This guide will look at the process of claiming compensation if you tripped and fell at work. If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by negligence, then you might be eligible to claim.
Slips, trips and falls can lead to injuries of varying severity; how badly you were hurt will be considered when calculating the amount of compensation you’re owed. It is important to note that to make an accident at work personal injury claim, your injury must result from your employer’s negligence. This article will explain what employer negligence is and how this could cause an injury at work.
Furthermore, we will consider how much compensation you could receive for different injuries in a trip at work claim and look at how a No Win No Fee solicitor could benefit you.
Please get in touch with our team of advisors for further advice if you tripped and fell at work, resulting in injuries. They are available 24/7, and you will not be obligated to proceed with our panel of solicitors just from getting in touch.
You can:
- Call the number at the top of the page.
- Visit our page to contact us online.
- Use our live chat feature on this page.
A guide to claiming if you tripped and fell at work
I Tripped And Fell At Work, Can I Claim Compensation?
Slips, trips and falls can occur in various work environments. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), they are the single most common cause of major injury in UK workplaces.
The three conditions that must be met to claim compensation for a work injury are:
- Your employer owed you a duty of care.
- Your employer breached their duty of care.
- As a result of this breach, you were injured.
Also, it is important to note that under the Limitation Act 1980, you generally have three years to start a personal injury claim. There are a few exceptions; for example, if you are under eighteen, the three-year time limit does not begin until you turn eighteen. While you’re under 18, a litigation friend can represent you; this can be any adult you trust to claim on your behalf. No time limit applies while you’re unable to make your claim.
If you tripped and fell at work due to your employer’s negligence, resulting in an injury, contact our team of advisors to find out if you could make a claim.
Trip And Fall Statistics
The HSE website provides useful statistics related to the number of incidents that are reported to them. They provide some information surrounding slips and trips specifically.
Under The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), employers reported that in 2020/21:
- There were 51,211 non-fatal injuries to employees.
- 16,698 non-fatal injuries were caused by slips, trips or falls on the same level; this is the most of any accident kind.
- 4,143 instances of falls from a height were reported.
How To Calculate Compensation For A Trip And Fall Accident
If you tripped and fell at work, you might be entitled to compensation. The settlement you receive could consist of general and special damages.
General damages compensate you for the suffering, both mental and physical, caused by the injury. Below is a table of guideline valuation brackets for different injuries. These figures were produced using The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), published in April 2022; legal professionals use this document to help them assign values to claims.
| Injury | Details | Amount of compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Ankle Injuries | Injuries involve extensive treatment and a significant level of disability will remain. | £31,310 to £50,060 |
| Moderate Ankle Injuries | Ligament tears and fractures that lead to disabilities of a lower severity than in more serious cases. | £13,740 to £26,590 |
| Less Serious Leg Injuries (i) | Serious soft tissue injury or fracture where recovery is incomplete and problems may remain. | £17,960 to £27,760 |
| Less Serious Leg Injuries (ii) | Femur is fractured and there is no further damage to joints. | £9,110 to £14,080 |
| Less Serious Leg Injuries (iii) | Less serious soft tissue injury or where the tibia or fibula is fractured but full recovery will be made. | Up to £11,840 |
| Moderate Knee Injuries (i) | An injury such as dislocation which leads to a mild disability in the future, such as instability or weakness. | £14,840 to £26,190 |
| Wrist Injuries (d) | Fractures and soft tissue injuries that take over 12 months to heal, but do heal completely. | £6,080 to £10,350 |
| Wrist Injuries (e) | A Colles fracture with no complications. | Around £7,430 |
| Wrist Injuries (f) | Minor fractures and soft tissue injuries that will recover within 12 months or thereabouts. | £3,530 to £4,740 |
| Moderate Toe Injuries | Simple fractures or deep cuts to one or more toes. | Up to £9,600 |
It is important to note that these figures are a guide, and each case is valued by its individual circumstances.
