I Slipped On Water In A Bathroom, Can I Claim Compensation?
If you’ve slipped on water in a bathroom and suffered injuries as a result, you may be wondering if you’re eligible for compensation. In order to make a personal injury claim for an injury that occurred while out in a public space, negligence must be proven.
In this guide, we will explore the eligibility criteria for making a valid personal injury claim and what health and safety laws can form the basis of the claim. Furthermore, we’ll discuss what evidence could support your claim and then give examples of compensation brackets that may relate to your case. You can also learn about the benefits of working with a No Win No Fee solicitor when seeking compensation.
Read on to learn more about steps you could take to claim. Additionally, you can reach our advisors using the following contact details. Our team are available 24/7 to provide you with a free consultation about the process of claiming compensation. To learn more:
- Message an adviser through the live chat
- Use the contact form to request a call back
- Call us: 0800 073 8804
Select A Section
- Can I Claim If I Slipped on Water In A Bathroom?
- Examples Of Accidents Caused By Slipping In A Bathroom
- Proving That You Slipped On Water In A Bathroom
- What Could You Claim If You Slipped On Water In A Bathroom?
- Contact Us To Make A No Win No Fee Claim
- Slip And Fall Claim Resources
Can I Claim If I Slipped On Water In A Bathroom?
The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 imposes a duty of care on occupiers, those in control of public and private spaces, to take steps to ensure the reasonable safety of those who use it for its intended purpose. For example, if you slipped on water in a supermarket because no hazard signs had been used to draw your attention to the spillage, you could be eligible to claim for any harm suffered
In order to claim for a slip that occurred in a public bathroom, you must establish that a duty of care you were owed was breached by those in control of the site where the injury occurred. The party in control of a site could be the owner of a shop or the local authority. Equally, it could be your employer if the accident occurred while you were at work.
At the same time, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 determines that employers must take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of their employees while they are at work. This could involve replacing faulty equipment that increases the risk of an accident occurring, such as leaky taps in the bathroom.
How Can I Know If I’m Eligible To Claim?
To make a claim after you slipped on water in a bathroom, you must show:
- A third party owed you a duty of care
- This party breached the duty of care they owed you
- You sustained injuries as a result of the breach
If all three of these criteria are true, then negligence occurred. Read on to learn more about how to claim after you were injured in a public bathroom. You can also use the information above if you’d prefer to speak to a member of our team.
Limitation Periods To Make Your Claim
After you sustain an injury due to negligence, you have three years to start the claims process. The Limitation Act 1980 states that this time limit starts from the date the accident occurred.
However, claimants under the age of 18 are unable to pursue a claim while a minor, so they would need to wait until they reach adulthood. In these circumstances, the time limit will begin on their 18th birthday. If they wish to claim before this time period begins, a litigation friend can be appointed to seek a settlement on their behalf.
The same is true for adults without the mental capacity to claim; they may either begin a claim three years after they gain the required capacity or a litigation friend may claim on their behalf.
Contact us today for support regarding claiming within the required time limit.
Examples Of Accidents Caused By Slipping In A Bathroom
Slip, trip and fall accidents could cause serious injuries, including:
- An acute or chronic back injury
- A paralysis injury
- A knee injury
Negligence could contribute to these injuries in a number of ways. For instance, the party in control of a space could:
- Fail to ensure safety signage is placed in a bathroom that has just been mopped
- Fail to carry out regular maintenance checks, meaning a bathroom leak is not addressed within an appropriate time frame.
- Neglect to ensure that spills are cleaned up in a timely manner. If water is allowed to remain on a bathroom floor for too long, it could lead to a spillage injury.
If you were injured due to negligence, you could be eligible to begin a claim. See below to learn more or contact our team of advisers.
Proving That You Slipped On Water In A Bathroom
To seek personal injury compensation, you must provide evidence that negligence occurred. Valid evidence can take the form of:
- Photographs of the scene where the accident took place
- Pictures of the injuries you sustained
- Medical records
- Take witness details incase a statement is needed later on
- Also ensure you complete the accident log book
See below for more information on seeking compensation after you slipped on water in a bathroom. Our advisors are also at hand to help you with concerns you may have about collecting evidence.
