I Fell Over A Box At Work – Can I Claim Compensation?

By Danielle Jordan. Last Updated 5th November 2024. If you fell over a box at work and injured yourself, you might be able to seek compensation. To be eligible to make an accident at work claim, the injury must have been caused by an employer breaching the duty of care they owed you. We will discuss the duty they owe in more detail throughout this guide.

You may also have questions, such as:

• What should I do if I am injured at work?
• How can you claim for injury at work?
• What is a No Win No Fee agreement?

We will look to answer these questions to give you an understanding of the steps involved in the work injury claims process, such as gathering evidence to support your case and the benefits of seeking legal representation from a personal injury solicitors.

Additionally, we will discuss the settlement you could be awarded following a successful claim and what it could comprise.

You can speak directly with one of our advisors if you have any other questions. They are available 24/7 to provide you with free legal advice. 

To get in contact: 

• Call 0800 073 8804
• Fill out our ‘claim online’ form via our website
• Speak with a member of our team using the live chat feature.

Select A Section

1. A Guide To Claims If You Fell Over A Box At Work
2. Preventing Trips And Falls In The Workplace
3. What Injuries Could Tripping Over A Box Cause?
4. How Do I Claim If I Fell Over A Box At Work?
5. What Could A Settlement Include If You Fell Over A Box At Work?
6. Fell Over At Work? See If You Could Claim With A No Win No Fee Lawyer

A Guide To Claims If You Fell Over A Box At Work

There are multiple ways you might suffer an injury in the workplace. However, you may not always be able to seek compensation for the harm sustained.

As previously mentioned, you must be able to demonstrate that negligence occurred. Negligence involves you experiencing physical or emotional harm due a breach of your employer’s duty of care. 

If you are able to demonstrate that employer negligence occurred, you may be able to seek compensation after you fell over a box at work.

The severity of any injuries you sustain and the effect they have on your life can influence how much compensation you could be owed following a successful claim.

For more detail in regard to workplace accident claims, please contact a member of our team. 

Preventing Trips And Falls In The Workplace

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 establishes the duty of care employees are owed by their employers. It states that they must take all reasonably possible steps to remove or reduce the risk of injury to employees. 

Examples of ways you may have sustained an injury at work due to your employer breaching this duty can include:

• Your employer fails to do a risk assessment which results in a cluttered walkway not being cleared. Consequently, you may have fell over a box at work and suffer a broken hand injury. 
• Despite being aware of a trip hazard caused by fallen stock, your employer does not take steps to remove the hazard. As a result, you fall over the boxes, sustaining a back injury and an arm injury. 

If you would like to find out more about the scenarios which may form the basis of a valid claim, please contact an advisor from our team who is available 24/7 to offer free legal advice. 

How Common Is Falling Over At Work?

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) gathers reports made by employers under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). They can collate these into useful statistics.

According to the statistics, there were:

• 60,645 non-fatal injuries to employees in 2022/23.
• 19,202 slips, trips or falls on the same level.
• 5,118 falls from a height.

What Injuries Could Tripping Over A Box Cause?

Depending on the severity of the incident, you could sustain several injuries after you fell over a box at work. For example: 

• A broken or fractured wrist 
• A sprain or strain to the ankle
• Brain and head injuries
• Nerve damage
• The dislocation of your shoulder
• Tendon or ligament injuries
• A scrape, cut or similar injury

If you have suffered an injury after a fall at work and would like to find out whether you can claim, please contact an advisor from our team. 

How Do I Claim If I Fell Over A Box At Work?

As established by the Limitation Act 1980, you generally have 3 years to begin your accident at work claim. This time limit might start from the date of the accident or when you connected your injuries with a breach of duty.

In some circumstances, exceptions could be made. For example: 

• If the injured person is younger than 18 years old 
• If the injured person lacks the mental capacity to claim

For children, the time limit is suspended. During this time, a suitable adult can apply to act as a litigation friend and claim on behalf of the child. If this is not done by the time they turn 18, they will have three years from their 18th birthday to put forward their own claim.

