How Much Compensation For Falling Down The Stairs At Work?

A simple slip or stumble on a flight of stairs can cause a wide range of injuries. If you fell down stairs at work because health and safety provisions were inadequate or missing, you could be entitled to claim compensation.

Employers have a legal obligation to ensure that staff are protected from harm as much as reasonably possible while doing their jobs. This duty extends to making sure fittings and fixtures such as stairs, handrails, and carpeting are safe for staff to use. A fall on stairs can cause a wide range of injuries, especially on hard surfaces, so this attention to workplace safety is essential.

Find out if one of our No Win No Fee solicitors could help you with your claim. To find out and also receive free advice for your particular case, you can contact our advisors:

• Call us on 0161 509 2856 to chat now.
• Contact us online to submit a claim.
• Or ask a question for an immediate response in the box below.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. I Fell Down Stairs At Work, Can I Claim Compensation?
2. How Much Compensation Can I Claim For Falling Down Stairs At Work?
3. How Can Falling Down The Stairs At Work Be Caused By Negligence?
4. What Injuries Could Be Sustained After A Fall Down Workplace Stairs?
5. If I Claim After I Fell Down The Stairs At Work, Can My Employer Penalise Me?
6. What Evidence Will I Need To Support My Fall Down Stairs At Work Claim?
7. How Long Will I Have To Claim After I Fell Down The Stairs At Work?
8. Can I Make A No Win No Fee Fall Down Stairs At Work Claim?
9. Frequently Asked Questions
10. More Information

I Fell Down Stairs At Work, Can I Claim Compensation?

If you fell down stairs at work, you could be eligible to claim compensation if your case meets the following eligibility requirements:

• You were owed a duty of care at the time of the accident
• Your employer breached this duty of care
• You fell down the stairs and got injured as a result

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HASAWA) is the duty of care law in the workplace. It states that all UK employers need to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of employees while working. This can include maintaining stairs or communal areas. However, it’s important to note that in some instances your employer may not be responsible for the safety of the stairs, for example, if you work in an office building.

So if you suffered an injury due to falling down the stairs at work, contact our advisors today to see whether you may be eligible for compensation.

How Much Compensation Can I Claim For Falling Down Stairs At Work?

The amount of compensation you could claim for falling down the stairs at work will depend on the specifics of your case. It’s advisable to speak to a professional for a more exact evaluation of your claim. Also, it’s helpful to understand how the calculation process works.

If your claim is successful, the compensation can be comprised of two heads of loss called general and special damages. The first applies a value for pain and suffering, long-term disability and the severity of the injury. The second assesses the financial harm caused by the injury.

Those involved look at medical evidence and publications like the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to arrive at a figure for general damages. This book lists compensation guidelines for a wide range of injuries, both physical and psychological, based on severity.

The bullet point list below illustrates some of these guidelines. They are strictly provisional, and the first line is not from the JCG.

Compensation Guidelines

• Multiple instances of severe injury and special damages payment for care costs, lost income and rehabilitation – Up to £1 million plus.
• Brain damage (a) very severe – The person has little meaningful interaction with their environment and needs full-time professional care – £344,150 to £493,000
• Brain damage (d) less severe – Despite having issues with concentration and memory, the person will be able to live a normal life and return to work – £18,700 to £52,550
• Paraplegia (b) – Awards here reflect the presence of pain, the degree of independence and the person’s age and life expectancy – £267,340 to £346,890
• Knee (a) severe (i) – Cases where the joint has been disrupted, osteoarthritis has developed and lengthy treatment is needed – £85,100 to £117,410
• Leg injuries (b) severe (ii) very serious – These types of injuries create permanent mobility problems or might involve multiple fractures that take years to heal fully – £66,920 to £109,290.
• Back (a) severe (iii) – Soft tissue injuries or fractures of discs that lead to chronic conditions that, despite treatment (like surgery), often leave continuing pain, discomfort and disability – £47,320 to £85,100
• Back (b) moderate (ii) – This bracket covers a wide range of injuries, including disturbed ligaments and muscles, soft tissue injuries and damage that can speed up or worsen pre-existing back problems – £15,260 to £33,880
• Neck (a) severe (iii) – Dislocations, fractures, soft tissue injuries and tendon ruptures that can cause a significant permanent disability – £55,500 to £68,330
• Ankle (b) severe – Injuries that require a prolonged period of treatment that can include time in plaster or with the need for surgical pin/plate insertion – £38,210 to £61,090.
• Pelvis (b) moderate (i) – Significant injury but no major permanent disability or future risk of – £32,450 to £47,810

Can I Claim For Other Losses After I Fell Down The Stairs At Work?

