By Jo Jeffries. Last Updated 21st February 2023. If you’re injured in a lift accident, you could be entitled to claim compensation for your injuries if the accident was caused by some form of negligence.
Whether you were stuck in the lift at work and want to sue for emotional distress, or suffered physical injury while stuck in an elevator, you might be interested in the below information. In this guide, we’ll explain what types of lift accident claim could be possible, why somebody else may be to blame and how much compensation you could be entitled to.
If you’d like to discuss any injury caused by lift or elevator accidents, why not give us a call on 0800 073 8801 today.
It costs nothing to enquire, and you’re under no obligation to proceed to lift accident claims.
Alternatively, if you’d like to find out more about when you could make a No Win No Fee claim, then please carry on reading.
Select A Section
- A Guide To Lift Accident Claims
- What Is A Lift Accident?
- Can I Claim Compensation After A Lift Accident?
- Lift Accidents In The Workplace
- What To Do If Stuck In A Lift In A Public Place
- Compensation Payouts In Lift Accident Claims
- Make A No Win No Fee Personal Injury Claim Today
- Learn More About Personal Injury Claims
A Guide To Lift Accident Claims
If you’ve suffered an injury caused by somebody else while using a lift, then you might be entitled to compensation for your injuries. There are many types of claim that are possible, including a stuck in a lift accident, an accident where you were crushed in a lift, a fall in a lift because it stopped suddenly, amongst other things.
In this guide, we’re going to explain in detail what a lift accident is and when you could be entitled to compensation, what you can claim for and how you can prove somebody else is to blame.
Claims could be possible for an accident at work, in shopping centres, in hospitals, at airports or even for a lift accident at a stadium. Injuries can be caused by trips or falls, part of your body being crushed or because you’ve been trapped.
To be eligible to seek compensation, you’ll need to claim within the personal injury claims time limit. This is a 3-year period from the date of your accident. It could also start from the date a doctor diagnosed your injuries.
As with any other type of personal injury claim, the evidence is really important to support your compensation request. Therefore, we’ll explain the types of evidence you should attempt to gather.
After you’ve read our guide, if you’d like to begin a claim, please call one of our experts for free legal advice.
What Is A Lift Accident?
You might think that if you’re injured while using a lift you would be automatically entitled to compensation. However, that’s not always the case. Before taking on your claim, a solicitor will usually want to find out if:
- The defendant (the person you blame) owed you a duty of care.
- Whether their negligence led to an accident.
- And if you suffered an injury during that accident.
If your case means you answer yes to all of the above questions, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Having the support of a specialist personal injury solicitor can be vital because having someone who understands the legislation to support your lift accident claims and the medical evidence required to support your personal injury claim. Hiring the right solicitor could mean you’ll get the right amount of compensation for your injuries.
Can I Claim Compensation After A Lift Accident?
As we’ve mentioned, if you suffer injuries from being stuck in a lift because of someone else’s negligence, you could be eligible for compensation. Someone would have had to have breached their duty of care towards you. Your injuries must have happened as a result of that breach. Injuries could include those related to the lift stopping suddenly, for example.
However, if you got stuck in the lift, your injuries might not be just physical. You could suffer psychological injuries from being stuck in an elevator. For some people, being stuck in the lift is a fear. Lifts are, of course, usually only small spaces. Small spaces can affect people in different ways. Some people may suffer from claustrophobia (fear of small spaces). These people could be particularly distressed if they become trapped in a lift. It could therefore be possible for you to sue for emotional distress after being stuck in an elevator.
Lift Accidents In The Workplace
Your employer has a duty of care to protect you and ensure your safety while you’re at work. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, they need to find any potential risks and reduce them where possible. This includes the risk posed by lifts.
Therefore, your employer should:
- Regularly maintain lifts (using specialist contractors) according to the manufacturer’s guidance.
- Train all staff on how to use lifts for moving stock or equipment.
- Ensure areas around lifts are clear from trip hazards.
- Ensure any wet areas nearby are cleared quickly and warning signs used, or the lift is stopped until the area is clear.
Failure to do any of the above which causes an accident to happen could mean you’re eligible for compensation. Your employer, legally, can’t prevent you from claiming. They can’t discipline you and will have insurance in place to cover the costs of any such claim, so don’t be put off.
What To Do If Stuck In A Lift In A Public Place
If you intend to claim after being stuck in a lift as a result of negligence, there are certain steps you might wish to take. Reporting the incident to the party who is responsible for the lift is one such step. You could also obtain contact details of any witnesses and take photographs of the scene if appropriate. Once you are out of the lift, it could be wise to seek both medical attention for any injuries and legal advice to see if you could be eligible for compensation.
If you’ve suffered injuries in a lift accident, get in touch. An advisor could talk you through the personal injury claims process and check your eligibility to claim. They could also connect you with a solicitor should you be eligible to claim compensation for a lift accident.
Compensation Payouts In Lift Accident Claims
When you begin any kind of personal injury claim, you might question how much compensation you could actually receive following your accident. This question is hard to answer, as the full amount of compensation you could receive is subject to the individual circumstances of your case.
