If you have been injured due to a broken ladder at work, you may be wondering if you could make a personal injury claim and how much your injuries may be worth.
Within this guide, we will discuss the eligibility criteria you must meet in order to have a valid personal injury claim. Furthermore, we will explore how compensation is calculated for successful cases. This guide will also provide examples of the types of evidence that could be used to help support your claim. Additionally, we will examine how one of our No Win No Fee solicitors could help you with making a personal injury claim.
If you have any further questions after reading this guide, you can contact our advisors. They are available to offer you free advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
To speak with a member of our team today, you can:
- Call 0800 073 8801
- Contact us online.
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Select A Section
- What Could I Claim For Injuries Caused By A Broken Ladder At Work?
- Who Could Claim For An Accident At Work?
- Causes Of Broken Ladder Accidents At Work
- What Evidence Should I Gather To Support My Claim?
- Could I Make A No Win No Fee Broken Ladder At Work Accident Claim?
- Learn More About Claiming For Workplace Ladder Accidents
What Could I Claim For Injuries Caused By A Broken Ladder At Work?
To be able to make a claim for compensation after being injured from a broken ladder at work, you must meet the relevant eligibility criteria. We will discuss what this is later in this guide.
You will be awarded general damages if you make a successful personal injury claim. This compensates you for the mental and physical suffering you have experienced.
When a legal professional is valuing this head of your claim, they may refer to the guidance figures outlined in the 16th edition of the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help them. This document provides compensation guidelines for a variety of injuries. We have included some of the amounts listed in this publication in the table below.
Please only use it as a guide.
Compensation Guidelines
Injury | Severity | Notes | Compensation Guidelines |
---|---|---|---|
Brain and Head | Moderately Severe | The person will depend on others and need constant professional care due to being very seriously disabled. | £219,070 to £282,010 |
Brain and Head | Moderate (iii) | Memory and concentration have been affected. There is also a small risk of epilepsy, and the ability to work has been reduced. | £43,060 to £90,720 |
Back | Severe (iii) | Disc fractures or lesions, or soft tissue injuries leading to chronic conditions. Disabilities such as continuing severe pain will remain despite treatment. | £38,780 to £69,730 |
Leg | Severe (iii) Serious | Serious comminuted or compound fractures, or injuries to the ligaments or joints causing instability and requiring prolonged treatment. | £39,200 to £54,830 |
Leg | Less Serious (ii) | A simple fracture to the femur without damage to the articular surfaces. | £9,110 to £14,080 |
Ankle | Severe | The ankle will require a period of time in plaster or an extensive period of treatment, with the person suffering from ankle instability. | £31,310 to £50,060 |
Arm | Injuries Resulting in Permanent and Substantial Disablement | One or both forearms suffer serious fractures. That causes a significant permanent cosmetic or functional disability. | £39,170 to £59,860 |
Arm | Less Severe | A significant degree of recovery is expected to or has already occurred despite suffering from serious disabilities. | £19,200 to £39,170 |
Wrist | (b) | Some useful wrist movement remains despite suffering significant permanent disability. | £24,500 to £39,170 |
Shoulder | Serious | Dislocation of the shoulder with the lower part of the brachial plexus suffering damage. | £12,770 to £19,200 |
What Are Special Damages?
Special damages may also be awarded in some successful personal injury cases. This head of claim compensates you for the financial losses you have suffered due to being injured by a broken ladder at work. For example, you may be able to claim for:
- A loss of earnings.
- Medical expenses.
- Care costs.
- Travel expenses.
Evidence such as payslips, invoices and bank statements could help support you with your claim for special damages.
Contact our advisory team for a free valuation of your potential claim.
Who Could Claim For An Accident At Work?
If you have suffered an injury due to a broken ladder at work, you may be wondering whether you could be eligible to make a personal injury claim.
