your employer was negligent in regards to your health and safety and you were injured as a result, you could claim compensation against them.
Some clues that your employer might have been responsible for your injuries could include:
- Didn’t receive proper training to do your job safely
- Weren’t provided with the equipment to do your job safely
- The workplace wasn’t maintained to a safe standard
- Equipment was not maintained to a safe standard
When making claims for compensation against your employer, you may fear it would affect your job, but it should not. In fact, there is legislation in place to protect you from being treated differently because you are making a claim against your employer. We would be glad to talk you through this if you’d like; simply give us a call to discuss this.
Baggage Handler Workplace Accidents At Gatwick Airport
As we mentioned above, if you work at an airport, your employer, like any other, should take steps to ensure your health and safety are protected as much as could be considered reasonable. They could do this in many different ways, but for baggage handlers, some of the steps they might take could include:
- Ensuring proper training was given in safe manual handling
- Providing PPE where it would be appropriate to do so
- Ensuring proper training is given on using any equipment, such as lifting equipment, which there are required to use when doing their job
- Reducing/removing hazards within the workplace as much as could be considered reasonable, or signposting hazards that remain
- And more….
If your employer is negligent in protecting your health and safety and you suffer an injury in an accident at Gatwick airport that wasn’t your fault, then why not get in touch to see if we could help you make an accident claim.
Accident At Gatwick Airport Compensation Claims Calculator
One common question that could be considered fair to ask is “how much compensation could I look to receive for my injury claim?”. If this is a question that is playing on your mind, then the table below, as an alternative to a personal injury claims calculator, could offer a quick look at how much compensation could be appropriate for certain injuries. The guideline payout amounts in the table below come from the Judicial College guidelines. They are only, however, an approximate guide to how much your claim could be worth, and your claim would not have a value attached to it until such time as medical evidence was taken and reviewed.
| ype / Category of Injury | Notes | Compensation range |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate Neck Injuries | These could include soft tissue damage to the neck and injuries that could require spinal fusion. There would be a marked impairment of function or even a future vulnerability to trauma in the future. | £23,460 to £36,120 |
| Minor Neck Injuries | Injuries that tend to heal within around 1-2 years. The level of pain, impact on work etc would be assessed | £4,080 to £7,410 |
| Severe Back Injuries | Disc fractures or lesions to the disks that could lead to conditions that are described as chronic. Continued pain and suffering, agility impairment and impairment of sexual function could also occur | £36,390 to £65,440 |
| Moderate Back Injuries | Ligament and muscle disturbances, which cause backache, or soft tissue damage that exacerbates a previous condition by 5yrs+ | £11,730 to £26,050 |
| Food poisoning | Food poisoning symptoms, ranging from minor, lasting for between a few days or weeks, to severe toxicosis requiring hospital admission | £860 to £49,270 |
| Moderate foot injuries | Tears to ligaments or fractures that leave the claimant with disabilities when walking on uneven terrain or using stairs. | £12,900 to £24,950 |
If you don’t see the injury you’ve received in the table, then please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. It would not be possible for us to list every potential injury here, so we have only used a selection. If you call us, we could give you the relevant bracket your injury could attract over the phone.
It might be prudent of us to mention here that you would only have a certain amount of time to make an accident claim against Gatwick airport for such compensation. There would be a personal injury claims time limit to consider, which is usually, in most cases, three years from the date of your accident at Gatwick airport, with a few exceptions. If you’d like to know about what exceptions could give you longer to claim, or could reduce the time in which you have to claim, our team could help you with this.
Special Damages Which Could Be Awarded For An Accident At Gatwick Airport
The compensation you could receive for your claim to cover the suffering and pain of your injuries is referred to as general damages. However, you could also claim for special damages as part of your compensation claim. These are the financial losses and costs that you’ve experienced because of the accident and your injuries. They may include:
- Travel costs – Appointments that you have had to go to because of your injuries may cost you money to get to, and if you’ve had to pay for transport to work because you were unable to drive due to the injuries you have received, this could mean you’ve incurred extra costs here too. These costs may be included as special damages.
