Slip, Trip & Fall at Work Compensation Claims Solicitors

How many people suffer slips trips and falls at work?

Slips, trips and falls cause more workplace injuries in the UK than anything else. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), they were responsible for 31% of non-fatal injuries reported during the period 2023-24. Over the same period, the Labour Force Survey reported that 604,000 workers self-reported non-fatal injuries in total, which indicates that slips, trips and falls impacted 187,240 workers during a single 12 month period. The same HSE statistics state that 8% of the total non-fatal injuries were sustained through falls from a height.

Common causes of slips and trips at work

In simple terms, slips, trips and falls often happen thanks to poor workplace practices. As experts in the field of compensation claims for accidents at work we’re used to dealing with claimants who’ve been injured in the following ways:

• Leaks, spills or cleaning activities which, left unattended, can lead to floors being wet and slippery
• Sudden changes in the level of a floor, or floor covering – such as carpeting – which is damaged or loose
• Insufficient levels of lighting which can make it difficult for employees to pick out hazards in corridors, workspaces or on stairways
• Employees equipped with shoes which, because the soles are worn out or lack the right grip, make them more likely to slip
• Falls from height caused by issues like unstable ladders, worn and damaged steps and missing handrails
• Exteriors hazards like wet, frozen or snowy patches and uneven paving
• Employees who haven’t been trained or supervised properly, leading to them not working safely

Dealing with issues such as these is part of what is called the Duty of Care which employers have to employees. The ways in which an employee should keep you safe at work are set out in various pieces of legislation including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and include carrying out risk assessments, providing proper training on managing risks, providing personal protective equipment (PPE) and maintaining equipment.

When can I make a slip, trip or fall at work compensation claim?

If you believe that a slip, trip or fall at work has left you with injuries, and that your employer failed in their legal duty to provide a safe working environment in a way which directly led to the accident, then you may be able to make a claim for compensation.

If you can demonstrate that your employee was in some way negligent, and that this negligence led to your slip, trip or fall, then our experts will help to build a case to seek the compensation you deserve. If you’re not sure whether your employer has a case to answer, please contact us and we’ll talk you through the relevant legal position.

What should I do immediately after a slip, trip, or fall at work?

Taking the right steps immediately following a slip, trip or fall at work will protect your health and make it more likely that any future compensation claim is successful. The first step should be to seek medical attention to diagnose and treat any injuries.

Even minor injuries should be documented clearly as part of any compensation claim. After this, the slip, trip or fall should be reported to your employer and recorded in the workplace accident book. If there isn’t an official accident book you should send an email to your employer, stating what happened and how you were injured, in order to create a written record for future reference. If possible, you should take photographs of any hazards or unsafe conditions which helped to cause the accident, and collect the contact details of any witnesses. This information will be added to the records you keep as you build the details of your claim.

How to make a slip or fall at work compensation claim

After collecting initial evidence in the immediate aftermath of a slip, trip or fall – as outlined above – you should get in touch with our specialist personal injury solicitors. We’ll take note of what happened and, if we think there’s a claim to be made, we’ll start the process of gathering supporting evidence.

We’ll also contact your employer, only with your consent, to inform them of your decision to pursue compensation and ask if they accept liability. In many cases, employers prefer to settle at this point rather than risk a court case. In either case, our experts will be by your side throughout the process.

What is the time limit on falls at work claims?

Speaking generally, there is a time limit of three years from the date of the slip, trip or fall, after which you can no longer make a claim. There are some exceptions to this limit, such as:

• You suffered a brain injury or similar at the time of the slip, trip or fall which left you ‘mentally incapacitated’ and unable to claim
• You were under the age of 18 when the accident happened – in which case you will have up to your 21st birthday to make a claim
• You were working overseas at the time of the slip, trip or fall
• If the slip trip or fall was caused by faulty equipment, but the fault wasn’t discovered until after the accident, i.e. during routine maintenance, then the time limit of three years will run from the discovery of the fault

Despite the three year period, we always advise claimants to contact us as soon as possible after the accident. You may rely in part on evidence from witness statements, and evidence of this kind is always more useful when the memory of an incident is still fresh.

How much compensation can I claim for slip and fall at work?