All employers owe their employees a duty of care to take reasonable steps to ensure their safety in the workplace and while they are performing work-related tasks. This duty of care is outlined under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
If your employer were to breach this duty of care, and this caused you to become injured in an accident at work, you could be eligible to make a personal injury claim.
What Regulations Apply To Working At Heights?
Employers also need to adhere to the Work at Height Regulations 2005. This places duties on employers or anyone who controls a work-at-height task to help prevent injury or death from a fall from a height. Per these regulations, your employer must ensure that:
- The risks have been assessed, and appropriate equipment is being used.
- The equipment used for the task has been properly inspected and maintained.
- Staff have received the correct training.
To discuss your potential claim and receive free advice, you can contact our advisory team today.
Causes Of Broken Ladder Accidents At Work
There are various ways that you could become injured due to a broken ladder at work. Some examples include:
- Defective ladder stiles – if these are damaged or bent, this could cause the ladder to buckle or collapse, and you could suffer a broken arm.
- Missing or damaged feet – if the feet of the ladder have been worn down, damaged, or are missing, this could cause the ladder to slip while you are using it, and you could suffer a head injury.
- The rungs – if these are bent, worn or loose, this could cause them to break while you are using them, and you may fall at work and suffer a back injury.
Some steps employers could implement to ensure the safe use of ladders include:
- Regularly inspecting and maintaining ladders.
- Ensuring all employees have been correctly trained on how to use a ladder.
- Ensuring that the ladder is suitable for its intended purpose, e.g. that it is strong enough for the job.
Contact our advisors today for more information on when you could make a claim for a fall from a ladder.
What Evidence Should I Gather To Support My Claim?
Gathering necessary evidence to support your case is an important step in the personal injury claims process. Having relevant evidence could help with proving how the accident took place, the severity of the injuries you suffered and who was liable for them.
A few examples of the evidence you could collect to support your claim include:
- Any video footage that captures you falling from a broken ladder at work, such as from CCTV.
- A copy of the report made in the accident book if one is on-site.
- Photographs of the broken ladder and any visible injuries you have suffered.
- The contact details of anyone who witnessed the accident so that a statement can be taken from them at a later date.
- Medical evidence of any injuries you suffered, e.g. a copy of your medical records or an X-ray if you suffered a break or fracture such as a fractured vertebrae.
For further information on the types of evidence that may be useful for supporting your specific personal injury claim, you can contact one of our advisors.
Could I Make A No Win No Fee Broken Ladder At Work Accident Claim?
If you have been injured after falling from a broken ladder at work, you may wish to have a legal professional working on your case. One of our solicitors could help you, provided you have a valid claim. They could help you with collecting evidence, negotiating a settlement amount and guiding you through the process of your claim.
Furthermore, one of our solicitors may offer to represent you under a form of No Win No Fee arrangement called a Conditional Fee Agreement. When working with a solicitor under this agreement, some of the benefits include:
- Not having to pay them any fees upfront for them to begin working on your case.
- Not having to pay them for their services during the process of your claim.
- In the event that your case is unsuccessful, you will not need to pay your solicitor for the work they have provided.
If your solicitor succeeds with your personal injury claim, they will take a small, legally limited percentage from your compensation award as a success fee.
Contact Us
To find out if you could be eligible to work with one of our expert solicitors or to ask any questions that this guide may not have covered, you can contact our friendly team of advisors. They are available 24/7 to help you and offer free advice for your case.
To speak with a member of our team today, you can:
- Call 0800 073 8801
- Contact us online.
- Use our live chat.
Learn More About Claiming For Workplace Ladder Accidents
Additional articles by us regarding accident at work claims:
- I fell down some stairs at work – can I claim?
- Window cleaner accident claims guide.
- How to make a serious injury claim after an accident at work.
Further information and resources:
- HSE – Safe use of ladders and stepladders.
- NHS – Broken arm or wrist.
- GOV.UK – Statutory sick pay (SSP).
If you would like to know whether you could be eligible to make a personal injury claim after falling from a broken ladder at work, you can contact our advisory team.