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Last updated 31st March 2026. When using equipment at work, you expect your employer to have taken reasonable steps to ensure that it is safe to operate. If you have experienced a workplace accident due to your employer’s failure to do this, and this caused you harm, you may be eligible to make a defective work equipment claim. This is because employers are legally bound to take certain measures to protect your health and safety at work. For instance, if you report that your safety goggles are damaged and your employer fails to replace them, they may be held responsible if you subsequently suffer chemical burns to your eyes.
Defective work equipment compensation varies widely, but our solicitors often use suggested compensation brackets from a document called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to value claims. For instance, £344,150 to £493,000 may be awarded for a very severe brain injury where the person requires full-time nursing care. If you suffered severe crush injuries affecting the toes, which may require amputation, you might receive between £16,770 and £25,710. Of course, these guidelines cannot reflect the unique aspects of your case, as compensation will be tailored to your specific circumstances.
If you have any interest in making a claim or would simply like to ask some questions, our advisors are available to help you. Experiencing an accident at work can be extremely stressful, so you may benefit from their straightforward advice. They could also give you the option to hire one of our experienced solicitors, who have already secured over £100 million in compensation for claimants so far.
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Jump To A Section
- Can You Make A Defective Work Equipment Claim?
- How To Make A Defective Work Equipment Claim
- What Types Of Faulty Equipment Could Lead To An Accident At Work Claim?
- How Much Compensation For Injuries Caused By Broken Equipment At Work?
- Why Claim For Defective Work Equipment Compensation With Our Solicitors?
- Why Use No Win No Fee Solicitors To Make A Defective Machinery Claim?
- Read More About Claiming Accident At Work Compensation
Can You Make A Defective Work Equipment Claim?
Your employer must comply with health and safety rules relevant to the workplace and the nature of the job. The first of these is set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. This sets the duty of care that all employers owe their employees, as they must take reasonable steps to prevent workforce injuries. Adhering to this legislation is a legal requirement, and the failure to do so could lead to injury.
Employers have further obligations under The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). They are required to ensure that equipment is kept in a safe condition and suitable for its intended use and that appropriate training in its use has been provided.
If you have been injured by defective work equipment, you may have grounds to make a compensation claim against your employer. However, to have a valid claim, you must show that:
- You were owed a duty of care by the party you are making a claim against. For example, your employer may have provided you with equipment necessary to carry out your work, such as a ladder if you need to reach an item on a high shelf. It is part of this duty to ensure that the ladder is safe for its intended purpose.
- Your employer breached their duty of care to you. For example, if the ladder had not been correctly maintained or is otherwise known to be defective by the employer.
- This breach caused you to sustain injuries. For example, the ladder collapsed while you were using it, because it was poorly maintained or because it was defective for which the employer was aware of, resulting in multiple injuries, including serious brain damage and a back injury.
Contact our team to find out if you could make a defective work equipment claim.
How To Make A Defective Work Equipment Claim
You can make a defective work equipment claim by providing evidence of your injuries and how your employer is responsible for the equipment failure or lack of maintenance that led to your being harmed. Read this section to learn more about valid examples of evidence and how you can strengthen your case.
Access Medical Treatment
Your first priority should be getting treatment for your injuries to support your recovery. Workplace accidents involving defective machinery can lead to serious harm, including broken bones, deep lacerations, and back injuries. In cases where there are broken power tools or heavy machinery, you may require surgery to address severe crushing injuries or amputations.
Taking this step will also create an official record documenting both your injuries and the care you need. Once you are in a more stable condition, you can request a copy of your medical records and submit this as part of your evidence if a claim is pursued.
Start Collecting Evidence
It can be helpful to start gathering evidence as soon as possible. This can be as simple as taking photos of your injuries, the accident scene, and the faulty workplace equipment itself. For example, if you suffered injuries due to a defective helmet or safety harness, photographs can create a visual record showing exactly how the equipment failed.
Report Your Accident
When it comes to making faulty work equipment claims, having official documentation as part of your evidence can be extremely useful. You can check with your employer to confirm whether they have made a formal accident report and noted the incident in the workplace accident book. Copies of your employer’s account of the accident can outline how the equipment failure occurred.
Write Everything Down
In addition to official records, your own recollection of events can be useful when seeking compensation. Recording how the equipment failure continues to affect your quality of life and day-to-day provides a more personal perspective on the impact of your injuries. It may be relevant to include your pain levels, medical treatments, time taken off work, emotional effects and any expenses associated with your injuries.
Access Free Advice
You have likely done your own research online to learn about defective work equipment injury claims. However, speaking with an advisor is often the quickest way to get the answers you need.
By contacting our enquiries team at Advice, you will get tailored guidance on what personal injury compensation can and how one of our solicitors could support you through the legal process. There is no obligation to proceed, so you have nothing to lose by getting in touch.
Confirm The Personal Injury Time Limit
In general, you will need to start a defective work equipment claim within 3 years of the accident. However, there are instances where this limitation period applies differently. You can learn about this in our guide, looking at the legal time limit.
Speak to our advisors today to discuss the claims process and confirm how long you have to make a claim. They understand that this may be your first time claiming, so all questions are welcome.
What Types Of Faulty Equipment Could Lead To An Accident At Work Claim?
There are various ways faulty work equipment could result in injuries, including:
- Workplace eye injuries may be caused by defective personal protective equipment.
- An employer failing to correctly service and maintain workplace vehicles, such as a forklift truck, resulting in defects going unnoticed and collisions, causing a neck injury.
- Scaffolding being poorly erected leading to a fall from a height.