What Could You Claim If You Slipped On Water In A Bathroom?
When making a claim, your compensation could include general and special damages, which are two heads of claim intended to reflect two aspects of harm you experience.
General damages are intended to compensate you for the physical and psychological injuries you sustained due to negligence. To assess this head of claim, legal professionals can use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This publication displays compensation brackets for different injuries. However, these are only guidelines and don’t reflect the specific circumstances of individual claims.
You can see some examples below. Additionally, you can contact our advisors for a more personalised estimate.
Example Guidelines For General Damages
Injury | Guideline Amount | Injury Description |
---|---|---|
Severe Back Injury (a) (i) | £91,090 to £160,980 | The most severe injuries in this bracket involve damage to the nerve roots and spinal cord, causing a combination of serious consequences. |
Moderate Back Injury (b) (i) | £27,760 to £38,780 | Back injuries such as traumatic spondylolisthesis with continuous pain or a prolapsed intervertebral disc that requires surgery. |
Minor Back Injury (c) (i) | £7,890 to £12,510 | Injuries in this bracket can be recovered from without the need for surgery within two and five years. |
Severe Neck Injury (a) (i) | Around £148,330 | Neck injuries that lead to little to no neck movement despite wearing a collar for 24 hours a day over a period of years. |
Moderate Neck Injury (b) (i) | £24,990 to £38,490 | Injuries including fractures and dislocations that cause severe and immediate symptoms, chronic conditions involving serious soft tissue injuries. |
Wrist Injury (a) | £47,620 to £59,860 | Function in the wrist is completely lost due to injury. |
Wrist Injury (b) | £24,500 to £39,170 | Significant and permanent disabilities are caused by this injury. |
Serious Foot Injury (e) | £24,990 to £39,200 | Foot injuries that are less severe than those in higher brackets but lead to continuous pain with prolonged treatment and risk of fusion surgery. |
Modest Foot Injury (g) | Up to £13,740 | Ruptured ligaments and simple metatarsal fractures in the foot are included in this bracket. |
Serious Shoulder Injury (b) | £12,770 to £19,200 | Shoulder movement is restricted and pain experienced following injuries that involve shoulder dislocation and brachial plexus damage. |
Special Damages
Special damages relate to any financial losses you suffered as a result of negligence. For instance, this could include loss of earnings due to your injuries or the cost of travelling to hospital appointments.
In order to claim special damages, you must provide supporting evidence regarding the financial losses you experienced. This may include:
- Receipts
- Bank statements
- Invoices
It is important that you keep financial records, as they are used as evidence to demonstrate the losses you’ve suffered. If you need further guidance, please contact our advisors using the banner above.
Contact Us To Make A No Win No Fee Claim
A Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) is a type of No Win No Fee arrangement that solicitors can use as a way to fund representation. This kind of agreement can be financially beneficial because, with a CFA, you don’t have to pay for a solicitor’s services until the end of a successful claim. This is the kind of No Win No Fee agreement that our solicitors use.
The terms of a CFA mean that you won’t have to pay for a solicitor’s services if your claim fails. Instead, your lawyer takes a success fee from your settlement. However, this fee is capped legally, so you always receive the majority of your compensation.
If our advisers feel your claim has merit, they could connect you with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors. Contact us today for more information about the claims process.
Talk To Our Team
Our advisors are available to take your call anytime that suits you. This is a free consultation, so you can get the information you may want about claiming for the negligent harm you experienced. If you have questions about the claims process, ask our team today:
- Message an adviser through the live chat
- Use the contact form to request a call back
- Call us: 0800 073 8804
Slip And Fall Claim Resources
Find more of our guides here:
- How To Claim Compensation For A Slip And Fall In A Toilet or Bathroom
- How Much Compensation Can I Claim For A Pub Or Bar Accident?
- Kitchen Slip Or Trip Claim Guide
- Wondering what happens if I lose my personal injury claim? Read our guide to learn more.
- Answer the question “is working cash in hand illegal?” and find out if you could claim when injured at work.
You can also visit the following websites for more information:
- Accident Compensation – UK Government
- Cleaning And Slips – Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- First Aid – NHS
Thank you for reading our personal injury guide. If you need more information after you slipped on water in a bathroom, our advisors are available to help.