By Jo Jeffries. Last Updated 1st December 2022. Have you sustained an injury in a window cleaning accident? Would you like to know about the window cleaner accident claims process? This article will explain the types of accidents that can happen, such as a fall while window cleaning, what injuries you can sustain in ladder accidents as well as the health and safety regulations involved in window cleaning. We also look at window cleaning accidents at work examples, explaining what type of window cleaning accidents might lead to compensation. If you or a loved one has been injured in a window washing accident and you are seeking information on claiming for a window washer accident, we hope you find this guide useful.
Window Cleaning Accidents – Could You Claim?
Window cleaning can be a perilous job with working at heights and with hazardous, slippery substances. The job requires physical effort and sustaining an injury could impact your ability to work. This can have an effect on your mental health and financial situation.
If you sustained an injury and would like to claim, then get in touch with our advisors today for free and relevant legal advice. Moreover, they can help to explore the validity of your claim and they may pass you on to our expert solicitors. If you would like to start claiming today, contact our advisors by:
- Calling us on 0800 073 8801
- Emailing office@accidentclaims.co.uk
- Contacting us for a free call back
- Using our live chat feature
Select A Section
- A Guide To Window Cleaner Accident Claims
- What Accidents Could Happen To A Window Cleaner?
- Types Of Injuries Window Cleaners Could Suffer
- Window Cleaning Health And Safety
- Accidents At Work Compensation Examples – Window Cleaning Accidents
- How To Claim For A Window Cleaner Accident
A Guide To Window Cleaner Accident Claims
The window cleaner accident claims process can be a complex part of the law, so we urge you to get in touch with our advisors as they are here to help. Window cleaners can be employees of a company, self-employed or may work on an agency basis, and they often have to work in public, cleaning homes and office buildings.
However, you can only claim for an accident if a third party’s negligence caused your injury. Negligence describes an individual breaching their duty of care by failing to take reasonable steps to ensure you were safe.
There are multiple legislations at work when making window cleaner accident claims. This includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA) and the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 (OLA).
Please read on as we will explain this legislation, and contact our advisors for information regarding the window cleaner accident claims process.
What Accidents Could Happen To A Window Cleaner?
Accidents happen all the time; however, window cleaners might have a higher likelihood of experiencing certain incidents due to the requirements of their job. Some examples of accidents can include:
- Falls from a height – Whether using a ladder, ropes or suspended platforms each one presents a risk of falling from a height.
- Slip, trips and falls – Stumbling over equipment and tools such as ladders and hoses. Plus, the use of water and other liquids can compromise grip and safety.
- Property damage – Improper use of tools and equipment can cause damage to property.
- Incorrect access methods – The job requires cleaning windows that are accessed differently; for example via ladders, suspended platforms, ropes and pulley systems. Failure to ensure that you have a secure access method to the windows could result in injury.
Contact our advisors for information on what accidents can be part of window cleaning accident claims.
Working At Height – Risks and Responsibilities
Employers have a general duty of care to remove or reduce the risk of employees sustaining harm in the workplace or when performing work related duties. This is set out in HASAWA.
Additionally, they have more specific responsibilities to manage the risks posed by working at a height under the The Work at Height Regulations 2005.
Under this legislation, an employer is responsible for ensuring such work is properly risk-assessed, planned and supervised. It must also be carried out only by those competent to do so. An employer’s responsibility also extends to the use of the correct equipment for height work.
This means those employing window cleaners should work to prevent window cleaning accidents such as a fall while window cleaning at height.
If an employer fails to adhere to their legal responsibilities and a window washing accident happens, causing injury to a worker as a result, call our team on the number above to see whether a claim could be made.
What if I’m self-employed?
If you are working at height, you also have a responsibility to make sure you carry out work without putting yourself at undue risk. However, if you are self-employed as a window washer, an accident could still, in some cases, lead to a claim.
If the window washing accident was your own fault because you did not assess the risks of working at height or did not use proper equipment, this may not lead to a claim. However, if you are injured because an employer failed to uphold the duty of care they owed you and you experienced harm as a result, you may be able to seek compensation.
Window Cleaner Safety Statistics
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 51,211 non-fatal injuries were reported in 2020/21. Falling from a height accounted for 4,143 non-fatal injuries which equate to 8% of employee non-fatal injuries reported by employers under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).
It is important to note that any of these injuries could happen to window cleaners. However, not all of them are a result of employer negligence and do not form the basis of a successful claim.
Types Of Injuries Window Cleaners Could Suffer
Window cleaners can sustain a litany of different injuries due to the demands of their job. Injuries can range from minor to severe, for example:
Window Cleaning Health And Safety
Risks are present in every working environment; however, when a third party breaches their duty of care, this can increase the chance of sustaining an injury. Under The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, risks should be identified, assessed, controlled and reviewed regularly. Additionally, workers should be informed of the risks so they can keep themselves relatively safe.
Liability In Window Cleaner Accident Claims
Health and safety are paramount when working in precarious conditions and you should ensure to take steps to safeguard yourself. If another party owes you a duty of care, and you suffer an injury because they breach this duty, you could claim.
Workplace
Under the HASAWA, you are owed a duty of care where reasonable steps are taken to ensure your adequate safety. Examples of these steps can include making sure that work systems are well maintained to a safe standard.