- Medical costs – Did you have to pay for a mobility aid, or were you on medication that you had to pay prescription fees for? If you’ve incurred medical expenses directly due to your injuries, these could be included as part of your claim.
- Care costs -Did you require help with day to day activities such as washing or dressing, and did you have to have someone care for you? If so, then these care costs could form part of your claim. Likewise, if you had to have your children cared for because of your injuries and this attracted a cost, this could also be claimed for.
- Lost wages – Different employers might have different sick pay policies but if you have lost out on wages from either being put on SSP or on reduced pay while you were off work recovering from your injuries, you could claim for these. Likewise, if you are expected to lose out on income in the future due to your injuries, these costs could be included too.
Did you incur a cost we haven’t mentioned? Simply get in touch with us to get an assessment of whether it could be included as special damages.
No Win No Fee Claims For An Accident At Gatwick Airport
Claiming compensation as part of Gatwick Airport accident claims could be complex, and you may not wish to go it alone when making a claim for an accident at Gatwick airport. We believe that it could be beneficial for claimants to consider using a lawyer for personal injury claims, simply because these professionals have the knowledge and the capability to build a case for compensation. They could also advise you on whether any offers for payouts you would be appropriate to take, or whether they could help you fight for more compensation.
You may assume that retaining a solicitor’s services would require you to pay them in advance, but in fact, if you make a no win no fee claim, you wouldn’t pay the personal injury solicitor anything until your personal injury claim was settled, and then only if it were successful. Lawyers working on these kinds of personal injury claims would have you sign an agreement, referred to as a Conditional Fee Agreement, that would promise to pay a success fee if the lawyer secured your compensation. The amount you would pay them would be a percentage of your payout, which would be agreed upon before your case was taken on. The limit to how much a lawyer could take from your total settlement would be 25%.
How We Could Help You Make An Accident Claim Against Gatwick Airport
Are you exploring your options when it comes to making a claim for an accident at Gatwick airport and would like the help of a personal injury lawyer, but are not sure where to find one? Or are you looking for a free assessment of your case, to see if you could be eligible to make a claim? We’re here to help either way. We have lots of experience in helping claimants on the path to compensation, and we pride ourselves on offering free advice to claimants from all walks of life on lots of different types of personal injury claims.
We’re also proud to work with a panel of solicitors that we believe could help you get the compensation you deserve for your injury claim. There is no obligation to use the services we offer, and by calling us, you could receive advice and support with making an accident claim against Gatwick airport without having to pay upfront for the lawyer we could provide you with, as all of our solicitors work on a no win no fee basis.
Start Your Claim For An Accident At Gatwick Airport
You may have already decided you’re ready to claim, or you may have further questions. Whatever position you find yourself in, there are several ways to get in touch with us, including:
- By email – office@accidentclaims.co.uk
- By phone – 0800 073 8801
- Via Live Chat
- Via our contact form
However you’d prefer to get in touch about your injury claim, we’d be delighted to help and advise you, so why not contact us today?
Essential References
- Slip And Fall Claims – Should you have been injured in a slip and fall at Gatwick airport this guide could be of interest.
- Accident At Work Claims – Were you injured in an accident at Gatwick airport while working there? This guide might help you.
- Injured Your Elbow? – If you have suffered an elbow injury at Gatwick airport, the information contained here could help you.
Airport Safety Resources
- CAA Passenger Rights – This page details the rights of passengers with regards to delays and cancellations.
- Airport Safety – Here you can see what the CAA say about safety in airports.
- HSE Baggage Handling Health And Safety – Here is the HSE’s page on health and safety for baggage handling facilities.
Thank you for reading our Gatwick Airport accident claims guide today.
Article By Jo