In this guide to claiming heavy furniture lifting injury compensation. If you have suffered an injury while lifting or carrying furniture. You may not be able to claim if you hurt yourself moving your own furniture. This guide covers manual handling injuries at work when you are moving heavy furniture for your employer as a result of their negligence.

Two men lifting heavy furniture straining their backs

Your employer has a duty of care towards you. This means that they have a responsibility to take all reasonably practicable steps to protect you from workplace accidents that lead to injury.

If you have any more questions about making a claim, or if you’d like to see if you’re eligible to pursue compensation today, get in touch. You can:

  • Call and talk to one of our expert claim advisors on 0800 073 8801
  • Use the live chat feature on this page
  • Fill out our contact form

Our advisors can answer your questions and help you to get your claim underway.

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An Online Guide To Lifting Heavy Furniture Injury Claims

In this guide, we will look at what a manual handling accident caused by carrying heavy furniture is. We will also look at how they can happen, and the ways that this could be caused by employer negligence. You will learn about your employers’ responsibilities towards you while in the workplace and the steps that they need to take to fulfil the duty of care they owe you.

There is a maximum weight limit that a person can be asked to lift during their job; this guide will explain what this is. We will also look at some of the tips that the HSE recommend when carrying out manual handling in the workplace.

You may be wondering, “what kind of injuries could you sustain as the result of this kind of accident?”. If so, you may find the information in this guide useful. We will address the different ways that a manual handling claim could impact you.

You will learn about the steps you can take to prepare for making a claim as well. We have provided an example compensation table showing the amount that you could receive if your case is successful. Lastly, we provide an explanation of how a No Win No Fee agreement works.

Our claims team can provide you with free legal advice. They could also advise you about specific details related to your heavy furniture lifting injury compensation claim, such as the personal injury claims time limit that will apply. The contact telephone number for our team is at the end of this guide.

What Is A Lifting Heavy Furniture And Handling Injury?

When you’re at work, depending on the role you’re undertaking, you might be expected to lift and carry objects. It’s important that you do this safely in order to reduce the risk of injury.

If you pick up, lift or carry something, this could cause injury. For instance, you may attempt to lift something that is too heavy to carry. This could cause a strain or sprain in a ligament or tendon.

In other circumstances, your injury might not come about as a result of a single incident. Instead, it could happen because you’re forced to carry out the same lifting and carrying techniques without sufficient breaks between tasks.

If you were involved in a manual handling accident at work, for which your employer was responsible, you could be able to claim lifting heavy furniture injury compensation. Get in touch with our team for free legal advice about claiming.

Employers Manual Handling Duty Of Care

It is your employer’s responsibility to take reasonable steps to ensure your safety at work. This is a legal requirement and it’s set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Your employer must take all reasonable actions to uncover and mitigate health hazards and risks in the workplace. This responsibility is policed by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) which is the agency in Britain for regulating workplace health and safety.

When it comes to a lifting heavy furniture injury, your employer should have provided you with adequate training in manual handling safety. Additionally, all relevant regulations regarding lifting and carrying must be followed. If they are not, and this results in an accident causing you harm, you may have a valid reason to make a heavy furniture lifting injury compensation claim. Call and speak to our team for more advice about this.

Manual Handling Regulations

Your employer has a general duty of care towards you as outlined in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act. However, there are other pieces of workplace legislation that specifically relate to certain areas of employment.

For example, there is the heavy lifting at work law that is found in the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHR). This piece of legislation lays down regulatory requirements. This legislation requires that employers:

  • Avoid the need for hazardous manual handling as much as it’s reasonably practicable to do so
  • Assess the risk of injury from manual handling that employers can’t avoid
  • Reduce the risk of injury as a result of lifting and carrying as much as reasonably practicable

Your employer failing to comply with these regulations could result in them being considered negligent. As a result, you could claim for any injuries you sustain as a result. For advice on making such a claim, speak to one of our expert advisors.

Tips On Safe Lifting, Handling And Moving Of Furniture In The Workplace

HSE provide information relating to proper lifting and carrying techniques. When followed, they could reduce the risk of accidental injury.

These techniques include:

  • Plan before you lift something. Think about where you have to place the item, how you will reach this place, etc. Consider whether handling aids could be used to make this safer.
  • Adopt a good position. Your feet should not be together and one of your legs should be forward slightly; this will help you balance. Make sure your clothing and footwear are suitable for the task at hand.
  • Hold the load safely. If it’s possible to do so, you should hug the load as closely as possible to your body.
  • Make sure that you begin in a good posture. For example, you should slightly bend the back, hips and knees.
  • Hold the load close to your waist. The heaviest side of the load should be next to your body.
  • Move smoothly. Avoid jerking or snatching, as this can make it harder to keep control over the load.
  • Don’t lift more than you can manage. Remember that there is a difference between what you can lift, and what you can lift safely.