Generally, compensation for lift accidents is made up of general damages and special damages. These two amounts then come together to form the final sum of your award.
General Damages
General damages is the term used to describe compensation covering the suffering caused by your lift accident injuries. For example, if your leg is amputated after an injury, this is likely to change aspects of your life in permanent ways.
All claims are different, and therefore every compensation payout for a personal injury claim varies depending on the facts and circumstances of the case. However, solicitors and other legal professionals could look at the Judicial College Guidelines to get an idea of how much an injury could be worth. We have created a table using these figures below. This offers a useful alternative to an injury claim calculator.
The figures relate to the general damages head of claim which compensates for the pain and suffering caused by your injuries. Please note, however, that these are only rough guidelines. If successful in claiming for an injury, your payout would depend on the facts and specifics of your claim.
Compensation Table
| Body Part | Severity | Compensation | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neck | Minor to severe | Up to the region of £148,330 | This range of compensation is for injuries caused by lift accidents starting from tissue damage through to injuries with permanent pain / loss of movement. |
| Leg | Minor to severe | Up to £135,920 | This range of compensation is for injuries caused by lift accidents starting from tissue damage through to an injury which causes permanent disability. |
| Arm | Moderate to severe | Up to £130,930 | This range of compensation is for injuries caused by lift accidents starting from long term injuries which do fully heal, to permenant damage causing paralysis. |
| Hand | Minor to serious | Up to £109,650 | This range of compensation is for injuries caused by lift accidents starting from tissue damage through loss of use of one hand (long term) |
| Foot | Minor to very severe | Up to £109,650 | This range of compensation is for injuries caused by lift accidents starting from simple basic tissue damage through to entire loss of the foot |
| Finger | Minor to severe | Up to £90,750 | This range of compensation is for injuries caused by lift accidents starting from soft tissue damage through to amputation of one or more fingers. |
| Ankle | Minor to severe | Up to £69,700 | This range of compensation is for injuries caused by lift accidents starting from sprains, through to complete permenant loss of function. |
| Wrist | Minor to severe | Up to £59,860 | This range of compensation is for injuries caused by lift accidents starting from tissue damage through to permanent loss of the function. |
| Thumb | Minor to severe | Up to £54,830 | This range of compensation is for injuries caused by lift accidents starting from soft tissue damage through to amputation of the thumb. |
Special Damages
Sometimes, your lift accident injuries could result in financial losses. For example, you may need help with childcare or you may be unable to work and lose out on income. In these cases, you may be able to claim the cost of these expenses back under special damages.
You will be required to provide proof of these expenses when you claim, but you may be also able to claim back expenses such as:
- Damage to personal property
- Travel costs
- Domestic help
- Medical costs
Make A No Win No Fee Personal Injury Claim Today
Would you like a solicitor to help you make a personal injury claim?
If so, you could benefit from their legal knowledge and experience without having to pay their fees upfront. Some people may be put off from making a lift accident claim. This could be due to the fact that they would not be able to afford an upfront payment to a lawyer. However, with No Win No Fee claims this is not necessary. There are no upfront legal fees to pay. You would not pay your lawyer until your claim had ended and compensation came through.
In order to make a claim in this way, you would have to sign a document called a Conditional Fee Agreement or CFA. This would dictate the level of success fees that your lawyer would take from your compensation payout in the event of a successful claim. These fees are capped at 25% of your compensation. If your case is not successful you do not pay this fee, and you do not even have to cover any of the costs your lawyer incurred while they were pursuing your compensation claim.
To talk to us further about making No Win No Fee claims, please call our team today.
Make A Claim
If you’ve decided that you would like to begin a personal injury claim and you’d like to let Accident Claims UK help you, then you can contact us by:
- Calling an expert, for free, on 0800 073 8801
- Using our live chat feature.
- Emailing details of your claim to office@accidentclaims.co.uk.
- Or by filling in this easy online claims form to request a call back.
Our live chat facility and telephone lines are available 24/7, so you can speak with an expert whenever is best for you. We’ll always begin with a free consultation where we’ll answer any questions you might have regarding your claim. We’ll also assess your accident, your injuries and your evidence to help you decide whether you could make a No Win No Fee claim or not.
Learn More About Personal Injury Claims
Thanks for taking the time to read this guide about claiming for injuries caused by a lift accident. If you need any further information, please call one of our experts today. Alternatively, you could read some of the guides and articles we’ve listed below.
- Lift Safety – Guidance from the Health and Safety Executive about lift safety measures and maintenance requirements.
- Head Injuries – Information from the NHS about the treatment and symptoms of head injuries, including concussion.
- Escalator Safety – A guide from the Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA) about escalator safety procedures.
- Accident in Public Claims – Information on accidents in a public place, which could include escalator or lift accidents.
- Accident at Work Claims – If your lift accident happened while at work, then this guide could help.
- Broken Bones – If you suffered a broken bone during an accident in a lift or an accident on an elevator, this guide will show how much compensation could be paid.
- Advice on claiming compensation for gym injuries caused by negligence. Learn more with our guide.
Thank you for reading our guide on lift accident claims.