When Can You Claim For Slips, Trips And Falls In The Workplace?

By Cat Todd. Last Updated 30th April 2024.This is a guide to whether you can claim for slips, trips and falls in the workplace. It will explore the relevant criteria that need to be met in order to seek personal injury compensation, including the time limits in place for starting a claim.

Additionally, it will discuss the legislation in place that outlines the duty of care owed by employers and examples of how this could be breached leading to slip and fall accidents.

There are several steps you can take to seek compensation following a workplace accident, including gathering sufficient evidence to support your case and seeking help from a legal professional. Our guide will provide further guidance on these steps as well as looking at the evidence you can collect to support your case.

A solicitor can offer several services that may benefit you throughout the claims process and could offer to represent your claim on a No Win No Fee basis. We will explore this type of arrangement in more detail later on in our guide.

If you have any other questions, please get in touch with our advisors. They can offer free legal advice regarding your potential claim. 

A man lying on the stairs holding his back in pain.

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Could You Claim For Slips, Trips, And Falls In The Workplace?

So, when could you claim after a fall at work? Slips, trips, and falls make up 32% of all reported non-fatal accidents at work, according to statistics published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

But not all slips, trips, and falls in the workplace will result in a successful claim, or even a valid one. This is because the key to making a valid claim is negligence.

Negligence occurs when you are injured because someone breached their duty of care towards you. All employers owe their employees a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA), which states that they need to take all reasonably practicable steps to keep you safe while working.

The steps that your employer is expected to take can vary depending on your job role, but an example can include making sure walkways are clear of obstructions or clutter. Failing to do this could result in an employee tripping over debris, and injuring their knee.

If you were injured in a fall at work because your employer failed to uphold their duty of care, contact our team of advisors today.

Is There A Time Limit To Claim For A Workplace Accident?

You may be wondering ‘how long do I have to claim after an accident at work?’. There is a three year time limit to begin a claim as per the Limitation Act 1980. This can typically start from the date of the injury.

There are exceptions that could apply to the personal injury claims time limit. You can find out more about these by calling the number above. An advisor can also discuss when you could be eligible to seek compensation.

How Could Slips Trips And Falls Occur In The Workplace?

There are several ways a slip, trip or fall accident could occur at work. For example:

  • An employee may have slipped on a wet floor that wasn’t adequately signposted or cleaned up within a reasonable amount of time.
  • An employee may have sustained a broken leg after a fall from a height due to a faulty ladder.
  • The stairs may have been cluttered with boxes causing a trip hazard. As a result, you trip and sustain a hand injury.

It’s important to note that you won’t necessarily be able to make an accident at work claim if you fall at work. You need to prove that negligence has occurred in order to do so.

Get in touch for more information on the number above.

Potential Evidence That Could Help You Claim For An Accident At Work

Evidence can help prove that negligence occurred. You can take the following steps to gather sufficient evidence in support of your claim:

  • Request CCTV footage of the accident.
  • Keep track of how the injury has affected you through a diary.
  • Request copies of your medical records such as scans and prescriptions.
  • Take photographs of your injury and the accident site.
  • Obtain contact details of potential witnesses. Any potential witness may be interviewed at a later date.

You could also seek representation from a legal professional. A solicitor could help you gather sufficient evidence as well as build and present your case in full. 

For more information on how you can file a compensation claim for a workplace injury, get in touch using the number at the top of the page.

Claiming Compensation For Slips Trips And Falls In The Workplace – What Could You Receive?

Fall at work compensation is awarded on a case-by-case basis, which can make it hard to provide average amounts or pinpoint exact estimates. However, we can still offer information on what kinds of compensation you could receive.

Generally, payouts for slips, trips, and falls in the workplace can contain up to two heads of compensation.

The first head, general damages, is awarded to every successful claimant. Compensation under this heading is aimed at addressing the physical and psychological injuries you’ve suffered, and the effect that these injuries have on your life.

When this head of compensation is calculated, those responsible for valuing the claim might refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The guideline compensation brackets provided by the JCG can help value a number of different physical and psychological injuries of differing severities. 

In the table below, you can find some examples of these brackets. Please note that these amounts aren’t guaranteed, and that the first entry hasn’t been taken from the JCG.

JCG Brackets

InjuryGuideline AmountNotes
Multiple Severe Injuries And Special DamagesUp to £1,000,000+
Fractures to the tibia or fibula that are simple.
Very Severe Head Injury (a)£344,150 to £493,000The person requires full-time care.
Moderate Head Injury (c) (i)£183,190 to £267,340Cases involve an intellectual deficit of a moderate to severe nature with a change in personality and effect on senses.
Elbow Injury (a)£47,810 to £66,920An elbow injury that is severely disabling.
Wrist Injury (a)£58,110 to £73,050Wrist function is completely lost.
Hand Injury (f)Up to £44,840Fingers are severely fractured.
Severe Knee Injury (a) (iii)£31,960 to £53,030Injuries that result in a less severe disability such as ongoing pain and discomfort with limited movement.
Moderate Ankle Injury (c)£16,770 to £32,450Injuries that lead to less serious disabilities, including fractures and tears to the ligaments.
Less Serious Leg Injury (c) (i)£21,920 to £33,880An incomplete recovery from fractures or soft tissue injuries of a serious nature.

What Are Special Damages?

Special damages are the second head of claim that you could pursue, but not everyone is eligible. This is because it covers the financial losses that you endure as a result of your injuries. 

For example, if you broke your leg in a fall at work, you might need to take time off to recover. If this were to result in lost earnings, you could potentially claim them back under special damages.

This head of claim could also help you recoup the cost of:

  • Travel.
  • Childcare.
  • Prescriptions.
  • Mobility aids.
  • Counselling.
  • Help with housekeeping.

Providing evidence of these financial losses, such as payslips and bank statements, could help you with claiming special damages.

Contact our team of advisors today to find out if you could claim compensation for a fall at work.

Contact Us To See If You Can Make A No Win No Fee Claim

The No Win No Fee solicitors from our panel can offer their services under a Conditional Fee Agreement. This typically means no payment is required upfront, while your claim proceeds or if your claim fails for the work they provide. 

In successful cases, your solicitor will require you to pay a fee. This is taken from your compensation but it is capped by the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013. As such, it can help ensure you keep the majority of your compensation.

In addition to representing your claim on this basis, a solicitor from our panel can:

  • Help you gather evidence
  • Value your claim
  • Advise on the time it takes for a claim to settle
  • Ensure you put forward a full and complete case

Find out whether you could work with a solicitor by calling our team of advisors. They can provide further guidance on the services that can be offered to you. Also, they can assess the validity of your claim and discuss the steps you can take to seek compensation in more detail.

To get in touch, you can:

Learn More About Making A Claim For An Accident At Work

If you want more information about making a claim for an accident at work, you can read more of our guides:

You can also find relevant external links below:

Thank you for reading this guide on slips, trips and falls in the workplace and when you could seek compensation for the injuries sustained. If you have any other questions, get in touch on the number above.

Writer Matthew Winter

Editor Meg McDonald