Special damages can also be awarded in a personal injury claim; they compensate for past and future financial losses resulting from your injury. Special damages might include costs and losses such as:
- Loss of earnings
- Travel costs
- The costs of care
- The cost of independence aids, such as hearing aids or a wheelchair
You must keep evidence to claim a cost as special damages. For example, you could provide previous payslips to prove how much money you would lose being off work due to your injury.
Contact our advisors today to find out more about the compensation you could receive for a workplace accident claim if you tripped and fell at work.
Causes Of Trip And Fall Accidents
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 outlines the duty of care that all employers owe their employees. They are responsible for taking reasonably practicable steps to keep their employees safe in the workplace.
Some of these steps can include:
- Providing proper training.
- Carrying out regular maintenance.
- Keeping the work environment free of clutter and hazards
- Providing signage and making employees aware when removing the hazard isn’t possible.
- Providing any necessary personal protection equipment (PPE).
On the other hand, it is important to remember that you are also responsible for adhering to any training provided and acting sensibly in your workplace.
An employer could be made aware that tangled wires are running through a walkway. They do not deal with the hazard in due time nor do they provide any signage to warn employees. This leads to an office accident as an employee gets their foot stuck in the wires and falls to the ground, fracturing their arm.
A slip, trip and fall could cause a factory accident if an employer did not carry out scheduled maintenance on the machinery in the factory. One of the machines could leak, creating a puddle of oil on the floor. As a result, one of the employees could slip in the oil and sustain a fatal injury to the head.
To find out more about claiming if you tripped and fell at work, or for information on who can bring a fatal injury claim forward, don’t hesitate to speak with an advisor today. You could be connected with one of the accident at work or fatal accident solicitors from our panel.
What Evidence Could Support A Claim After I Tripped And Fell At Work?
If you’ve tripped and fell at work, you should seek medical attention for your injuries. Workplaces often have a member of staff trained in first aid; however, you should still seek medical attention from a doctor, walk-in centre or hospital where appropriate.
Following this, it is important to collect evidence of your employer’s negligence and of your injury. Some of the things you can do are:
- Fill out the accident report book. If your workplace has one, it can provide crucial evidence. A colleague can do this for you if you’re unable.
- Get medical records detailing the injury and any treatment.
- Take photographic evidence of the scene of the accident and of your injuries as you heal.
- Gather CCTV footage.
- Aquire witness contact details. You cannot take a witness statement; a professional must obtain it at a later date.
Finally, we recommend seeking legal advice to direct you on how to file a compensation claim. A solicitor can help to guide you through the claims process and can offer advice on when to accept an offer of compensation.
Don’t hesitate to contact our advisors; they might be able to connect you with a specialist workplace accident solicitor from our panel if you tripped and fell at work and have a valid claim.
What Makes Up A No Win No Fee Agreement?
Choosing a No Win No Fee agreement, also referred to as a Conditional Fee Agreement, to fund the work of a lawyer can have many benefits. Firstly, there are no upfront or ongoing payments. Moreover, you never have to pay for your solicitor’s services if you do not receive compensation.
On the other hand, if your claim is successful, your solicitor will take a small percentage of the awarded compensation, called a ‘success fee’, to cover their services. They can’t take a larger percentage than is permitted by law, so you can’t be overcharged.
If you think a No Win No Fee solicitor could help you pursue compensation, speak with an advisor today. They could connect you with a solicitor from our panel.
“I Tripped And Fell, Can I Claim Compensation?” – Speak To Us And Find Out
Start your claim for a fall at work by:
- Calling the number at the top of the page.
- Visiting our page to contact us online.
- Using our live chat feature on this page.
Further Information About Claiming Compensation After I Tripped And Fell At Work
Extra information can be found via the links below:
- HSE – Preventing Slips And Trips At Work, A Brief Guide
- NHS – Broken Arm or Wrist
- GOV – Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
We hope this article on claiming after you tripped and fell at work has been useful. If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Publisher Fern Summers
Writer Jess Orchard