By Harry Caine. Last Updated 4th July 2024. Have you suffered an injury after a slip, trip or fall at work? Did the accident happen after your employer failed to uphold their duty of care? If so, you may be entitled to claim compensation from them. Within this guide, we explain the key steps to claiming slip, trip or fall at work compensation.
This guide also provides information on legislation that relates to the duty of care that employers owe their employees. We also offer insight into how much compensation for a fall, slip or trip at work may be offered if you succeed with a claim. This guide also covers the benefits you could gain if you choose to make a work accident injury claim with a No Win No Fee solicitor.
To speak to an advisor about claiming for a slip, trip or fall at work, you can contact our team for help today. Our advisors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have valid grounds to make a work injury claim and speak to our advisors for help, they may connect you with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors. You can get in touch with our advisors by:
- Calling us on 0800 073 8804
- Enquiring about your claim online
- Sending us a message via the live chat feature below
Jump To A Section
- How Much Compensation Could I Get For A Fall At Work?
- Can I Claim For A Slip And Fall At Work?
- How Long Do I Have To Claim For A Slip, Trip Or Fall At Work?
- What Are The Causes Of Slips, Trips, And Falls At Work?
- What Does The Compensation Claims Process Look Like?
- What Evidence Can Help Me Prove A Slip, Trip And Fall At Work Claim?
- Can I Claim For A Fall At Work With No Win No Fee Solicitors
How Much Compensation Could I Get For A Fall At Work?
Compensation payouts awarded in successful personal injury claims could consist of two parts. These are called general and special damages.
Your mental suffering and physical pain caused when you slipped at work will be compensated under general damages. Those responsible for evaluating your claim may refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help when assigning value to general damages. These guidelines list compensation amounts for different injuries.
We list a few figures for injuries that could be relevant to a slip, trip and fall accident from the 17th edition of the JCG in the table below. It should be noted that the top row is not from the JCG but is intended to show you how much compensation can be awarded when seeking damages for more than one serious injury and incurred expenses. As every personal injury claim will be assessed on its individual merits, the table is only intended as guidance.
| Injury | Severity | Compensation Bracket |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries and Related Expenses | Very Severe | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Brain | Very Severe (a) | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Back | Severe (a) (i) | £111,150 to £196,450 |
| Neck | Severe (a) (i) | In the region of £181,020 |
| Leg | Severe (b) (i) | £117,460 to £165,860 |
| Arm | Severe (a) | £117,360 to £159,770 |
| Knee | Severe (a) (i) | £85,100 to £117,410 |
| Ankle | Very Severe (a) | £61,090 to £85,070 |
| Wrist Injuries | Complete Loss Of Function (a) | £58,110 to £73,050 |
You might also be awarded special damages to compensate for any monetary losses you’ve incurred because of your injury. Here is a list of a few examples of what you could be compensated for as part of your fall at work claim:
- Mobility aid costs.
- Money towards home adaptations.
- Loss of earnings, including pension contributions.
- Costs towards care or nursing.
- Prescription costs.
You should supply proof of your costs, such as bank statements, invoices, receipts and payslips.
If you would like to discuss how much compensation you could receive for an accident at work claim based on your injuries, speak with one of the advisors from our team. They can also advise you on what you could claim under special damages.
Can I Claim For A Slip And Fall At Work?
If you have slipped at work and sustained injuries, you may be able to make a personal injury claim. Your employer has a legal obligation under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to take reasonable steps to ensure your safety, and that of your colleagues in the workplace.
Now, how exactly this duty is met will vary between workplaces depending on the work being carried out. To this end, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), publish guidance on various topics such as carrying out risk assessments, to help employers meet their legal requirements.
The eligibility criteria to begin a fall at work claim are listed below:
- You were owed a duty of care by your employer.
- They breached this duty by failing to take reasonable steps to ensure your safety.
- This breach resulted in an accident in which you sustained injuries.
We’ll provide some more detailed scenarios further down the guide but, say if a pipe burst in the corridor creating a water hazard, and your employer did not place a warning sign, resulting in your slipping and hitting your head, you could be entitled to compensation.
For a free assessment of your eligibility to claim compensation after a fall at work, contact our advisors today.
How Long Do I Have To Claim For A Slip, Trip Or Fall At Work?
As previously stated, negligence must have occurred for slip and fall claims to be eligible for compensation. In addition to proving this, you must ensure that you start your personal injury claim within the relevant limitation period.
If you fell down at work and are making a personal injury claim, the Limitation Act 1980 states that you generally have three years to start your claim. However, in certain instances, there are exceptions. This includes claims being made on behalf of:
- Those under the age of 18. The time limit is paused until their 18th birthday. While the time limit is paused, a court-appointed litigation friend could make a claim for them. From the date of their 18th birthday, they will have three years to start a claim if one has not already been made.
