Manual Handling Claims

Last Updated 13th January 2026. Manual handling claims are personal injury claims made by employees who suffer injuries at work while lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling objects by hand or bodily force. These claims usually arise when an employer fails to provide proper training, suitable equipment, or a safe system of work.

Key Takeaways

• If your employer breaches the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA) or the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, you could be entitled to manual handling compensation. 
• Manual handling injuries include back pain, a shoulder injury, and other musculoskeletal conditions. 
• You must start a manual handling injury claim within 3 years of the date you suffered your injury. 
• Manual handling compensation can cover your physical and psychological injuries (such as back pain and distress), as well as any financial losses that have resulted from these injuries (such as lost earnings and physiotherapy sessions).
• In 2024-2025, 511,000 workers suffered a work-related musculoskeletal disorder, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
• 17% of all non-fatal workplace injuries in 2024-2025 were also caused by handling, carrying, or lifting. 

Our specialist No Win No Fee solicitors can help you with the manual handling claims process from start to finish, offering their expert advice and support whenever you need. So, if you have suffered a manual handling injury at work and believe your employer could be at fault, please contact us today for free:

• Call 0161 509 2856.
• Fill out our ‘contact us’ form.
• Use our live chat feature on the screen.

Choose A Section

• Am I Eligible To Make Manual Handling Claims?
• Examples Of When You Could Claim After A Manual Handling Accident
• How Much Are Manual Handling Claims Worth?
• Evidence To Support Manual Handling Accident At Work Claims
• No Win No Fee Manual Handling Claims
• How Can Advice Help With Manual Handling Claims?
• Find Out More About Manual Handling Accident At Work Claims

Am I Eligible To Make Manual Handling Claims?

Yes, you are eligible to make a manual handling compensation claim if you were injured performing a work task (like lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, etc.) due to your employer’s negligent actions (such as lack of training, poor risk assessment, no suitable equipment, etc.).

Here are the key eligibility factors:

1. You were owed a duty of care. At the time of your injury, your employer had a legal obligation to take reasonable steps to ensure your workplace safety under HASAWA, per their duty of care. 
2. This duty of care was breached. Your employer failed to take these reasonable steps and act as a responsible employer should have.
3. You suffered an injury. You were injured directly because of this breached duty of care. No matter how minor or serious the injury is, it must be medically recognised. 

If you can prove that you meet all of the above criteria, then you can contact us to begin the manual handling claims process. Our advisors can confirm your claim eligibility for free in a quick phone call.

How Long Do I Have To Claim?

As outlined by the Limitation Act 1980, there are time limits in place for personal injury claims. This states that you must begin legal proceedings within three years of the accident date. Although there can be certain exceptions to these time limits.

For more details regarding eligibility in connection with manual handling claims and the time limit applicable to your potential claim, please get in touch with our advisors.

Examples Of When You Could Claim After A Manual Handling Accident

Various manual handling accidents could lead to a personal injury claim.

Below are some examples of when manual handling claims can be made and how employer negligence can occur:

• You strained your back while lifting heavy boxes because your employer failed to provide mechanical aids, such as trolleys or hoists. 
• Your employer failed to fix the broken lighting in the workplace’s stock room within a reasonable timeframe. This made lifting stock more hazardous, and you dropped a heavy box on your foot due to the poor lighting and fractured several bones. 
• Your employer failed to provide you with gloves that were necessary to help improve grip on awkward-shaped loads, despite the need for them being identified. This led to you suffering a finger and wrist fracture as you tried to grip the box. 
• Your employer provided no manual handling training at work. As a result of this, you use the incorrect lifting technique and sustain a back injury.
• Your employer does not conduct any risk assessments in the workplace. A risk assessment would’ve highlighted obstacles on your carrying route that could present a slip, trip and fall hazard. Consequently, you trip and fall, sustaining a hand injury or wrist injury due to a pipe protruding from the wall, which you couldn’t see because of the load you were carrying.

Should you have sustained injuries because your employer breached their duty of care, you may be eligible to make a work injury claim. Please get in touch with our advisors, who can offer guidance and advice relating to manual handling claims.

How Much Are Manual Handling Claims Worth?

Compensation awards for successful manual handling claims could be made up of up to two types of damages. Firstly, you may be awarded general damages compensation for the pain and suffering that is caused by your injuries. This takes into account both injuries of a mental and physical nature.

We have provided a list of guideline compensation brackets for various manual handling injuries below. Apart from the top figure, these have been taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). Legal professionals and others involved in calculating compensation can use the JCG to assist them when valuing general damages.

