Refuse collectors perform a vital public service, but the nature of their job puts them at risk of serious workplace accidents if proper precautions are not taken. When such accidents do occur, they can lead to refuse collectors suffering life-changing injuries and financial uncertainty. If this has happened to you, please read on to see if you could get started with the refuse collector injury claims process today.
Key Takeaways
- Refuse collectors play a key role in keeping our streets clean and free of refuse.
- As the job involves hard physical labour, heavy loads and large moving vehicles, steps must be taken to ensure the safety of collection teams.
- Accidents can be caused by inadequate maintenance and by refuse collectors not receiving adequate training or personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Evidence such as inadequate protective clothing, dashcam footage from the refuse lorry, and workplace records can all be useful.
- Public Interest Lawyers’ panel of expert accident at work solicitors can offer eligible claimants very desirable No Win No Fee terms.
Browse This Guide
- Can I Claim Compensation If I Was Injured As A Refuse Collector?
- What Are Some Examples Of Refuse Collector Injury Claims?
- How Much Refuse Collector Accident Compensation Can I Get?
- Evidence To Support A Refuse Accident At Work Claim
- Is There A Time Limit When Claiming Refuse Collector Compensation?
- No Win No Fee Refuse Collector Injury Claims
- More Information
Can I Claim Compensation If I Was Injured As A Refuse Collector?
Yes, you could claim compensation if you were injured as a refuse collector because your employer failed to keep you safe during the course of your work. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires all employers to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of their employees. This obligation represents a legal duty of care, a binding responsibility to protect the health and well-being of workers.
Refuse collector injury claims can therefore be made if the following can be demonstrated:
- You were owed a duty of care by your employer.
- This duty was breached.
- The breach resulted in your injury.
You can find out more about claiming by speaking to our dedicated advisors today.
What Are Some Examples Of Refuse Collector Injury Claims?
Some examples of refuse collector injury claims include manual handling incidents, lack of protective equipment, and substandard training. Due to the combination of heavy loads and large vehicles operating machinery, serious accidents can occur if safety procedures are not followed.
The bullet points that follow outline in more detail how a duty of care could be breached by the employer, potentially leading to injuries amongst the workforce:
- A lack of manual handling training led to your attempt to lift a large bin that should have been moved by 2 people. You consequently damaged ligaments in your shoulder and upper arm.
- No protective steel-toe cap boots had been given to you or your colleagues. The failure to supply you with appropriate PPE results in heavy metal recycling falling onto your unprotected foot, breaking multiple toes.
- Poor maintenance practices resulted in inspections not being carried out and an issue with the lorry brakes being missed. They subsequently malfunctioned while your vehicle was moving to the next collection point, causing it to crash into you and the bin you were carrying. You suffered severe spinal injuries as well as damage to your internal organs.
Other scenarios could, of course, arise, so don’t worry if your particular circumstances aren’t given here. To get a free eligibility check today, talk to a member of our dedicated advisory team via the contact information provided below.
How Much Refuse Collector Accident Compensation Can I Get?
The amount of refuse collector accident compensation you can get will reflect the nature of your injuries, their short and long-term impact, and whether they caused financial loss. Payouts for refuse collector injury claims can consist of 2 types of damages:
- General damages compensate for your physical and psychological damage.
- Special damages can be claimed if financial losses result from that damage. More on this below.
Solicitors can use your medical evidence in conjunction with the Judicial College Guidelines. Referred to as the JCG, this publication sets out compensation guidelines for a range of injuries. We have taken some of these brackets and used them to create the table here.
Compensation Table
This table is intended to provide guidance only, and the top row isn’t from the document.
| Type of Injury | Severity | Guideline Compensation Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Very Serious Injuries + Special Damages (e.g. Lost Income, Medical Bills, and Travel Costs) | Very Severe | Up to £1,000,000 + |
| Brain | Very Severe (a) - May Be Sensory Impairment and Impact on Communication | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Moderate (c)(ii) - Moderate to Modest Intellectual Deficit | £110,720 to £183,190 | |
| Leg Amputations | Above-Knee Amputation of 1 Leg | £127,930 to £167,760 |
| Arm Amputations | Loss of 1 Arm (i) at the Shoulder | Not Less Than £167,380 |
| Chest | Permanent Damage and Functional Impairment (b) | £80,240 to £122,850 |
| Some Continuing Disability (c) | £38,210 to £66,920 | |
| Other Arm Injuries | Substantial and Permanent Disablement (b) | £47,810 to £73,050 |
| Less Severe Injuries (c) - Substantial Recovery has Occurred or is Expected | £23,430 to £47,810 | |
| Knee | Moderate (b)(i) - Minor Instability, Wasting or Weakness. | £18,110 to £31,960 |
Can I Be Compensated For Other Damages In A Refuse Collector Injury Claim?