- Those without the mental capacity to start a claim for themselves. In these cases, the time limit is suspended. This suspension will last until they regain this capacity. Whilst this suspension is in place, a litigation friend could start a claim and legal proceedings for them. Should they recover this mental capacity, they will have three years from that date to start a claim if one has not been started for them.
If you have been injured in a slip at work and are unsure whether you could make a personal injury claim, you can call our advisors. They could offer you free advice and inform you whether you still have enough time to start your claim.
What Are The Causes Of Slips, Trips, And Falls At Work?
Slips, trips and falls are quite common workplace accidents. According to the statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), slips, trips and falls made up 32% of all non-fatal workplace injuries between 2022/2023.
A slip, trip and fall at work could happen in numerous ways. Here are some examples that might be considered the employer’s fault:
- There was a spillage in a stock room of a supermarket, but the employer didn’t provide any wet floor signs. From this, an employee slips on the wet floor, suffering a leg injury.
- There is poor lighting on the stairwell of an office building. The employer of the office however has not repaired the lighting despite receiving numerous reports of the issue from employees. From this, an employee falls down the stairs, suffering a head injury.
- The employer has left exposed cables in the staff room of a retail shop. From this, an employee trips over the wires, suffering an ankle injury.
If your certain circumstances aren’t listed above, do not worry. Just give us a call to discuss how your slip, trip and fall accident happened at work with one of our advisors.
What Does The Compensation Claims Process Look Like?
If you have sustained harm in a fall at work and claim for a personal injury, you will need to follow the Pre-Action Protocols for Personal Injury Claims. These are a set of actions that need to be carried out as a way to avoid the claim going to court. As such, a claim will not be able to go to court if these steps haven’t been followed.
The actions include:
- Sending a Letter of Notification. This means notifying the defendant that a personal injury claim is likely to be made against them.
- Rehabilitation. This step involves all parties considering if the claimant needs rehabilitation or medical treatment. This should be done at the earliest possible moment.
- Sending a Letter of Claim. This should include a clear summary of the facts on which the claim is based as well as what injuries have been sustained and the impact they have had.
- Response. The defendant has 21 working days to respond to the Letter of Claim including an identification of the insurer. They will then have 3 months from when they acknowledged the Letter of Claim to investigate.
- Disclosure of documents. This is the exchange of any relevant information to help resolve the claim.
- Experts. After documents have been disclosed, the claimant should attend an independent medical assessment to generate a report.
- Negotiations. As part of this stage, a Part 36 offer can be made. This permits claimants and defendants to make offers in order to settle pre-proceedings.
- Alternative Dispute Resolution. Arbitration or mediation can be used to resolve any issues that parties cannot agree on. If these cannot be resolved, legal proceedings will need to be initiated.
If you are interested in seeking legal representation for your claim, one of our No Win No Fee solicitors might be able to help. If you’re eligible to have them work on your fall at work claim, they could carry out these steps for you as part of the services they provide. Get in touch with an advisor today to find out how a personal injury solicitor could help you if you slipped at work.
What Evidence Can Help Me Prove A Slip, Trip And Fall At Work Claim?
If you are eligible to make a personal injury claim after you slipped at work, collecting sufficient evidence could help support your case. It could help with proving liability and the injuries you suffered.
Some examples of the evidence you could gather include:
- A copy of the report in the work accident book. This could provide information on when and how you suffered your slip at work.
- Medical evidence regarding your injury, such as a copy of your medical records.
- Video footage of the accident, such as CCTV footage.
- Photographs of the accident scene.
Furthermore, you could seek some legal advice. Our advisors are available 24/7, and could advise whether you could be eligible to make a claim for fall at work compensation. If they think you may have a strong case, they could connect you with one of our solicitors.
Can I Claim For A Fall At Work With No Win No Fee Solicitors
If you are eligible to claim fall at work compensation, you may like to instruct an experienced workplace accident solicitor to work on your case.
One of our specialist solicitors might be able to help you with the claims process. They use a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) as a way to provide their services. A CFA is a kind of No Win No Fee arrangement.
When you make a compensation claim with the support of a No Win No Fee solicitor, you won’t be asked to pay any upfront costs or ongoing fees for the work they provide you. Additionally, if your claim does not succeed, they won’t ask you to pay for their services throughout your case for workplace injuries.
However, if you have a successful accident at work compensation claim, your solicitor will take a success fee out of your compensation. This amount is a capped percentage limited by the law.
Contact Our Team
If you have been the victim of an accident at work that wasn’t your fault, contact us immediately to set up your consultation, completely free of charge. There is no reason you should be facing such a confusing, worrying situation alone. If you are scared and unsure of what to do, we will be able to provide you with the necessary information to make an informed legal decision.
- Call us on 0800 073 8804
- Write to us
- Or send us a message using our live chat feature on your screen
Thank you for reading our guide about how to claim compensation for a slip, trip and fall at work.
