If you have been injured whilst working as a delivery driver, such as a retail or food delivery driver, you may be wondering whether you could be eligible to claim compensation and how the delivery driver accident claims process works.
Your case must meet certain criteria to be able to claim compensation for an accident at work, and we will discuss those. Following this, we will also provide some statistics on how common accidents are in the transportation industry compared to others.
Following a workplace accident, there are certain steps you could take to help support you when claiming compensation. One of these is gathering evidence. We will discuss why gathering evidence is important in the personal injury claims process, as well as provide examples of evidence you could gather to support your specific case.
If you make a successful claim, compensation could be awarded under two heads of loss. We will explain these to you, what they compensate you for, and how they are calculated. Additionally, we will share some of the benefits of making a claim on a No Win No Fee basis with one of the personal injury solicitors on our panel.
Read on to discover more about when you could claim for delivery driver accidents. Or, if you would like to chat about your potential claim now, please connect with an advisor using the contact points below:
- You can call on 0800 408 7825
- Contact us online to discuss your potential claim.
- Chat with an advisor using the live chat.
Choose A Section
- When Are You Able To Claim For Delivery Driver Accidents At Work?
- Statistics Related To Delivery Driver Accidents
- What Should You Do After An Accident At Work?
- Potential Compensation When Claiming For A Delivery Driver Accident At Work
- Claim For A Delivery Driver Accident At Work On A No Win No Fee Basis
- More Resources Related To Claiming Accident At Work Compensation
When Are You Able To Claim For Delivery Driver Accidents At Work?
You may be able to claim compensation for delivery driver accidents if you can prove your employer was negligent. In tort law, employer negligence can apply if:
- You were owed a duty of care at the time of your injury.
- The employer failed to fully meet this obligation.
- Because of this, you suffered physical or psychological harm.
All delivery drivers (and other employees) are owed a duty of care by their employer while they are performing their delivery services and duties. This is set out under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HASAWA), and requires employers to take reasonable and practical measures and safety precautions to ensure employees are protected from harm as they work. This could include:
- Performing routine risk assessments and maintenance checks.
- Providing all staff with appropriate training for their work duties.
- Ensuring all workplace vehicles, machinery and equipment are appropriate for the task and safe to use.
If an employer were to breach this duty of care, this could lead to an accident that sees an employee injured. In this instance, a compensation claim could be possible.
Examples Of Delivery Driver Accidents At Work
Some examples of how deliver driver accidents could occur include:
- Manual handling accidents: For example, an employer failed to provide a delivery driver with sufficient manual handling training. Due to this, the driver lifts a load with poor technique and suffers a back injury.
- Faulty equipment accidents: A delivery driver’s employer provided them with a faulty pallet truck, despite knowing that this truck was defective. While loading a dishwasher into a van, the pallet truck malfunctions, causing the dishwasher to fall off the truck. This caused the delivery driver to suffer a broken foot when the dishwasher hit them.
- Lack of training accidents: Employees who were tasked with unloading and loading a delivery vehicle were provided with no training on how to complete this task safely. Due to this, stock inside of a van fell onto the delivery driver when they opened the van doors. This caused the delivery driver to suffer multiple injuries such as a chest injury and a shoulder injury.
What Are Common Injuries For A Delivery Driver?
The following injuries can be caused by delivery driver accidents:
- Cuts and bruises.
- Soft tissue injuries.
- Concussion and head injury.
- Arm or leg fractures.
- Back and spinal injury.
- Crush injuries to the chest or feet.
It’s important to remember that you can suffer a combination of these injuries. So to get a more exact idea of what your work van accident claim could be worth, get in touch with our team. They can also inform you whether you have a valid claim.
Statistics Related To Delivery Driver Accidents
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s regulatory body for workplace health and safety. Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), employers must report certain workplace accidents.
Based on these reports, the HSE states that there were a total of 60,645 non-fatal employee injuries suffered within 2022/23.
Based on these reports, we have created the following pie chart to demonstrate the top five industries where non-fatal employee injuries were suffered.
As you can see above, the Transportation and Storage industry was the third most common industry that reported non-fatal employee injuries (8,059).
Of these injuries, the most common accidents were:
- Slips, trips and falls on the same level – 2,629.
- Handling, lifting and carrying accidents – 1,613.
- Struck by a moving or falling object – 1,057.
If you have any questions about personal injury claims for delivery driver accidents, you can contact our team of advisors.
What Should You Do After An Accident At Work?
First and foremost, it’s important to seek professional medical care for your injuries. Even minor injuries may need to be checked out. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may attend Accident and Emergency (A&E) or make an appointment with your GP. The medical records formed from this visit could then be used as evidence in your claim.
Having sufficient evidence is important when making a personal injury claim as it can help with proving liability and the severity of your injuries. Some examples of other evidence you could use to support your accident at work claim include:
- Any CCTV footage showing the accident taking place.
- Eyewitnesses contact details. A legal professional can approach them at a later date for a statement.
- Photgraphs of the accident scene and any visible injuries.
- Keep a diary of any symptoms you have expereinced and treatments you have received.
A solicitor from our panel can offer help to collect evidence like this as part of their services.