Your total compensation will depend on how serious your injury is, as well as any loss of earnings, and the general impact it’s had on your life. Each case is unique, but a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) sets out a guide to the amount of compensation for a fall at work likely to be received if particular parts of the body are injured. This depends on how serious the injury is, how long the recovery will take and whether there will be a permanent impact. Examples from the latest edition of the guide, published in 2024, include the following:

• Moderate Ankle Injury – £16,770 to £32,450
• Shoulder Injury – £7,500 to £38,000
• Severe Elbow Injury – £13,090 to £26,790

The nature and severity of an injury only makes up part of any fall at work compensation claim. The rest of the claim will be based on an assessment of factors such as:

• Loss of earnings resulting from time taken off work
• Money paid for any treatment required, including the cost of travelling to and from appointments
• Changes which you have to make to your life as a result of the slip, trip or fall – i.e. injuries meaning you can no longer take part in hobbies
• Any special adjustments which need to be made to your home or a vehicle – i.e. grab rails, wheelchair ramps etc.
• If the injuries sustained force you to change your job or stop working entirely
• Any ongoing psychological trauma caused by the accident at work

In simple terms, the damages received for a slip, trip or fall at work can be divided into general damages and special damages.

What are general damages in slip, trip and fall at work claims?

General damages are claimed on the basis of the physical and psychological impact of the slip, trip or fall. In addition to the amounts listed in the Judicial College Guidelines mentioned previously, our expert accident at work solicitors will look at factors such as any loss of amenity – i.e. your ability to fully live your life as you did prior to the accident – the amount of pain caused by the accident, and what the predictions for any future recovery are.

What are special damages in slip and fall claims?

Special damages will be calculated on the basis of the financial impact of any slip, trip or fall at work. The kind of costs which might be associated with the accident and its long term impact could include the following:

• A loss of earnings
• The cost of prescriptions for ongoing treatments
• Adjustments made to living spaces or vehicles
• The purchase of mobility aids, such as wheelchairs, crutches and mobility scooters
• Any extra childcare costs arising from the injuries
• The cost of any professional medical care required

What evidence do I need to make a slip at work claim?

The more evidence you can gather to support your claim that a slip, trip or fall was the result of your employer’s negligence, and that it resulted in injury, the more likely that claim is to be successful. We can assist you to gather the evidence to support your claim. Examples of the kind of evidence that can be used to build the strongest possible claim include the following:

• Medical Records – Documentation of the injuries caused by the slip, trip or fall. This should include a diagnosis of the injuries, record of treatments required and any predictions/prognoses of future recovery. Many cases involve an expert independent medical examination so that all sides have an agreed account of the injuries sustained.
• Accident Report – Depending upon the seriousness of the accident, your employer or the Health and Safety Executive might have filed an official accident report. Alternatively, a report may have been entered in the workplace accident book. You should obtain a copy of any official account of the slip, trip or fall.
• Statements – Testimony should be taken from any witnesses to the accident, such as work colleagues present at the time.
• Images – If possible, photographs of the scene of the accident should be gathered, detailing the circumstances or hazards which contributed to the accident happening, such as wet floors, loose cables or worn staircases.
• Footage – Your workplace might have CCTV in place which captured video footage of the slip, trip or fall as it happened.
• Employment Records – Documentation of your employment status at the time of the accident, and in particular any health and safety training you might, or might not, have been given.
• Health and Safety Records – The wider health and safety record of your employer can be demonstrated by referring to documentation of things such as any previous safety concerns, risk assessments carried out, workplace safety inspections and any health and safety violations.
• Accident Records/Incident Logs – The record of any previous accidents in your workplace could indicate a track record of safety problems.
• Maintenance Records – If the slip, trip or fall involved the use of equipment or machinery, or was caused by something like unattended leaking oil, the relevant maintenance records could show whether the equipment had been properly maintained or not.
• Safety Protocol Documentation – Paperwork from your workplace setting out the layout of the work area and any safety protocols in place. This information can be used to establish what working conditions were like at the time of your slip, trip or fall.
• Personal Records – We would encourage you to keep personal notes or a journal, setting out the impact of the accident on your daily life and the nature of the recovery process. Recording things while they are fresh in your memory will help to build a full and detailed record of the impact the slip, trip or fall has had.

What is the legal process for a slip or trip at work claim?

The first stage of the legal process involves contacting the experts at Wolferstans. Our experience of dealing with multiple slip, trip or fall compensation claims means that we will quickly be able to determine whether you’re likely to have been the victim of negligence leading to personal injury.

If this is the case, we can take your claim forward on a no win no fee basis. Initially, this will involve gathering the evidence needed to support your claim. This evidence will include medical reports, eyewitness accounts, any photographic or video evidence and proof of the financial impact of the accident.