Yes, as we said above, you can also be compensated for your financial losses under special damages in a refuse collector injury claim. This would be for both past and future costs, including:
- Loss of earnings, including any future impact if you are unable to work, cannot perform the same hours, or do them to the same capacity.
- Medical expenses such as prescription medication, counselling and therapy, rehabilitation services, and private treatment.
- Travel to and from work or your hospital appointments if you can no longer drive.
- Domestic care and support for tasks including meal preparation, cleaning, gardening, caring for dependents and DIY if you cannot do this safely on your own.
- Home modifications, including access ramps, stairlifts, accessible showers, and alarms, if your mobility has been affected.
Make sure you hold onto copies of documents, such as travel tickets, purchase receipts, bills, and your payslips, as proof of the losses is needed to claim for special damages.
For more personalised guidance on compensation, talk to our advisory team today via the contact information provided below.
Evidence To Support A Refuse Accident At Work Claim
Medical records, CCTV footage, and accident book reports are just some of the many types of evidence that can support your refuse accident at work claim. Your evidence could include:
- The first thing to do after any accident is to get the relevant medical help. While your health is the priority, any records from your treatment, such as copies of X-rays, blood tests, and other hospital notes, can be used as evidence.
- Keep hold of your work boots and other protective clothing if they were not fit for purpose.
- The other members of the collection team, as well as members of the public, could provide a witness statement. Make sure you give the relevant contact details to the solicitor so statements can be taken during the claim.
- CCTV and dashcam footage can be useful in showing how the accident took place.
You don’t have to gather this proof by yourself, as our panel of solicitors routinely assist their clients with this. To learn more about how one of them could support you through the refuse collector injury claims process, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Is There A Time Limit When Claiming Refuse Collector Compensation?
Yes, there is typically a time limit of 3 years from the date of the accident when claiming refuse collector compensation. This is set by the Limitation Act 1980, but an exception is made if the injured person does not have sufficient mental capacity to claim for themselves.
In this instance, the time limit is paused altogether; however, a suitable adult can act as their litigation friend to start claiming a lot sooner. Litigation friends have the power to claim on someone’s behalf in cases where the time limit is suspended, and they must always act in their best interests. You can learn more about this role and time limits in personal injury claims by speaking to our advisors today.
No Win No Fee Refuse Collector Injury Claims
Talk to our advisory team today if you’re ready to get started with the No Win No Fee refuse collector injury claims process. Public Interest Lawyers’ panel of expert solicitors have years of combined experience in dealing with claims just like yours, and can offer a range of tailored services and support. Here are just some of the ways one of them can help you:
- Make sure you receive any rehabilitation treatment, therapy, or other medical support you require by referring you to relevant specialists.
- Assist you in collecting supporting evidence.
- Keep you informed of all developments and explain all the legal jargon.
- Negotiate a settlement that fully reflects your pain, suffering, and financial loss.
Our panel of solicitors operates under strict No Win No Fee terms via a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This protects you from paying solicitor fees at the start of the claim and throughout the process. You will also not have to pay these service fees if the claim fails.
A success fee is taken from your compensation if the claim is won. As The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 caps the percentage that can be charged for this fee at 25%, most of the compensation will be yours to keep.
Contact Public Interest Lawyers
You can contact the advisory team at Public Interest Lawyers at any time. In addition to providing free advice, they can provide a free consultation via one of the following options:
- Call 0800 408 7825.
- Contact us online.
- Open the live chat window on your screen now.
More Information
Read more of our personal injury claims guides here:
- Learn more about your rights after an accident at work.
- Find out if you could make a defective work equipment claim.
- See how to report a workplace accident.
These external resources provide additional information:
- Read the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance on managing risks and risk assessment at work.
- NHS information on back pain.
- Get an overview of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) in this government resource.
For tailored, 24/7 guidance on the refuse collector injury claims process, please contact our advisory team today.