Could I Lose My Job If I Claim Compensation?
Often people hesitate to start a claim for compensation against their employer for fear of losing their jobs. However, it is against the law for an employer to sack you for seeking compensation from them in a personal injury claim. If they do fire you, this is known as an unfair dismissal.
If you have suffered an accident at work as a delivery driver, you can contact our advisors to see whether you could be eligible to make a claim for compensation.
Potential Compensation When Claiming For A Delivery Driver Accident At Work
Compensation for successful personal injury claims for delivery driver accidents could be made up of two heads of loss. These are known as general and special damages.
Firstly, general damages compensate claimants for the physical and psychological damage caused by the injuries. It is also awarded to all successful claimants.
The individuals who calculate general damages refer to any medical evidence they have been provided. They may also consult documents like the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document lists compensation guidelines for a selection of injuries based on severity.
We’ve used some of these figures to compile a table below, aside from the first entry. Please only use it as a guide, as how much compensation you could receive will depend on the factors of your case.
Compensation Table
| Area of Harm | How Severe? | Compensation Guidelines | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Types of Severe Injury and Special Damages | Severe | Up to £1,000,000+ | Reflective of cases where the person suffers multiple severe injuries and is awarded a significant special damages amount for issues like care costs, lost income and domestic support. |
| Head and Brain | (a) Very Severe | £344,150 to £493,000 | Despite loss of any meaningful response to environment, the person retains an ability to follow basic commands but will need constant nursing care. |
| (c) Moderate (i) | £183,190 to £267,340 | A moderate to severe deficit to intellect seen and impact on sight, speech or other senses leaving no prospect of employment. | |
| Arm | (a) Severe | £117,360 to £159,770 | Injuries that may fall short of the need for amputation but are serious enough to leave the person little better off. |
| Neck | (a) Severe (ii) | £80,240 to £159,770 | Cases of serious fractures and damage to cervical spine discs causing substantial loss of movement in the neck and/or one or more limbs. |
| Knee | (a) Severe (ii) | £63,610 to £85,100 | Cases of leg fractures that continue into the knee causing constant pain, limiting movement and rendering the person prone to osteoarthritis. |
| Shoulder | (a) Severe | £23,430 to £58,610 | Often associated with neck injuries that cause damage to the brachial plexus resulting in significant disability. |
| Wrist | (b) Significant | £29,990 to £47,810 | Injuries that cause significant permanent disability but some useful wrist movement remains. |
| Hand | (f) Severe Fractures To Fingers | Up to £44,840 | Cases of severe fracture to the fingers that may lead to partial amputations leaving deformity, impaired grip, disturbed sensation and loss of mechanical function. |
| Back | (b) Moderate (ii) | £15,260 to £33,880 | Disturbed ligaments and muscles causing backache, as well as soft tissue injuries that speed-up or worsen a pre-existing condition by 5 years or more. |
Special Damages For Accident At Work Claims
The other head of loss is called special damages. This compensates the claimant for any financial harm suffered because of their injuries. Evidence will need to be put forward to claim special damages. This could include:
- Payslips that show a loss of earnings due to needing time off to recover.
- Bus or train tickets to essential appointments to prove any travel costs.
- Receipts for pain medication and prescription charges.
- Invoices for the fees of a domestic carer.
To receive a free valuation of your potential compensation, you can contact one of our friendly advisors.
Claim For A Delivery Driver Accident At Work On A No Win No Fee Basis
You can contact our advisors today for a free eligibility check of your case. If they deem you to have a valid claim, they could connect you with one of the solicitors on our panel. The solicitors on our panel have lots of experience working on accident at work claims, including those for delivery driver accidents. Some of their services include:
- Help with gathering evidence, such as taking statements from witnesses.
- Negotiating a fair compensation settlement for you.
- Explaining and legal jargon used and guiding you through the claims process.
Additionally, one of the solicitors on our panel may provide their services to you through a type of No Win No Fee agreement referred to as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
With a CFA in place, you will not need to pay the solicitor at the start of the claim for them to begin working on the case. You will not have to pay any service fees as the case moves forward either. Furthermore, you will not need to pay the solicitors for their completed services if the claim fails.
If you are successfully awarded compensation, you will need to pay a success to your solicitor. This is taken from the compensation as a percentage amount at the end of the case. The percentage that your solicitor can take is capped by the law and will be discussed with you prior tot he claiming process.
Contact our advisors today to discuss your case and see if you could work with a personal injury solicitor from our panel. They can be reached via any of the following methods:
- You can call on 0800 408 7825
- Contact us online to discuss your potential claim.
- Chat with an advisor using the live chat.
More Resources Related To Claiming Accident At Work Compensation
Some further accident at work claims guides by us:
- Read about how part-time staff can claim for an accident at work.
- Also, read the guidance for zero-hour contract staff who need to claim.
- Guidance on whether you receive full pay following a workplace accident.
Additional external resources:
- Read information about broken bones provided by the NHS.
- Information on Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) by GOV.UK.
- Guidance on deliverying safely from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
We hope this guide has helped clarify how to claim for delivery driver accidents. Please reach out to an advisor for any further help.