You should receive full appropriate manual handling training from your employer if this is something that you will carry out as part of your role. If you aren’t correctly trained and you injure yourself because of this, then you could be entitled to make a heavy furniture lifting injury compensation claim.

What Is The Maximum Weight You Can Lift At Work?

The MHR does not set weight limits for manual handling. However, the HSE does provide its own guidelines about how heavy a weight can be if it is to be carried. These are not legally binding and instead are based off broad assumptions and generalisations that aim to reduce the risk of injury.

We have included the table below to illustrate these guidelines.

 
Women Men
Shoulder height (away from body) 3kg 5kg
Shoulder height (close to body) 7kg 10kg
Elbow height (away from body) 7kg 10kg
Elbow height (close to body) 13kg 20kg
Knuckle height (away from body) 10kg 15kg
Knuckle height (close to body) 16kg 25kg
Mid-lower leg height (away from body) 7kg 10kg
Mid-lower leg height
(close to body)		 13kg 20kg
Lowest height (away from body) 3kg 5kg
Lowest height (close to body) 7kg 10kg

If risks are ignored, and you are asked to move an object unsafely, you might be harmed. In such a case, if it can be proven your employer had been negligent, a claim might be possible. Our team can tell you more about this; just get in touch.

When Can You Refuse To Lift Heavy Furniture At Work?

If you are asked by your employer to lift something that you don’t feel safe to do so, then you can refuse to do so. This might be because, for example, it’s too heavy to lift properly, because it hasn’t been risk assessed or because you haven’t been trained to do so.

Any of these could be a reason to refuse to lift something at work. If your employer insists, and you subsequently do suffer harm, this could be seen as negligence. You may be able to claim compensation for the harm you suffered. To find out how the process of claiming works, call and talk to one of our advisors.

Common Injuries Caused By Lifting Heavy Furniture

When you make a claim for lifting heavy furniture injury compensation, you could be compensated for the pain and suffering that your injuries cause you. Some common injuries caused by lifting could include:

  • Rotator cuff tear – this is an injury to the band of four muscles and tendons that form the cuff of the shoulder joint.
  • Biceps tendinopathy – the inflammation of tendons that attach to the bones of the biceps.
  • Meniscus tear – damage to the cushion of cartilage in the knee joint.
  • Achilles tendon rupture – a rupture of the tendon that runs down the back of the leg and under the ankle.
  • Shoulder impingement- pinching the rotator cuff muscles and tendons between the shoulder blade and the shoulder socket.
  • Rotator cuff tendonitis – inflammation of the rotator cuff due to repetitive stress.

If you were to suffer injuries such as these due to negligence on the part of your employer, you might have a valid heavy furniture lifting injury compensation claim. Call and talk to our team today; you could be connected with one of our lawyers.

Lifting Heavy Furniture Back Injuries

You might be able to claim compensation for a back injury at work if you can prove that your employer was to blame for the harm you suffered.

You might develop a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) as a result of repeated manual handling in the workplace. This might develop over time, rather than you experiencing one specific accident resulting in injury.

This could happen if:

  • You’re not given the right training
  • You aren’t given sufficient breaks; this could cause fatigue and tiredness
  • Enough time is not being scheduled between your shifts for you to recover

If you talk to one of our advisors, they can tell you whether you have a valid claim. Provided that they do, they could provide you with one of our lawyers to work on your claim.

What Should You Do If You Had A Heavy Furniture Injury

You may be thinking, “I hurt my back at work- what should I do?”. The steps involved in proving a back injury at work may depend on the circumstances of the incident. However, we can give you some general advice on what to do if you are injured at work;

  • Take photographs of the cause of the accident.
  • Gather contact details of any witnesses to the accident so that they can provide a statement later.
  • Make sure the accident is entered into the company accident book.
  • Seek medical attention to have your injuries treated.
  • Start to collect records of bills, receipts, invoices, etc. that cover any costs you incurred due to your injuries.

For more help on getting a heavy furniture lifting injury compensation claim underway, please call and talk to our team. An advisor can help you further.

Calculating Heavy Furniture Injury Compensation Claims

The average payout for back injury at work may not be particularly useful to your circumstances. This is because each claim is unique and will consider different factors that are applicable to your case.