Due to the job calling for you to work at a height, The Work at Height Regulations 2005, states that every employer should take suitable and sufficient measures to practicably prevent any falls that are likely to cause personal injury.
Public spaces
Places that are accessible to the public, like apartment buildings, should be made safe by the party in control of them. This means that if you suffered an injury due to the controller’s negligence then you may be able to claim.
The OLA establishes an occupier, or controller, can ensure the health and safety of individuals in their space by forewarning visitors of present risks; however, this does not make the occupier exempt from liability. If you are still injured in a public place, you may still claim, unless the warning was enough to keep you adequately safe.
However, claims can only be made if you are injured due to an employer or occupier’s negligence directly resulting in your injury. Contact our advisors for information on negligence and legislation to understand the legitimacy of your claim today.
Accidents At Work Compensation Examples – Window Cleaning Accidents
When claiming for accidents at work, compensation examples can vary significantly. Whether people have suffered ladder accidents causing brain injuries or they’ve experienced soft tissue injuries in window cleaning accidents, compensation for successful claimants should reflect the pain and suffering a claimant experienced. It should also compensate them for the financial and even psychological impacts of the injury.
When successfully claiming compensation for window cleaning accidents, two heads of claim could be awarded. The first is general damages.
General damages for ladder accidents
General damages compensate successful claimants for the pain and suffering of their injury. They also compensate for the loss of enjoyment of the usual daily life of the claimant. This is called ‘loss of amenity’. For accidents at work, compensation examples are included in a publication known as the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The table below illustrates potential payout brackets for a variety of injuries. We’ve produced a table below containing figures from this publication. Please note that these are only relatable to claims in England and Wales. Plus, they’re only meant to provide rough guidance.
| Injury | Compensation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Moderately severe brain or head injury (b) | £219,070 to £282,010 | The injured person will be severely disabled with heavy dependence on others with marked movement and mental problems. Cases of reduced life expectancy also fall into this bracket. |
| Moderate brain or head injury (c) (i) | £150,110 to £219,070 | Where there is a moderate to considerable mental deficit with sensory disabilities, a personality change and no prospect of being able to be employed. |
| Moderate psychological damage (c) | £5,860 to £19,070 | Moderate prognosis in regards to employability, coping with life and relationships. Award depends on the extent of successful treatment and future vulnerabilities. |
| Spleen (a) | £20,800 to £26,290 | The spleen is lost with a possible persisting risk of infection and immune system damage. |
| Hernia (c) | £3,390 to £7,230 | Where the indirect inguinal hernia is uncomplicated and possibly recovered with no further abdominal damage or pain. |
| Severe neck injury (a) (i) | In the region of £148,330 | The injury may cause incomplete paraplegia causing quadriparesis or necessitates a collar with severe movement restrictions and stubborn headaches. |
| Moderate neck injury (b) (i) | £24,990 to £38,490 | Fracture and dislocation injuries resulting in severe and immediate symptoms with chronic conditions. The injury can affect other limbs with severe limitations on daily activity. |
| Severe back injury (a) (i) | £91,090 to £160,980 | Where the injury includes the most severe damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots causing extreme pain, disability and potential paralysis with bowel and sexual impairment. |
| Moderate back injury (b) (i) | £27,760 to £38,780 | Compression and crush fractures to lower back region encompassing prolapsed intervertebral discs, spondylolisthesis causing constant pain with nerve root irritation and mobility reductions. |
| Severe fractures to fingers (f) | Up to £36,740 | Where the injury may result in partial amputation causing deformity, grip impairment, limited motor function and sensory disturbances. |
Special damages for window cleaning accidents
As well as general damages, successful claims may include payouts for special damages. These are the calculable financial costs and losses caused by the injuries. They could include:
- Care costs
- Medical expenses
- Travel costs
- Loss of earnings
To obtain further insight into how much you could receive, why not call our team? We’d be happy to help.
How To Claim For A Window Cleaner Accident
If after reading the article you have decided to pursue a claim, our advisors can give you free legal advice on your case, and they may pass you on to our professional No Win No Fee solicitors.
No Win No Fee is a common term that relates to funding the services of a solicitor. You don’t need to pay an upfront success fee to the solicitor and you don’t need to pay ongoing success fees either to them either.
If your claim succeeds, the solicitor would take payment via a success fee. The fee is a small, legally-capped percentage of your compensation.
However, if the claim loses, you don’t have to pay the success fee at all.
If you would like to check the validity of your claim and maybe start claiming, then contact our advisors by:
- Calling us on 0800 073 8801
- Emailing office@accidentclaims.co.uk
- Contacting us for a free call back
- Using our live chat feature
Related Accidents At Heights
We have many other helpful guides:
Accident at Work Claims Guide – How Much Compensation Can I Claim?
Different Types of Public Place Injury Claims
Are You Eligible To Make A Self Employed Accident at Work Compensation Claim?
Find out if you can sue a company that has ceased trading with our helpful guide.
Learn about using alternatives to a wrist injury compensation calculator to help you with your claim.
Please see the other external links we have provided:
Contact our advisors today for information regarding window cleaner accident claims.
Guide by JE
Edited by RV