Similarly, the time limit is suspended for those with a reduced mental capacity. In this time, a litigation friend may be able to put forward the claim on their behalf. If the person recovers their capacity, the three year time limit will start from the date of recovery. From this date, they will be able to start their own claim if one has not already been made on their behalf.

For more information on how long you have to make an accident at work claim, get in touch on the number above.

What Can I Do After I Fell Over A Box At Work?

When considering making a claim, it could also be useful to gather evidence to strengthen your claim. This is because it is vital to prove that you were owed a duty of care, it was breached and you were injured due to the breach. 

You can do this in the following ways: 

• Seek medical attention. This can ensure you receive treatment for your injuries and can also generate medical records that can be used as evidence to support your case.
• Fill out the accident at work book.
• Gather visual evidence of the accident and your injuries, such as CCTV footage or photographs. 
• Acquire witness contact details for statements to be taken at a later date.
• Keep a record of any financial losses.

You can do this with the help of a personal injury solicitor from our panel. Please do not hesitate contact our team for more information. 

What Could A Settlement Include If You Fell Over A Box At Work?

If you successfully claim after you fell over a box at work, compensation will be made up of potentially two heads of loss. What that compensation looks like depends entirely on the case and the settlement that is agreed, which underlines the importance of having an experienced solicitor working to get the best possible outcome.

At least part of your payout would address the physical pain and mental harm suffered as a result of the accident. This payment comes under a head of loss called general damages.

Different things can impact the level of payment, such as the severity, the length of time symptoms last or how much your day-to-day life is affected.

People tasked with valuing your injuries can get support from the same source as the table you see below, the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). As a document made up of compensation figures for different injuries, divided into various severity-related brackets, it gives a useful indication of what compensation can look like.

However, remember when you’re looking over the table that it is just there for guidance. Also, the top line is not from the JCG, and instead illustrates a potential settlement figure.

What Else Can I Claim For?

The table mentions that a payout can account for out-of-pocket expenses. This is due to a possible second head of loss. Special damages compensate for those financial losses that only happen because you were injured because of your workplace accident.

People who fell over a box at work can claim for monetary damages that might include:

• Past and potentially future loss of earnings if you’re left unable to work.
• Medical bills or prescription fees.
• Domestic care bills.

If you’ve been injured because you fell over a box while working, you can discuss what could be included in a payout by speaking to an advisor. We can also help you find out whether a solicitor could take your case and push for the compensation you deserve.

Fell Over At Work? See If You Could Claim With A No Win No Fee Lawyer

If you had a fall at work and are eligible for compensation, you may like legal support to help with your claim. However, you may not want to pay high upfront costs for a lawyer. If you suffered injuries when you tripped over a box, legal representation could come from a No Win No Fee lawyer. They may provide their services under the terms of a type of No Win No Fee arrangement known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).

What this means for you is that your No Win No Fee lawyer typically won’t ask you to pay upfront for their support. They generally won’t expect you to cover any ongoing fees either. If your lawyer successfully helps you recover compensation, they will take a success fee from your award. This amount is subject to a limit set by the law. However, if your lawyer does not help you recover compensation, they typically won’t charge for their services.

If you fell over at work, call our advisors for free advice about your possible next steps. Additionally, they can evaluate the validity of your claim. If it seems like you have a chance of recovering compensation, they could connect you with our lawyers. So, if you fell over, reach out today for legal help.

To speak to an advisor:

• Use the live chat at the bottom of the screen.
• Call 0800 073 8804
• Start your claim online.

Learn More About Falling Over Hazards In The Workplace

We have provided you with additional reading that you might find useful: 

• Fell through a roof at work claims guide
• Manual handling accident claims guide
• Faulty gardening equipment claims
• Learn how to claim for an injury caused by a scaffolding collapse. Get more information on the accident at work claims process.

In addition, here is some more reading related to personal injury claims: 

• NHS – First Aid
• GOV – Compensation After An Accident Or Injury
• HSE – Preventing slip and trip accidents

Thanks for reading our guide on the steps you can take if you fell over a box at work due to employer negligence. If you have any other questions, please get in touch on the details provided above.

Written by Pascal

Edited by Mitchell