Please consider that the figures below are a guide only, as the unique details of each manual handling injury claim can determine the award:

• Up to £1,000,000+ – multiple serious injuries with special damages.
• £111,150 to £196,450 – a severe back injury (i) where there is damage to the nerve roots and spinal cord that leads to very serious consequences (such as severe pain).
• £90,510 to £107,910 – a severe back injury (ii), such as nerve root damage that leads to loss of sensation.
• £33,880 to £47,320 – a moderate back injury (i), such as intervertebral disc damage with nerve root irritation.
• £9,630 to £15,260 – a minor back injury (i) where a full recovery with no surgery is made within 2-5 years.
• £23,430 to £58,610 – a severe shoulder injury, involving damage to the brachial plexus.
• £15,580 to £23,430 – a serious shoulder injury, such as a dislocation that causes pain to the neck and shoulder.
• £9,630 to £15,580 – a moderate shoulder injury, such as a frozen shoulder with limited movement and discomfort that lasts for about 2 years

Special Damages In Manual Handling Claims

In manual handling claims, special damages are the secondary head of claim that cover the financial losses directly caused by the injury, such as:

• Lost earnings for time off work while you recover. This includes future lost earnings if the injury permanently affects your ability to work again/perform previous job duties.
• Therapy costs, if the thought of returning to the same workplace is making you anxious or you have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
• Medical equipment rentals or purchases, such as back braces. 
• Costs for private medical treatments, consultations, and surgeries.
• Costs for necessary home adaptations to accommodate the injury if permanent, such as grab bars.
• Travel expenses to and from medical and physiotherapy appointments. 
• Costs for the gratuitous care provided by family and friends 

You must provide evidence of these losses, like payslips, invoices, receipts, travel tickets, and bank statements. If you connect with one of our solicitors, they can help you gather and present your financial evidence. 

Contact us today for a personalised compensation estimate for your potential manual handling claim.

Evidence To Support Manual Handling Accident At Work Claims

To support manual handling claims, you should seek medical advice, gather immediate information and document everything, report the accident, and preserve evidence in order to link your manual handling injury to your employer’s failure to provide a safe work environment. 

Seek Medical Advice

Check for injuries and get medical help as soon as possible after the manual handling accident. Your medical records from this initial assessment can form a vital part of your evidence. 

Gather Immediate Information 

• Get witness information. Collect the contact details from anyone who saw the accident happen, such as another employee. 
• Description of what happened. Write a clear account of your version of events leading up to and including the injury, such as what was being lifted and the weight if known, the position of the centre of gravity of the load, etc.
• Note the work environment. Write down how the work environment was. For example, if the floor was slippery or the lighting was poor.

Document Everything

• Photographs and videos. Take clear photographs and videos of your injuries and of the accident scene, making sure you include the goods you were handling, any obstructions, and any poor environment conditions (such as broken lighting). 
• Record details. Note the exact location, date and time of the accident. 
• Check for CCTV cameras. See if there are any CCTV cameras in the accident location. If so, this footage can be requested. 

Report The Accident 

Ensure that your manual handling accident is reported to your manager and recorded in the workplace’s accident log book.

Preserve Evidence

A solicitor can help you gather and present this evidence following the above steps:

• Witness statements. 
• Photos and CCTV footage of the accident/accident scene. 
• Copies of your medical records, showing how exactly you were harmed from employer negligence. 
• Copies of any formal accident logs. 

If you would like assistance proving employer negligence in your manual handling injury claim, please contact us today to potentially connect with our specialist solicitors. 

Make Manual Handling Claims With A No Win No Fee Lawyer

Our team can provide free assessments of manual handling claims. If they find that you are eligible for compensation, they could connect you with a No Win No Fee solicitor here at Advice, who could then offer to represent your claim under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).

Here is why it may benefit you to be offered a CFA:

• There are no upfront solicitor fees for their work on your case.
• There are no ongoing solicitor fees that cover their services.
• There are no solicitor fees at all if the claim is unsuccessful.
• Instead, if the claim is successful, your solicitor can take a small success fee from your compensation. This is a percentage that is legally capped. So, this guarantees that you are not overcharged.

If making a manual handling claim under a No Win No Fee would benefit you, please contact us today. Our solicitors may be able to connect with you after a free, no-obligation consultation about your circumstances.

How Can Advice Help With Manual Handling Claims?

Our No Win No Fee solicitors at Advice can help with manual handling claims by taking care of all the hard legal work for you from start to finish. They can:

• Present and help you collect all of your evidence to prove that employer negligence occurred. 
• Handle communication with your employer and their insurer.
• Calculate an appropriate and fair amount of manual handling compensation for your injury and losses. 
• Find and secure rehabilitation for your specific needs during recovery. 
• Arrange interim payments if you need early access to compensation to help pay for immediate funds, such as ongoing care costs.
• Explain legal terms to you that you come across. 
• Legally represent you if the accident at work claim gets taken to court (which is very unlikely as most claims are settled before court proceedings are needed – don’t worry).
• Keep you updated all throughout the claims process. 

As you can see, our solicitors are here to help you in every way they can throughout the manual handling claims process. They are ready to secure the compensation you deserve on a No Win No Fee basis. So, contact us today:

• Call 0161 509 2856.
• Fill out our ‘contact us’ form.
• Use our live chat feature on the screen.

Find Out More About Manual Handling Accident At Work Claims

To read more about accident at work claims, you can browse some of our related guides:

• Read about whether you can be fired for a work-related accident.
• Find out how to claim for assault at work.
• Claim compensation after being hit by a falling object.

You can also take a look at the following external sources:

• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – Manual handling at work
• GOV.UK – Request CCTV footage of yourself
• NHS – First aid

Thank you for reading this guide on manual handling claims. If you still have any questions, please get in touch with an advisor from our team today.