We take on a fair volume of cases for people who have been injured as a result of a stock trolley in the workplace. They can be dangerous – either because of defects, unsuitability, or where the workplace has resulted in the use of the stock trolley being a danger.
If you are injured as a result of using a stock trolley then you may be entitled to claim for personal injury compensation. Here’s some advice about the law and what you need to know.
Can you claim?
If the accident has been caused through no fault of your own then you may have a valid claim for compensation. There are several areas of the law we can look at to use to justify your right to make a claim.
If the stock trolley was defective then this may be a breach of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations which states that: Every employer shall ensure that work equipment is maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.
An easy example would be broken wheels causing it to fall over or where the trolley collapses and spills stock due to defective catches or clips.
If it’s unsuitable – perhaps because you needed something that was bigger or something more powered to help move large stock – you may also have a claim. The same regulations say that: Every employer shall ensure that work equipment is so constructed or adapted as to be suitable for the purpose for which it is used or provided.
If its lack of suitability that causes an injury then they may be in breach here too.
It’s important to remember that moving a stock trolley can be a manual handling task as well which means that The Manual Handling Operations Regulations can apply. Generally this means that every employer should ensure that:
- You are properly trained and able to do the task
- The task is not too strenuous in either volume or the weight or size of the object being moved
- There is enough assistance available to carry out the task safely
A lot of this comes down to risk assessments. If you are injured due to a manual handling element and your employer is to blame then you may have winning claim.
Finally the other common one is the workplace itself. You should be able to move the stock trolley around safely – so if there are uneven surfaces or rough ground that may cause the task to result in an injury then this may be a breach of The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulation.
What should you do?
Easy – just call us on 0800 634 7575 and we’ll advise you on the merits of your claim and talk you through what you need to know about starting a case. Employers have a legal obligation to have special insurance for these scenarios so all we normally need to do is simply claim from the insurance.
Nowadays many cases can be settled quickly and efficiently – so give us a call today for help and advice!