Instead, we’ve included a table that shows guideline compensation ranges for different injuries and of different severities. This table was created by referencing the Judicial College Guidelines, which are guideline compensation brackets for a range of different injuries of varying severities.

 
Type of Injury Level of Severity Potential Compensation Further Notes
Neck Minor Up to £7,410 A category of neck injuries, that are minor in nature. This might include bruises, grazes, and lacerations. As well as minor soft tissue injuries and whiplash. Recovery would be quite rapid, and healing would be complete with no ongoing symptoms.
Moderate £7,410 to £36,120 A category of neck injuries, that are moderate in nature. All injuries that would heal within one year of them occurring. There would be no ongoing impairment past this time. Covering whiplash and soft tissue damage, as well as dislocations and damage to the vertebrae.
Severe £42,680 to £139,210 A category of neck injuries, that are severe in nature. There would be long term suffering and potentially chronic pain, even when a neck brace is worn 24/7. There would likely be ongoing impairment even once the maximin level of recovery has been reached. From minor symptoms such as pins and needles, to loss of flexibility of the neck for example.
Back Minor Up to £11,730 A category of back injuries, that are minor in nature. This might include bruises, grazes, and lacerations. As well as minor soft tissue injuries and whiplash. Recovery would be quite quick, and recovery would also be total, with no further symptoms.
Moderate £11,730 to £36,390 A category of back injuries, that are moderate in nature. All injuries that would heal within one year of them occurring. There would likely be no impairment past the one year mark. It would cover whiplash and soft tissue damage, as well as dislocations and damage to the vertebrae or spinal column/nerve.

In order to value this head of your claim, you could be invited to attend an independent medical assessment. This is set up so that your injuries and the impact that they have on you can be ascertained. The independent medical expert who performs the assessment will create a report that will be used to value your claim.

For more information on how much compensation you could receive, speak with an advisor today.

How Are Special Damages Calculated?

If you win your personal injury claim for lifting heavy furniture injury compensation, you will receive general damages. This is the part of your compensation that relates to the pain and suffering you have experienced.

You could also receive special damages which compensate you for financial losses you experience. These might be predicted losses you will incur in the future or losses you have already experienced. To claim back costs already incurred, you will need to provide documented proof of spending.

Special damages are paid for a wide range of reasons. For example:

  • Care costs. If you needed to hire a nurse who provided medical care at home.
  • Lost salary/wages. If you took time off work to recover and lost out on your pay either partially or in full.
  • Lowered lifetime earnings. For example, if your ability to work will be lowered or you cannot work at all.
  • Private medical care. If you paid for some or all of your own treatment.

For more information on the value of the special damages head of your heavy furniture lifting injury compensation claim, speak with an advisor today.

No Win No Fee Heavy Furniture Injury Compensation Claims

You can use a personal injury lawyer working under No Win No Fee agreement to make your claim. Also known as a Conditional Fee Agreement, this is an agreement that is put in place to outline what your lawyer needs to do to receive payment from you.

If the claim is won, you will be asked to pay a small success fee. The percentage that this makes up of your compensation is legally limited. It will be deducted from the settlement before you get it.

In the event that your claim is not a success, you would not be expected to pay your solicitor anything at all. Furthermore, there are no upfront or ongoing fees for you to pay.

For more information on whether you could be represented on this basis, speak with an advisor today.

Why Choose Our Accident Claims Team?

If you have been lifting heavy objects at work and suffered a manual handling accident, we can help you. We can give you access to one of our expert accident at work lawyers provided you have a valid claim.

We offer a free no-obligation consultation so that you can confirm whether you have a valid claim. Our solicitors can work with claimants across the country and so might be able to arrange a medical assessment in your local area to reduce travel time.

What’s more, they have the experience and the skills to work hard on your claim. They will also make sure that all aspects of your pain and suffering and financial losses are included in your claim.

Get in touch today for more information on the process of claiming heavy furniture lifting injury compensation.

Contact Us About Your Case

Do you think you have a valid reason to claim lifting heavy furniture injury compensation? If so, you can speak with us today to see if you have a valid claim.

You can:

  • Call and talk to one of our expert claim advisors on 0800 073 8801
  • Use the live chat feature on this page
  • Fill out our contact form

Essential References

These internal links will take you to other, related guides:

Workplace Accident Claims Explained

How To Claim For A Workplace Lifting Accident

These external links contain useful information:

Information About Back Pain

Lifting Equipment At Work

Making Use of Manual Handling Aids 

For more information on how to claim heavy furniture lifting injury compensation, get in touch today.

Guide by MW

Edited by FS