Last updated 13th December 2024. In this guide, we will explain how to claim for a slip, trip, or fall injury. We’ll discuss the health and safety legislation in place to keep you safe in different situations and the duty of care owed to you while at work, in public, and on the roads.
We’ll also explore the evidence you need to claim injuries caused by slips, trips, or falls and the time limits that apply to personal injury claims. Then, we will discuss the compensation you could receive if your claim succeeds and what a compensation award could be made up of.
Finally, we’ll explore how a No Win No Fee solicitor could help you claim compensation for a slip, trip, or fall injury. Read on to learn more, or get in touch with our team of expert advisors today to get started by:
- Calling us on 0800 073 8801
- Using the live chat feature
- Starting your claim online
Choose a Section
- When Can You Make Slip, Trip And Fall Injury Claims
- Evidence For Slip, Trip Or Fall Injury Claims
- What Is The Time Limit For Slip And Trip Claims?
- Average Payout For A Slip, Trip, Or Fall Injury In The UK
- The Benefits of No Win No Fee Slips, Trip or Fall Compensation Claims
- Helpful Links Relating To Fall Compensation Claims
When Can You Make Slip, Trip And Fall Injury Claims
You could suffer from various injuries from slips, trips, and falls. However, in order to claim compensation, you need to prove that your injury was caused by someone else breaching their duty of care. You are owed a duty of care in various places and situations.
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, your employer owes you a duty of care. They must take reasonable steps to keep you safe while in the workplace. For example, this may include undertaking risk assessments, providing non-slip footwear and other personal protective equipment (PPE), and reporting major injuries to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
You are also owed a duty of care whilst in public places. The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 states that any party in control of a public space must take the necessary steps to ensure reasonable safety whilst using that public space.
If your employer or an occupier breached their duty of care, you could become injured in a trip and slip accident. Later in this guide, we will provide some examples of how this type of accident could occur.
Contact our advisors today if you have any questions about filing a slip, trip, or fall compensation claim. Our advisors can offer you free legal advice about your potential claim and connect you with our solicitors if they believe you may be eligible for compensation.
Evidence For Slip, Trip Or Fall Injury Claims
Whether you have serious injuries or minor injuries, collecting evidence remains one of the most important steps of your claim. Evidence can help prove how your injuries occurred, who is responsible for them, and how they will affect you as you move forward.
Some examples of evidence that you could use to support claims for slips, trips, and falls include:
- An accident report: Under health and safety legislation such as RIDDOR, your employer is obliged to report certain levels of workplace injuries when they occur. A copy of any major injuries reported to the Health and Safety Executive could be used as evidence.
- Medical records: Your medical records can help demonstrate the severity of your injuries and the treatment you will need going forward.
- Witness statements: If you record the contact details of potential witnesses, a legal professional can take statements.
- Photographs: While you may not be able to take pictures of certain injuries, such as broken bones or head trauma, pictures of other common injuries, such as bruises, lacerations, or swelling, could be used as evidence. Likewise, pictures of trip hazards, such as uneven paving stones, could also be useful.
- CCTV footage: If your accident was captured on CCTV, you can request the footage to be used as evidence.
Should you choose to work with a solicitor on your claim, they could help you strengthen your case by gathering relevant evidence. To find out how one of our expert solicitors could help you claim for injuries caused by slips, trips, and falls, contact our team today. Or, read on to find out how much compensation you could receive.
What Is The Time Limit For Slip And Trip Claims?
When making a tripping accident claim, it’s important to start proceedings within the time limit. This is outlined by the Limitation Act 1980, which states how long you have to start different kinds of claims.
Generally, personal injury claims must be started within three years, beginning the date of the accident. However, there are some exceptions to this rule.
For example, the time limit doesn’t apply to minors until they turn eighteen. Before then, a litigation friend can claim on their behalf. Otherwise, they’ll have three years to start proceedings from their eighteenth birthday.
Likewise, the time limit doesn’t apply to those who lack the mental capacity to make their claims. In these cases, a litigation friend can start proceedings on their behalf at any time. If they recover the appropriate mental capacity and no claim has been made, the time limit will begin on the date of their recovery.
To learn more about time limits in personal injury claims or to get started, contact our team of helpful advisors today. They can evaluate your claim for free and potentially connect you with one of our expert solicitors.
Average Payout For A Slip, Trip, Or Fall Injury In The UK
If you make a successful personal injury claim, any slip and fall compensation amounts will be made of damages. There are two types:
- General damages to account for pain and suffering.
- Special damages to reimburse financial losses.
General damages compensate you for the suffering and pain caused by a slip, trip, or fall injury. Various factors could affect how much you receive under this head of claim, such as the type of injury, its initial severity, and the treatment it requires.
Those who calculate such damages may refer to a publication known as the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document provides guideline compensation brackets for a range of injuries and severities.