We’ll contact your employer to see if they accept responsibility for the slip, trip or fall and will submit the claim to the appropriate party. In most cases, this will be your employer’s insurance provider. We will then negotiate on your behalf with the aim of securing an admission of negligence and an offer of a settlement. In most cases, an offer of this kind is made, but if the employer insists on taking the case to court, we’ll provide expert representation throughout.

Do I need a solicitor for a slip or fall at work claim?

Strictly speaking, the answer to this question is no, you don’t need a solicitor to claim after a slip, trip or fall at work. Hiring an expert solicitor is, however, highly recommended for a number of reasons. They will be able to gauge the strength of your claim, complete the necessary documentation quickly and without error, understand the nature and amount of evidence needed to support your claim and use their expertise to negotiate the best possible settlement.

Hiring a solicitor speeds the process up massively and greatly increases the chances of a successful outcome. The fact that we work on a no win no fee basis means that our solicitors can do all of this for you without any initial outlay on your part. In addition, you’ll be able to keep the majority of any compensation awarded, and won’t have to pay legal costs should the claim fail.

Can I claim for falling down stairs at work?

You can make a claim for falling down stairs at work if the fall happened as the result of your employer being negligent. Examples would include if a stairwell was poorly lit, if liquid on a step caused you to slip or if you tripped on a worn or damaged surface.

Can I be sacked for making a slip at work claim?

Your employer isn’t legally allowed to sack you if you bring a claim for slip, trip or fall compensation. This is set out in the Employment Rights Act 1996. If an employer did force you out of work following a claim you would be entitled to also claim for unfair dismissal.

Who pays out for successful slip, trip and fall claims against workplaces?

If your claim for slip, trip or fall compensation claim is successful then the amount awarded will be paid by your employer’s insurance policy. Workplaces are legally obliged to take out insurance such as this, so there’s no need to worry that claiming will leave your employer or the business in general out of pocket.

Can I still claim compensation if I was partly to blame?

Yes, it’s still possible to make a claim for compensation if you were partly to blame for the slip, trip or fall. The legal name for this is contributory negligence. If you were found to be 20% to blame for an accident, for example, then the compensation awarded would be cut by 20%. As long as the negligence of your employer contributed in some way to the accident happening you are fully entitled to make a claim.

What is ‘no win no fee’?

Put simply, a no win no fee arrangement (also known as a conditional fee arrangement) means that you’ll only have to pay for expert legal advice if and when your claim is successful, and you get to keep the majority of any compensation paid. If you win your claim then your solicitor will usually take a ‘success fee’ from the compensation, and if you were advised to take out legal protection insurance to make sure the claim was entirely risk free then the premiums will also have to be paid.

Although the other side of the case usually has to pay toward your legal costs and expenses, any shortfall may be deducted from the compensation. You keep the rest of the compensation, and this will always be the majority of the money awarded. The deductions mentioned will only be taken once the compensation is paid, so you’re free to pursue your claim with no upfront costs and no hidden charges.

I didn’t take time off work, can I still claim?

Although time taken off work may provide evidence of injury, it is still possible to be injured in a slip, trip or fall and continue working. If this is the case it will have no impact on your right to make a claim for negligence.

Can I make a slip at work claim if I’m self-employed?

If you were injured in a slip, trip or fall while working as a self-employed contractor on a job then you could still make a claim if negligence caused the accident. As a self-employed contractor hired by an employer you enjoy the same health and safety protections as an employee.

Do I need a medical examination for a slip at work claim?

Yes, a medical examination will create an independent record of the nature of your injury and the impact it has had, and is likely to have in the future.

What is the average compensation payout for slip at work?

As detailed above, the exact compensation awarded for a slip, trip or fall at work will vary from case to case. The amount is made up of compensation for the physical and psychological impact of the fall, and compensation for any financial loss brought about by that injury. If you contact us following an accident at work, and we feel you have a strong claim for compensation, we’ll work with you to build the strongest possible claim, and will calculate the possible compensation likely to be awarded as the claim progresses.

I’m on a zero-hour contract. Can I still claim?

Being on a zero hour contract won’t stop you from being able to claim for compensation following a slip, trip or fall at work. The details of your employment contract will have no bearing on the fact that an employer has a legal duty of care to provide a safe working environment.

Why choose Wolferstans to represent you for your slip at work claim?

We have vast experience in this area and have recovered literally millions of pounds in compensation for people injured following a slip, trip or fall at work. We work on a no win no fee basis, and take a friendly and supportive approach to every single client. We combine legal expertise in building successful claims of this kind with an understanding of just how distressing being injured through the negligence of another can be. We’ll keep you informed of the progress of your claim every step of the way, and will do everything we can to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve, and are able to get on with living the rest of your life.