Most people who work with machinery know the risks. They don’t need reminders about being careful or following safety steps. But even the most experienced person can’t prevent an accident when the machine itself is faulty – when something fails inside it, gives way without warning, or was never properly maintained in the first place.
Most people who work with machinery know the risks. They don’t need reminders about being careful or following safety steps. But even the most experienced person can’t prevent an accident when the machine itself is faulty – when something fails inside it, gives way without warning, or was never properly maintained in the first place.
We’ve seen this happen in workshops, on farms, in warehouses and construction sites across Clare. A hydraulic arm jams. A blade guard slips. A worn part that should have been replaced months ago finally gives out. What follows is not just physical pain, but weeks or months of lost income, stress at home, and the quiet frustration of being told, “That’s just the way things go.” We don’t accept that.
At Crimmins Howard Solicitors, we’ve been helping people in this part of the country for over 30 years. Not just with legal claims but with the kind of straight, honest advice that respects what you’ve been through. If you’ve been injured by defective machinery, we’ll work with you to find out why it happened, who was responsible, and how to put things right. No pressure. No nonsense. Just steady support built around your recovery.
If something went wrong with the machine—not with you—you deserve to be heard. Talk to Crimmins Howard Solicitors today and let’s see what can be done.
Across Ireland, machinery is a part of everyday working life. From farms and factories to construction sites and warehouse floors, machines help us lift, cut, move and produce. But when machinery is poorly maintained, outdated or simply not fit for purpose, the consequences can be devastating.
What’s often called a “freak accident” is, more often than not, entirely preventable. A blade without a safety guard. A forklift with dodgy brakes. A poorly wired power tool. These aren’t just oversights—they’re safety failures. And when a person gets injured as a result, they shouldn’t be left to deal with the fallout alone.
The types of injuries caused by defective machinery are often severe. They include:
These injuries don’t just take a person off work they affect families, routines, confidence and long-term health. At Crimmins Howard, we’ve seen how serious the impact can be. From building sites around Shannon to food production facilities in Clare, we’ve helped injured workers across different industries get answers, accountability and support.
Defective machinery is not limited to heavy plant equipment. Smaller tools like angle grinders, pallet trucks, hoists or bench saws can cause serious harm if they’re not maintained or checked regularly. Even machines that seem fine on the surface may have worn parts, missed services or outdated safety features that put users at risk.
And while most employers in Ireland take safety seriously, corners can still be cut. Maintenance gets delayed. Faults are overlooked. Training is rushed or undocumented. These are the conditions where injuries happen and the law provides clear protections for workers in these situations.
If you’ve been injured by machinery that failed, it may not have been just an accident. We’re here to help you explore what went wrong and what options are available to you.
When machinery causes an injury, one of the most important questions is who can be held legally responsible. It’s rarely a simple case of “just an accident.” More often, it’s the result of someone not doing what they should have whether that’s an employer, a supplier or the manufacturer of the machine itself.
Under Irish health and safety law, employers carry a clear duty of care to provide safe equipment for their staff. This includes regular maintenance, inspections, training and ensuring machinery is fit for purpose. If they fail to spot or fix a known fault, ignore safety concerns raised by staff, or allow the use of worn or outdated machinery, they can be held fully or partly responsible for the injury.
But liability doesn’t always stop there.
In many workplaces, machinery is leased or maintained by outside contractors. If a third-party company was responsible for servicing the equipment and failed to do so properly, they may share liability. Likewise, if the employer was relying on a faulty report from a service provider or maintenance technician, that too could form part of the legal claim.
If the machine itself was inherently defective, the manufacturer, importer or distributor may be to blame. This falls under what’s known as product liability where compensation can be pursued if a piece of machinery caused harm because of poor design, construction or inadequate warnings. Even if the product came from abroad, a claim can often be brought against the Irish-based supplier or distributor.
In some environments, especially construction sites or shared industrial yards, responsibility may be spread across multiple parties for example, a subcontractor who misused the equipment, or a site manager who failed to enforce proper checks. In these cases, we work to identify all responsible parties so you’re not left chasing one source of blame while others go unexamined.
At Crimmins Howard Solicitors, we don’t make assumptions about who’s at fault. We carry out a full review of what happened, who was involved, and what safety standards applied. That means gathering reports, inspecting logs and speaking with engineers where needed. We believe in full accountability because no one should have to carry the weight of someone else’s mistake.
Not all machinery defects are easy to spot. Some develop slowly over time due to wear and tear. Others are hidden beneath the surface until something goes catastrophically wrong. What they all have in common is this – if proper checks had been carried out, many of these accidents could have been avoided.
Below are some of the most common machinery-related defects we’ve come across in claims handled for workers and tradespeople across Clare and surrounding areas:
Across the trades, agriculture, warehousing and construction, we see these defects pop up time and time again. When they do, the injuries that follow aren’t just painful they’re preventable. And that’s what makes them legally actionable.
In the immediate aftermath of a machinery-related accident, it’s easy to feel disoriented, frustrated or unsure of what to do next. But the actions you take in the hours and days that follow can make a real difference—not only for your recovery, but also for your legal rights.
Here’s what we recommend:
At Crimmins Howard Solicitors, we help injured workers and tradespeople across Clare take the right steps early—so you’re not left trying to remember what happened months down the line when records have been wiped and tools replaced.
When you’ve been injured because a machine failed, compensation isn’t about “cashing in.” It’s about covering the real losses that follow physically, financially and emotionally. A proper claim can help ease the pressure of being out of work, facing medical bills, or adapting to long-term changes in your daily life.
Here’s what compensation typically includes:
These are awarded for the pain and suffering caused by your injury. They cover:
The amount depends on how serious the injury is, how long it’s expected to last and how it’s impacted your quality of life.
These are your out-of-pocket expenses. They can include:
Keeping receipts and payslips helps document these costs accurately.
If your injury has a lasting effect such as needing a career change, long-term care or early retirement your solicitor can include projected costs and income loss in the claim. This is especially important in serious machinery accidents, where recovery may take months or years.
At Crimmins Howard Solicitors, we look at the full picture to make sure you’re fairly compensated not just for what’s happened already, but for what lies ahead.
If you’ve been injured in a machinery accident, it’s important to know there’s a time limit on how long you have to take legal action. In Ireland, the general rule is that you have two years from the date of the accident to begin your personal injury claim.
However, there are some exceptions. In cases where the injury or the full impact of the injury wasn’t immediately obvious such as when symptoms develop gradually the time limit may begin from the “date of knowledge.” This is the point at which you became aware (or should have reasonably become aware) that your injury was caused by a defect or safety failure.
Different rules apply to children. If a person under 18 is injured, the two-year time limit doesn’t begin until their 18th birthday. A parent or guardian can still bring a claim on their behalf at any stage before that. For adults with diminished capacity, time limits are extended in line with their needs.
Even if you’re still within the legal timeframe, delays can cause problems. Machinery may be repaired, logs rewritten or overwritten, and witnesses harder to trace. The earlier you act, the better the chance of preserving vital evidence.
At Crimmins Howard Solicitors, we move quickly to secure records, safety reports and photographic evidence before they disappear. If you’re not sure how long you have left, we’ll help you find out.
If you’ve been injured by faulty or dangerous machinery, you don’t need to figure it out on your own. At Crimmins Howard Solicitors, we listen first, then guide you through your options clearly and calmly. Get in touch today and take the first step toward putting things right.