Below, we have included a table with figures from the JCG. Please note that they are only guidance and that the top figure is not from the JCG.
Guideline Compensation Amounts
| Injury | Severity | Compensation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries Including Financial Costs | Very Severe | Up to £500,000+ | Serious combinations of injuries causing pain, loss of income and medical expenses for example. |
| Leg | The Most Serious Injuries Short of Amputation | £117,460 to £165,860 | Injuries short of but alike amputation, including extensive degloving or fractures that required extensive bone grafting. |
| Very Serious | £66,920 to £109,290 | Permanent mobility issues for the rest of the person's life. i.e. multiple fractures have taken years to heal. | |
| Knee | Severe (i) | £85,100 to £117,410 | A painful and disabling disruption of the knee joint leading to osteoarthritis. |
| Severe (ii) | £63,610 to £85,100 | Pain and discomfort with limited movement. | |
| Severe (iii) | £31,960 to £53,030 | A dislocation or torn meniscus/cartilage that causes weakness and wasting with a minor instability. | |
| Ankle | Very Severe | £61,090 to £85,070 | Unusual injuries including soft-tissue damage causing deformity and future amputation risk. |
| Severe | £38,210 to £61,090 | Requires a long period of treatment and may lead to ankle instability and limited ability to walk. | |
| Moderate | £16,770 to £32,450 | Injuries such as fractures or ligamentous tears. | |
| Wrist | d) | £7,420 to £12,630 | A fracture or soft tissue injury that takes longer than a year to recover. |
What Are Special Damages?
On top of the general damages, your fall claim may also seek any financial losses associated with your injuries. These losses are compensated under the head of claim, known as special damages. Under this head, you could be compensated for:
- Medical expenses – if you have paid for private healthcare, prescription medicines, or mobility aids, for example.
- Loss of income – if you have been unable to work due to your slip and fall injury and lost out on income because of this.
- Care costs – if your injuries have meant you have needed paid care at home.
- Travel expenses – if, for example, you have needed to pay to get to a medical appointment or to meet with your solicitor.
In order to claim special damages, you will need to present evidence of your financial losses. Evidence could include payslips, invoices, and bank statements. So long as it proves that the loss was caused by your accident, it is valid evidence.
Feel free to contact an expert advisor from our team to learn more about compensation payouts for slip, trip, and fall claims. They can review your case and if eligible connect you with one of our solicitors.
The Benefits of No Win No Fee Slip, Trip, or Fall Compensation Claims
If you have been injured in a tripping accident or slipping accident and are eligible to make a personal injury claim, one of our solicitors may be able to help you. Our solicitors have experience working on various types of slip, trip and fall claims, and could offer to assist you with yours on a No Win No Fee basis by offering you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
With this No Win No Fee arrangement in place, you won’t be expected to pay the solicitor working on your case anything upfront for their services. Furthermore, you will not be required to pay them for their work while your claim is progressing or if it ends unsuccessfully.
If your claim does end successfully, they will take a success fee from the compensation awarded to you. The law implements a legal cap on success fees.
Contact Our Team
Contact one of our friendly advisors today to see whether you may be eligible to work with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors for your personal injury claim. They can be reached via the following methods:
- Call 0800 073 8801
- Use the live chat feature.
- Contact us online.
Helpful Links Relating To Fall At Work Compensation Claims
- HSE—Slips, falls, and trips at work: This HSE document examines the causes of slips, trips, and falls in the workplace and how they can be prevented. It also highlights employer and employee responsibility for health and safety.
- Major Road Scheme H&S: Specific schemes, such as ‘Raising the Bar,’ are initiatives to prevent common workplace accidents, such as reducing the risks of slipping, tripping, and falling in construction.
- HSE Stats on Slips: This report examines the latest workplace accident statistics for slips, trips, and falls in the UK. It presents a clear picture of the work to be done to ensure workplace safety.
- Reporting A Problem With the Pavement: Uneven pavements present significant trip hazards. To prevent pavement trip compensation claims, the Government and local councils are encouraging people to report hazardous pavements, which you can do at the above website by entering the postcode.
Other guides for someone with tripping and falling injuries
- Sprained ankle injury claims: If you’ve sprained your ankle in a slip, trip fall or another kind of accident, then this guide could help you claim.
- Slipping or tripping on snow or ice: Have you injured yourself while slipping or tripping on ice or snow? If so, you could be entitled to claim compensation. Read our guide for more information.
- Permanent scar injury claims: If you’ve been left with a permanent scar after an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be able to claim. Read our guide to find out how.
- Claim Compensation Following A Fall From A Ladder
- Fall At Work Compensation Payouts – if you’ve suffered an injury after falling at your workplace, this guide explains your legal rights and how you can claim compensation.
Thank you for reading our on how to claim after a slip, trip, or fall injury.