- The safety guard missing from a disc cutter could lead to amputations of the hand or fingers.
This is not an exhaustive list. If your accident is not included here, please contact an advisor for more information on whether you could make a defective work equipment claim.
How Much Compensation For Injuries Caused By Broken Equipment At Work?
If your defective work equipment claim is successful, you will be awarded a compensation settlement consisting of general damages and possibly special damages.
General damages are awarded for the pain and suffering caused by defective equipment. Solicitors and other legal professionals who value personal injury claims may refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) when assessing how much compensation may be due for a given type of injury.
Below, we have included the compensation guidelines for different injuries taken from the JCG. Please note that the first entry is not from the JCG and is illustrative of damages, including financial compensation. As all defective equipment claims are different, the table is only intended as guidance.
| Injury Sustained | Severity | Compensation Bracket | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple serious injuries plus financial costs/ losses | Severe | Up to £1,000,000+ | Awarded for multiple life changing injurie such as brain damage and paralysis and their subsequent financial losses such as care costs, loss of employment prospects and rehabilitation. |
| Paralysis | Tetraplegia/Quadriplegia | £396,140 to £493,000 | There could be physical pain or a significant effect on the senses or ability communicate. |
| Head/ brain injuries | (b) Moderately severe | £267,340 to £344,150 | The person has a severe degree of disability and requires constant professional care. |
| Head/ brain injuries | (c) Moderate (i) | £183,190 to £267,340 | Severe to moderate intellectual deficit as well as personality changes. |
| Sight injuries | (c) Loss of sight in one eye/ reduced vision in the remaining eye (i) | £117,150 to £219,400 | Serious risk of further deterioration in the remaining eye. |
| Sight injuries | (d) Loss of one eye | £66,920 to £80,210 | Compensation may be dependent on age, cosmetic effect and psychological injuries caused. |
| Neck injuries | (b) Moderate (i) | £30,500 to £46,970 | A dislocation or fracture causing immediate symptoms. Spinal fusion treatment may be necessary. |
| Neck injuries | (b) Moderate (ii) | £16,770 to £30,500 | Wrenching injuries, disc lesions or soft tissue injuries. |
| Elbow injuries | (b) Less severe | £19,100 to £39,070 | Where elbow function is impaired, but does not require surgery. There is no significant level of disability. |
| Wrist injuries | (c) Less severe | £15,370 to £29,900 | There is still some level of permanent disability. |
Special damages may be awarded for the financial costs and losses caused by an injury. Examples of this could include:
- Lost income and other workplace benefits, such as contributions to a pension.
- The cost of medical care, such as therapy and prescriptions.
- The cost of adapting a home or vehicle.
As part of the claims process, to recover compensation for these items, you will need to submit proof, such as receipts and invoices.
An advisor could help assess how much accident at work compensation your injury claim may be awarded.
How Long Do Accident At Work Claims Take To Complete?
Each accident at work claim is unique, and so each claim may take a different amount of time to complete.
Factors which could influence how long a faulty equipment injury claim may take include:
- The severity of your injuries. The more severe or complex injuries suffered, the longer a claim could take.
- Whether your employer accepts liability for your accident and injuries. If they contest this, your personal injury claim may take longer.
- What supporting evidence you have to make a claim. If you have strong evidence it may be easier to prove an employer was liable.
Talk to our team about your defective work equipment claim today.
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Why Claim For Defective Work Equipment Compensation With Our Solicitors
At Advice, our solicitors have undergone years of legal training and possess decades of collective experience, so they know what is required to support clients who are pursuing a defective work equipment claim. They focus on providing claimants with the expert legal representation they need throughout the entire process, from gathering technical evidence to handling case paperwork.
If you claim with Advice, you can expect:
- Guidance on the evidence you need and hands-on support in obtaining it, including maintenance logs, inspection certificates, and repair records for the equipment that caused your injury
- Expert negotiation skills to maximise the compensation payout for your specific circumstances
- Straightforward explanations of complex legal terms and clear advice about what you need to do at each stage of the faulty work equipment claims process
- The arrangement of an independent medical assessment to detail the extent of your injuries caused by the work equipment
- Recommendations with trusted rehabilitation specialists who could aid your recovery, such as physiotherapists or psychologists
You can enquire about these legal services by contacting an advisor today. They understand that choosing a solicitor is a major decision, so all advice is offered with no strings attached.
Why Use No Win No Fee Solicitors To Make A Defective Machinery Claim?
By using No Win No Fee solicitors to make a defective work equipment compensation claim, you will benefit from having complete financial transparency from start to finish. Once you have signed a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), one of our solicitors can represent you without charging for their work at the following stages of the legal process:
- Before your case begins
- Throughout the claim
- If you are not compensated
There will be a success fee to pay to your solicitor on the condition that you are given compensation. This is a percentage of the compensation, limited by a legal cap, ensuring you keep the largest share.
Before signing any contracts, you may want more information about how a No Win No Fee agreement works. Our advisors are available 24/7, so get in touch to discuss the matter further. You may find yourself one step closer towards getting compensation with the guidance of one of our specialist solicitors.
- Fill out our ‘contact us’ form to request a call back from our team.
- Speak to an advisor using the live chat pop-up.
- Call us now on 0161 509 2856
Read More About Claiming Accident At Work Compensation
Below we have included further helpful resources from trusted external sources.
- Learn more about work equipment machinery safety in this resource from the Health and Safety Executive.
- Find out more about performing first aid in this NHS guide.
- Details about statutory sick pay (SSP), including how to claim and the rate from the government.
We hope our guide has helped you learn more about making a defective work equipment claim.
