Construction Accident Claims
Building Site Accident Claims
Construction site workers face physical dangers every day at work. There is strict health and safety legislation requiring employers to ensure that their workers are properly trained and have the correct equipment. If you have suffered an accident, our personal injury lawyers can help.
“They punch well above their weight. The quality of service they provide equals that of any of the larger top-name firms in this area.”
“Fielding a first class, very well resourced team of litigators, the personal injury department at Osbornes is rated for its diverse workload of complex, high-value injury claims.”
Construction and building site accident claims
Despite the protection of the law, many construction workers are at particular risk and may be reluctant to make an accident at work claim for any injuries. Those most at risk tend to be ‘casual’ workers who are registered as self-employed under the Government’s Construction Industry Scheme.
There may be up to 1 million casual workers with self-employed status in the UK. Most of them are not truly self-employed but are described as such to allow them to be engaged, often by agencies, without national insurance payments and with reduced worker safety rights.
London construction site claims
In London’s large construction sector, nearly 40% of all workers are migrants. Many of our construction industry clients work with self-employed status and we are still able to bring successful claims for nearly all of them. This is because in many cases we can show that the relationship is, in reality, one of employer-employee and in any event, there are still health and safety duties owed to the self-employed. If a self-employed worker is injured because of the negligence of another worker or organisation he will still be able to bring a claim.
Construction Accident Claim case studies
£8,000 Settlement for construction site accident
Mr C, a plant hire driver, was unloading a digger from his low-loader lorry when its mud-covered tyres lost grip, causing it to slide off and overturn. His employers failed to provide sand or ensure wheel cleaning, despite the foreseeable risk. He sustained an ankle fracture requiring surgery but recovered within six weeks. Initially, his employers denied liability, but after legal action, their insurers admitted fault. The case was settled for £8,000 in damages plus legal costs.
£50,000 Settlement for building site fall
Our client suffered multiple fractures to their left leg, requiring surgery, after a fall at a building site. Despite requesting the area be cleared, metal rails and equipment remained scattered, limiting workspace. Given only a step ladder instead of a proper platform, he struggled to fix boarding while balancing on uneven ground. He lost his footing and fell. Thankfully, he made a good recovery but continued to experience mild knee and shin pain. He changed jobs to avoid ladder work and returned to full-time employment after a short absence. We secured a £50,000 settlement for his claim.
Have you been injured in a construction accident?
Some construction site workers are reluctant to bring a claim because they may lose their job. In reality, most are not kept on if they are unable to work through injury anyway, because their self-employed status means they are not eligible for sick leave or sick pay. Employees with full employment status, would have a further claim, for Unfair Dismissal if the employer sacked them because they were off work on sick leave.
The employer is required by law to have liability insurance for worker accidents and so in practice, the claim is dealt with and paid for by the insurers, and the employer accepts this. So it is rare for the employer to want to take any action against the employee.
Another reason a migrant construction worker might be reluctant to bring a claim is because of issues with their immigration status. We can usually advise on these issues and most claims will still succeed. Please contact us for free no obligation advice on a personal injury claim.
Construction workers face a higher risk of serious injuries, including head and brain injuries. If you’ve suffered an accident at work, contact our specialist personal injury lawyers for free, no-obligation advice on your claim.
To speak with one of our solicitors, contact us by:
- Filling in our online enquiry form; or
- Calling us on 020 7485 8811
Related services:
Client StoriesVIEW ALL
- 22.10.2024
£75,000 Settlement for Head Injury at College
Accident During a College Class Eloise Mears, Solicitor at Osbornes Law, represented a student who sustained a head injury while...
Read more - 26.4.2024
Head Injury Following Slip at Work
Client who slipped at work obtains a good settlement Laura Swaine recently settled a work accident claim for a client...
Read more - 26.4.2024
Six-Figure Settlement for Head Injury at Work
Settlement for a client injured at work Laura Swaine recently settled a claim for a client who was injured while...
Read more - 14.3.2024
Strawberry Picker Receives £10,500 After Accident at Work
Incident in the Strawberry Field Our client was at work, walking in the field and carrying cages with strawberries, when...
Read more - 13.3.2024
Accident at Work Compensation Examples
Factory Worker Receives £14,000 for Hot Water Burns Our client was working in a food producing factory. He was injured when...
Read more - 13.2.2024
5-figure Payout for Death of Hungarian Lorry Driver
Hungarian lorry driver tragically dies Siobhan McIvor, a Partner and Personal Injury lawyer, has successfully settled a fatal accident compensation...
Read more - 6.12.2023
Accident at work claim settled for Romanian driver
Siobhan McIvor, a Partner in the Personal Injury Department, has successfully settled an accident at work claim arising from an...
Read more - 5.12.2023
£75,000 Compensation After Accident Leads to Blood Clot
£75k Settlement Following Injury at Work Serious injury lawyer, Blanca Diego Casas recently represented an individual who suffered serious medical...
Read more - 23.11.2023
Accident at work claim settled for Hungarian factory...
Forklift trucks are a common cause of warehouse injury claims due to human error on the part of the forklift...
Read more - 11.4.2023
£250,000 settlement for client injured in forklift accident
Sophie Davies, a specialist personal injury lawyer at Osbornes Law, recently represented a client who suffered life-changing injuries following a...
Read more - 17.11.2021
£100,000 settlement for tripping at work
Osbornes Law secures £100,000 settlement for Hungarian woman who tripped over a shopping bag at work Siobhan McIvor, a Partner in...
Read more - 17.11.2021
£165,000 settlement for factory accident
Siobhan McIvor, a Partner in the Personal Injury Department of Osbornes Law, has settled a £165,000 accident at work claim, with...
Read more - 31.8.2021
Kitchen Accident Claim
Our client, a hospitality supervisor instructed Osbornes after he slipped and fell on oil and food debris on the floor...
Read more - 18.5.2021
Construction Site Accident at Work
Our client suffered numerous fractures to their left leg requiring surgery following a work accident on a construction site. He...
Read more - 18.5.2021
Compensation for Amputation on Construction Site
Our client worked as a carpenter/bricklayer on a building site at a residential property in North London. He was...
Read more - 15.10.2020
Fatal Accidents In The Workplace
A new article from the BBC takes a looked at fatal accidents at work. The report states that since 1981, there...
Read more - 2.9.2020
Lasting damage to ankle following construction accident settles...
Sam Collard, a Partner in the Osbornes’ catastrophic injury team, recently settled a construction accident claim for a Romanian man...
Read more - 30.7.2020
Self-Employed Injury At Work
Claim for an accident as a self-employed worker Being self-employed has advantages, including independence, creative freedom, job satisfaction and control...
Read more - 13.8.2019
Fatal Accident Conviction Highlights Health & Safety
Construction bosses guilty of gross negligence manslaughter Conrad Sidebottom, 46, and Richard Golding, 43, were jailed for their part in causing the...
Read more