At Bolt Burdon Kemp, our specialist personal injury solicitors help people who have suffered serious crush injuries caused by someone else’s negligence. We understand that compensation is only one part of the process. Just as importantly, we work to help you access rehabilitation, treatment, interim payments and practical support as early as possible, so you can focus on your recovery.
If you or someone close to you has suffered a crush injury, we can talk you through your options clearly and sensitively. We will explain whether you may be able to make a claim, what evidence may be needed, and how the claims process can support both your immediate and long-term needs.
What is a crush injury?
A crush injury occurs when part of the body is subjected to significant pressure or becomes trapped between two heavy objects. Unlike cuts or fractures alone, crush injuries frequently damage multiple structures at once, including bones, muscles, tendons, nerves and blood vessels.
The severity of a crush injury can vary considerably. Some people make a good recovery, while others are left with permanent impairments that affect their ability to work, care for themselves or take part in activities they once enjoyed.
Commonly affected areas include the:
- Hands and fingers
- Feet and ankles
- Arms and legs
- Chest
- Pelvis
When can you make a crush injury claim?
You may be able to make a personal injury claim if your crush injury was caused by another person, company or organisation failing to take reasonable care for your safety.
Crush injuries at work
Many crush injury claims arise from accidents at work, particularly in construction, manufacturing, warehousing, agriculture and other environments where people work with machinery, vehicles, heavy equipment or materials.
Examples of workplace accidents that may lead to a claim include:
- Machinery with inadequate guarding
- Forklift and vehicle collisions
- Falling materials or equipment
- Unsafe lifting operations
- Structural collapses
- Equipment failures
Employers have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to protect the health and safety of their workforce. This includes carrying out appropriate risk assessments, maintaining equipment, providing suitable training and ensuring safe systems of work.
Crush injuries in road traffic collisions
Serious road traffic collisions can cause devastating crush injuries, particularly where someone is trapped in a vehicle, struck by a larger vehicle, or injured as a pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist.
If another road user caused or contributed to the collision, we can help you understand whether you may have a claim and what support may be available while the claim progresses.
Crush injuries on unsafe premises or construction sites
Crush injuries can also happen because of unsafe premises, falling objects, collapsing structures, defective equipment or poor site management. These claims often require careful investigation to understand what went wrong and who may be responsible.
Why crush injuries can have long-term consequences
One of the challenges with crush injuries is that the visible injury does not always reflect the extent of the underlying damage.
The force involved may disrupt blood supply, damage nerves and destroy muscle tissue, even where the skin appears relatively intact. This can lead to long-term complications that continue well after the initial injury has healed.
Some people develop chronic pain, weakness or permanent loss of function. Others require reconstructive surgery, skin grafts or, in the most severe cases, amputation.
How we build a crush injury claim
Crush injury claims can be complex because the full impact of the injury is not always clear at the beginning. Initial scans may identify fractures or visible trauma, but symptoms linked to nerve damage, chronic pain, scarring, reduced function or psychological trauma can develop over time.
We take time to understand how the injury has affected your life now, and how it may affect you in the future. Depending on your injury, we may obtain evidence from a range of medical and rehabilitation experts, including orthopaedic surgeons, plastic and reconstructive surgeons, pain specialists, neurologists, psychologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
This evidence helps us value your claim properly and make sure your needs are understood. That may include future treatment, care, rehabilitation, adaptations to your home, specialist equipment, loss of earnings and support with returning to work where possible.
Accessing rehabilitation and interim payments
For many people, recovery from a crush injury begins long before a compensation claim is concluded.
Where liability is admitted, or can be established at an early stage, it may be possible for rehabilitation to be funded during the course of a claim. This can include physiotherapy, psychological support, pain management, occupational therapy and specialist equipment, helping injured people access treatment when they need it most rather than waiting until their claim settles.
In serious injury claims, solicitors and insurers may work under the Rehabilitation Code, which encourages early consideration of an injured person’s medical, social, vocational and psychological rehabilitation needs. Where appropriate, this can help fund treatment and support before the claim has settled.
It may also be possible to secure interim payments. These are payments made before the claim concludes and can help fund private treatment, care, adapted accommodation or specialist equipment where appropriate.
What can crush injury compensation cover?
Every claim is different, but compensation for a serious crush injury may include support for:
- Pain, suffering and loss of amenity
- Private treatment and rehabilitation
- Care and support at home
- Loss of earnings and future loss of income
- Adaptations to your home or vehicle
- Specialist equipment, prosthetics or mobility aids
- Travel expenses and other costs linked to your injury
- Future surgery, therapies or long-term medical needs
Our role is to make sure the claim reflects the full impact of your injury, not just the immediate treatment you received after the accident.
Why choose Bolt Burdon Kemp for your crush injury claim?
We understand that a crush injury can affect every part of your life. Our personal injury solicitors have experience supporting people with complex orthopaedic injuries, amputations, nerve injuries, chronic pain and other life-changing conditions.
From the beginning of your claim, we will look at what support you need now as well as what you may need in the future. We regularly work with medical experts, case managers and rehabilitation providers to help clients access treatment, understand their prognosis and rebuild their independence after serious injury.
We will also deal with the legal process on your behalf, keeping you informed in clear, straightforward language and making sure your claim is prepared carefully and thoroughly.
Speak to our Personal Injury Solicitors
If you or someone close to you has suffered a crush injury because of someone else’s negligence, our team is here to help. Contact Bolt Burdon Kemp to speak to a specialist personal injury solicitor about your options.
