Manual handling injuries happen in the workplace when you suffer a personal injury lifting, moving, or shifting company property. You may have a compensation claim* for the impact of the manual handling personal injury on your life.

Your employer owes you a duty of care when at work. If the employer breaches their duty of care to you, causing you to suffer a personal injury, you may have a personal injury compensation claim*.

You could suffer a manual handling injury at the office, in the warehouse or when on a construction site. The personal injury suffered may cause pain, suffering, and you may be out of pocket or unable to work.

PBN Litigation personal injury solicitors can make a manual handling injury compensation claim* for the effects of the accident on your life.

Table of content

What is a manual handling injury compensation claim*?

A manual handling injury compensation claim* is for the effects of the sore back, the torn ligaments, the RSI, and spinal damage on your life. An injury in the workplace due to manual handling could affect you for life, and you seek compensation for your losses in a claim.

According to the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, manual handling injuries comprised 43% of all non-fatal workplace injuries in Ireland last year. The lack of risk assessments, inadequate training, and insufficient lifting equipment accounted for nearly 100% of all workplace manual handling accidents in Ireland. 

The manual handling injury can impact your life. You may be in pain, unable to drive and in some cases, you could need full-time care. Being unable to work will affect your income at home, and you may incur additional expenses due to medical bills and physiotherapy costs.

PBN Litigation Solicitors will look at the details of your manual handling injury to see how to form a valid manual handling injury compensation claim*.

PBN solicitors work with you to get the compensation you deserve.

We pride ourselves in taking the stress out of personal injury litigation by providing a service dedicated to the client.

Common manual handling injury claims*

Common manual handling injury claims* seek compensation for the sore back, the damage to the spine and being unable to work or exercise as you could before the accident at the workplace.

You make the manual handling compensation claim* for the effects on your life and that of your family.

Common manual handling claims:

A manual handling injury in the health service is very common. Porters on the wards, hospital cleaners, carers looking after patients and medical staff can have a manual handling injury claim*.

Types of claims for manual handling injury in the health service:

  • Nerve damage in the back from turning a patient in the bed
  • Torn ligaments from moving beds on the wards
  • Back injury from moving patients who need care

PBN Litigation Solicitors can make your manual handling injury claim against the HSE for the personal injury.

The manual handling injury in the office can happen when moving furniture without training and without the correct lifting equipment. An employer cannot ask you to move stock, furniture, and office equipment without providing you with training and guidance.

Types of manual handling injury in the office:

  • Shoulder injury from moving boxes of paper in the storeroom
  • Back injury when lifting desks during an office move
  • Disc damage to the back when shifting heavy equipment

You may have a workplace injury claim* for the personal injury.

The manual handling injury in construction is another common personal injury claim*. Often, an employer will ask a construction worker to do work they are not trained for, and the employee may suffer a personal injury and have a claim.

Types of manual handling injury in construction:

  • RSI manual handling injury from doing a task without a break
  • Arm injury when lifting blocks on the construction site
  • Back injury when shifting rubble on the construction site

The construction worker may have a compensation claim* for the manual handling injury.

The manual handling injury in retail can be for a personal injury when the shop owner breaches their duty of care to an employee. Every employer must maintain a safe workplace and ensure that employees are fully trained in manual lifting for retail.

Types of manual handling injury claims* in retail:

  • RSI from stocking shelves without a break or a change of task
  • Back injury from shifting goods in the supermarket warehouse
  • Shoulder injury when unloading a delivery truck in the warehouse

You can make a compensation claim* for the effects of a manual handling injury in retail.

A manual handling injury in hospitality is not unusual, as working in a hotel, bar, or any catering job can involve lifting and moving things all through the working day.

The worker in the hospitality industry may be expected to do many jobs while at work, but they should be fully trained for all manual handling tasks.

Types of personal injury from manual handling claims:

  • Back injury to a hotel porter from lifting and carrying cases for guests
  • Spinal injury to kitchen staff from lifting and shifting food items 
  • Leg and back injuries to room cleaning staff working in hospitality

Hotel and restaurant staff, as well as anyone working in hospitality and tourism, may have a personal injury claim for a manual handling injury.

PBN Litigation Solicitors have the experience to work with employees to help them make a personal injury claim* for compensation after a manual handling accident in the workplace.

Compensation for a manual handling injury claim*

Compensation for a manual handling injury claim* in Ireland can see you receiving damages for injuring your back in a warehouse accident or tearing shoulder ligaments when working in the healthcare sector.

The compensation awarded in Ireland for a manual handling injury differs depending on the injury or injuries you suffer, such as the severity of a spinal injury or the amount of time you are off work due to a repetitive strain injury in the wrist.

A workplace injury, such as in a manual handling claim, may cause pain and discomfort and affect your daily life. You could spend time in hospital and be unable to work or look after family members in your care. A worker may be unable to return to their usual job and could need to retrain for another type of work.

There is not one fixed compensation award for any workplace accident claim. A personal injury solicitor can only give you an idea of what is possible when you suffer due to negligence by an employer, and what you can claim for the effects on you.

