If a crane injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward
Crane accidents can be catastrophic and often result from safety procedure oversights. If your life, or the life of a loved one, has been affected by a crane accident, we can help. If your injuries were caused by your employer or a co-worker, you may be entitled to claim compensation for long-term care, rehabilitation, and lost income.
You can make a No Win, No Fee compensation claim with the help and support of a personal injury solicitor.
What to consider when claiming for a crane accident
- Site managers have a legal duty to ensure crane operators are properly trained, and that all required safety protocols are followed.
- You can claim as an employee, contractor or temp worker - even if you think you may have been partly responsible.
- Your employer cannot terminate your employment for pursuing a claim.
- You can also claim against the crane operator if you were a site visitor or passerby when the accident happened.
- You have 3 years from the date of your accident to begin your claim.
- The amount of compensation you can claim depends on the severity of your injury and any financial losses or expenses. Use our compensation calculator to find out how much you could receive.
- You can make a no win, no fee claim.
You are not alone
In the UK, crane accidents are rare, but due to the nature of working at height accidents can lead to extremely serious and fatal injuries.
Falls from height caused 8% of work injuries in 2022-23, with 4% of injuries involved contact with moving machinery, according to data published by HSE (hse.gov.uk).
Building sites, in particular, are inherently dangerous places to work, and these dangers are reflected in the official building site accident statistics published by the Health and Safety Executive ('HSE'). The figures reveal that here were 45 fatal injuries to workers in 2022/23
Although construction workers are most likely to be involved in a crane accident, members of the public may also be at risk. Whether you are a crane operator, construction worker or passer-by, if you have been hurt in a crane accident, you could have a case for claiming compensation.
How much compensation can I claim for a crane accident?
The compensation you can claim for an accident involving a crane or other heavy plant will be determined by:
- the extent of your injury,
- the limitations your injury imposes on your daily life and work,
- any financial losses or costs you have incurred due to the accident.
Crane accident injury
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Updated January 2025
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Average crane accident injury general damages compensation table
The following crane accident injury payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).
These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.
Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).
Ankle injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Minor fractures, sprains, and ligament injuries with full recovery | Up to £15,250 |
| Moderate | A fracture or ligament injury with mild ongoing symptoms | £15,250 to £29,500 |
| Severe | Lengthy treatment required, and your ability to walk has been permanently affected | £34,740 to £55,540 |
| Very severe | Severe ongoing symptoms that are likely to worsen in the future | £55,540 to £77,340 |
Head & brain injuries
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Minimal brain damage with headaches and/or ongoing symptoms | £2,450 to £14,160 |
| Moderate - level 1 | Good recovery, but with ongoing symptoms (e.g. poor concentration and memory) | £17,000 to £47,770 |
| Moderate - level 2 | Your ability to work is reduced, and ongoing symptoms include poor concentration and memory, and a risk of epilepsy | £47,770 to £100,650 |
| Moderate - level 3 | Your ability to work is greatly reduced, and you have ongoing care needs | £100,650 to £166,540 |
| Moderate - level 4 | Ongoing symptoms include a moderate to severe intellectual deficit, personality change, damage to sight, speech and/or senses, and a risk of epilepsy | £166,540 to £243,040 |
| Severe | Symptoms include serious physical and/or cognitive disability that requires constant care, a risk of future medical issues and reduced life expectancy | £243,040 to £312,860 |
| Very severe | Full time nursing care is required | £312,860 to £448,180 |
Leg injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Simple tibia or fibula fracture | Simple fracture with full recovery | Up to £13,140 |
| Simple femur fracture | Simple femur fracture with no damage to articular surfaces | £10,110 to £15,620 |
| More serious fractures | Incomplete fracture recovery with ongoing symptoms | £19,930 to £30,800 |
General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA). Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.
Special damages are for financial losses and expenses you have incurred because of your accident. In addition to paying for loss of earnings, special damages can cover any care costs and medical procedures you need, such as emergency care, diagnostic imaging tests, surgical intervention and physiotherapy.
Read more:
A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim
How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?
Do I qualify for crane injury compensation?
You are entitled to make an injury claim for a crane accident, if:
- you were injured in the last 3 years, and;
- another party was responsible, and;
- that party owed you a legal duty of care.
Use our injury claim calculator to find out if you can claim. Alternatively, you can speak to a claims advisor on 0800 376 1001 and find out if you have a claim in minutes.
Am I still eligible to claim if I was partially responsible?
Determining legal responsibility for a claimant's injuries can involve myriad factors.
In our recent 2025 Work Injury Claimant Survey, 26.02% of injured workers believed they may have been partly (or wholly) responsible for their injuries.
Even if you think you might have been partly responsible, you could still be eligible to make a claim. With workplace injuries, it's often possible to claim compensation from your employer, regardless of whether your own actions or those of a colleague played a role in the incident.
Read more:
Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?
Your employer's duty of care
Your employer has a duty of care to all staff. This includes a duty to ensure that all equipment, including cranes, is maintained to a high standard and inspected at regular intervals. Organisations which employ people to operate cranes are also responsible for ensuring that those people are fully trained.
You should be provided with comprehensive training on all aspects of using the crane, and given practical advice on safety measures, including what action to take in an emergency.
What should I do if I have been injured in a crane accident?
Your first priority should be to seek medical advice. A doctor can assess the extent of your injury, prescribe treatment, and advise on pain relief and rehabilitative care.
Having sought immediate treatment, you should then report the accident formally to your employer. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you will probably be entitled to time off work.
Having begun your recovery, your thoughts might turn to compensation. If you have lost earnings because you haven't been able to work, or have had to spend money on support and treatment, you might be struggling to manage your finances.
If you have been in a crane accident, it is likely that someone else is to blame. A claim for compensation can restore your finances so that you can concentrate on your recovery.
How does claiming compensation work?
If you are considering pursuing a claim for compensation for a crane accident, it is vital to seek expert legal advice. The Quittance panel of solicitors will help to gather all the evidence you need to make a claim. They gather this evidence to prove to the court that someone else was at fault for what happened, and to demonstrate the impact this has had on you, the claimant.
What counts as evidence?
Your solicitor will advise you on evidence specific to your case. However, as a general rule, the following proof of your accident can be useful:
- Photographs of your injuries
- CCTV footage of the accident, or witness accounts
- Details of the training you received for using the crane
- Receipts for expenses relating to mobility requirements, prescriptions, or physiotherapy
- Details of how your injury has affected your day to day life: do you find it difficult or impossible to have a shower, for example?
How did your crane injury happen?
The compensation claims process will depend on where and how your crane accident occurred. Click the icons below for more information:
Can I make a no win, no fee crane accident injury claim?
Yes. With no win, no fee, you can claim crane accident injury compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation.
Get expert advice now
Interested in talking to a work accident specialist about your claim?
- Calls are FREE
- Confidential consultation
- No obligation to claim
- No Win No Fee solicitors
Call 0800 376 1001
or arrange a callbackAuthor:
Chris Salmon, Director
About the author
Chris Salmon is a co-founder and Director of Quittance Injury Claims. Chris has played key roles in the shaping and scaling of a number of legal services brands and is a regular commentator in the legal press.