Every compensation claim* is different. You may experience pain and suffering due to the manual handling injury, which could affect your ability to work, travel, and provide for your family. 

With your manual handling claim, you seek damages for the effects of the injury or injuries due to the lack of duty of care by the employer today and in your future life. 

PBN Litigation Solicitors can explain how the process works and how your workplace accident claim will combine two types of damages.

Damages in a workplace accident claim

Damages in a workplace accident claim are a combination of:

General Damages in a workplace accident claim are compensation for the pain and suffering you experience from an injury when lifting goods in the warehouse or shifting rubble on the building site.

For example, you may be able to claim General Damages for back pain that keeps coming back when working in the supermarket or the discomfort when sitting or lying down, due to a manual handling injury.

General Damages may be claimed in any workplace accident case where the injuries cause pain and inconvenience and affect your ability to exercise, drive, play sports and other activities. 

Special Damages in a workplace accident claim are for the financial effects on your life due to the lack of duty of care by an employer. You could claim special damages, for example, if you are unable to work and provide for your family while recovering from a back injury due to a lack of lifting equipment in the office.

You could be off work for a time or be unable to return to similar work with the same salary.

With Special Damages you claim for: 

  • The loss of earnings
  • Care costs today and in the future
  • Out-of-pocket expenses such as travel, medical appointments, and further treatment 

Special Damages are for the financial effects of a loss of income when recovering from a workplace accident. For example, you can claim special damages if you cannot work for a while due to the torn knee ligaments from lifting boxes in the storeroom.

You claim Special Damages to offset the financial costs of the manual handling injury, so you will not be out of pocket due to the actions of others. 

The financial effects may be more severe for you than for someone in a similar situation. If you have children, you may need to claim for their care while you recover from the manual handling injury.

You may claim for what is needed to maintain a similar quality of life as before you suffered due to the effects of the workplace accident. 

Your PBN Litigation solicitor can guide you on what to expect in compensation and how to make your workplace accident claim.

The two types of damages take into consideration the effects of the manual handling injury on your life today and its impact on your future.

Who is at fault for a manual handling injury in the workplace?

An employer may be at fault for a manual handling injury in the workplace. The employer has a duty of care to all employees. You may have a workplace injury claim* if they breach their duty of care, causing you a manual handling injury.

The employer who fails to invest in lifting equipment may be liable for a manual handling injury. An employer who does not follow HSA safety guidelines on manual handling could be at fault for your workplace injury.

An employer can help prevent a manual handling injury by:

  • Ensuring proper training for all employees in manual handling
  • Ensuring staff have access to lifting equipment in the workplace
  • Ensuring staff receive regular refresher courses in manual handling
  • Ensuring staff are adequately supervised in the workplace
  • Carrying out a risk assessment of all lifting work
  • Ensuring only trained staff are doing manual handling tasks
  • Designing the workplace to reduce distances between workspaces
  • Reducing hazards in the workplace
  • Reducing load sizes and weight where possible
  • Change work rosters to avoid repetitive lifting tasks for employees

If you suffer a manual handling injury in the workplace that was not wholly your fault, you may have a workplace accident compensation claim*.

PBN Litigation personal injury solicitors can discuss your workplace accident claim with you and help you claim the compensation you deserve.

Common injuries from manual handling accidents

Common injuries from manual handling accidents range from a sore back to a bruised elbow, and the many different nerve damage injuries seen after a workplace accident. You may have a workplace accident claim if you have an injury due to a manual handling accident.

Types of common injuries seen in manual handling accidents:

  • Cuts and bruises
  • Sprains and strains
  • Hernias
  • Hand injuries
  • Foot injuries
  • Knee injuries
  • Back injuries
  • Spinal damage
  • Nerve damage
  • Slipped discs
  • Musculoskeletal disorders
  • Shoulder injury
  • RSI injuries in the wrist
  • Crushing of hands and fingers
  • Crushing of feet and toes
  • Head and neck injuries

If you suffer one or more manual handling injuries, you may have a manual handling injury compensation claim*. You could suffer a manual handling injury over time, such as nerve damage from lifting boxes in the storeroom, or it could be an instantaneous injury, like when a heavy item you are lifting falls on your foot.

PBN Litigation Solicitors can look at your manual handling injury details and help make the workplace accident claim today.

Contact PBN solicitors today for all your personal injury compensation needs.

Make a personal injury claim* today

Start your personal injury claim* for a manual handling injury today by contacting PBN Litigation Solicitors.

If you have suffered torn shoulder ligaments when moving furniture in the office or broken a bone when the object you were lifting in the warehouse fell on your foot, then PBN Litigation personal injury solicitors have the experience and expertise to manage your compensation claim*.

You, the client, are the one injured in the workplace accident and are in recovery. The last thing you should have to worry about is dealing with the PIAB or the courts when recovering from a personal injury in the workplace.

PBN Litigation Solicitors can take on your case and work with you to get the compensation you deserve.

We pride ourselves in taking the stress out of personal injury litigation by providing a service dedicated to the client.

Contact PBN Litigation Solicitors today for all your manual handling injury compensation needs.