You could claim for financial losses you suffered after you fell down the stairs at work. These would be compensated under special damages.

You can use documented evidence to prove these losses such as:

• Wage slips for lost earnings if you were unable to work.
• Invoices for care costs.
• Travel tickets for travel expenses to medical appointments.
• Proof of private medical care costs.
• Bank statements for the cost of any adaptations needed in the home.
• Invoices for child care costs.

One of our solicitors could help you gather evidence like this and then use it to calculate a more precise compensation amount for your claim. Call today to see if they can help you.

How Can Falling Down The Stairs At Work Be Caused By Negligence?

A fall down the stairs can be caused by negligence in a number of ways, such as:

• Warning signs were not placed on a wet floor surface at the top of or on the stairs, and a worker slipped and fell, suffering a broken ankle.
• A faulty tile on the stairs to an office entrance was left unrepaired, despite management being aware of the issue. A worker lost their footing and fell, suffering a badly fractured knee.
• Because there was no risk assessment in the workplace, a faulty handrail went unrepaired. This meant that an employee could not stabilise themselves on the stairs and fell, suffering a severe spinal injury.
• Poor lighting in a store area caused a warehouse operative to miss a step and fall down stairs, sustaining a concussion.
• Obstructions left at the top of a flight of stairs meant a worker didn’t have clear access and fell as a result, suffering multiple injuries and shock.

There can be other examples of breaches in an employer’s responsibility, so please call our advisory team to discuss how you fell down stairs at work.

What Injuries Could Be Sustained After A Fall Down Workplace Stairs?

There is a wide range of injuries from minor to severe that might arise after falling down stairs at work, such as:

• Sprains and strains.
• Cuts and bruises.
• Dislocations and fractures.
• Deeper lacerations and soft tissue damage.
• Serious spinal damage and other back or neck injuries.
• Head and brain injuries, from concussions to potential paralysis.
• Shock and psychological harm.

This list is not exhaustive, and you could suffer a combination of injuries. Speak to our advisory team about the injuries you suffered after you fell down the stairs at work to see whether you could make a compensation claim.

If I Claim After I Fell Down The Stairs At Work, Can My Employer Penalise Me?

An employer cannot legally penalise you for making a personal injury compensation claim after suffering an injury at work. But you could face repercussions if you deliberately caused harm to yourself or danger to others in the workplace.

If it were deemed that your actions contributed to the fall and your injuries, the court could determine that contributory negligence played a part. In cases like this, compensation could still apply. But it might be calculated based on your level of liability. So, for example, a person who was deemed to be 50% liable might receive 50% of the normal compensation for that injury had they not been liable at all.

To learn more, you can contact a friendly member of our advisory team today.

What Evidence Will I Need To Support My Fall Down Stairs At Work Claim?

The evidence you will need to support your fall down the stairs at work claim will need to demonstrate what injuries you suffered and who was responsible for them. Examples of evidence you could gather include:

• Photographs of the visible injuries sustained, such as cuts.
• Photographs of the accident scene, such as boxes left at the top of the stairs.
• Copies of medical records detailing your injuries.
• The contact details of anyone who witnessed your accident.
• Any available CCTV footage.
• A copy of the workplace accident book.

Our solicitors can help you gather evidence like this as part of the services they offer. If you’d like to see if they can handle the compensation claim process for you, start by speaking to our advisory team.

How Long Will I Have To Claim After I Fell Down The Stairs At Work?

You normally have 3 years to start a personal injury claim as detailed by the Limitation Act 1980. This begins from the date of the accident, but can be adjusted for two types of claimants:

• Minors cannot make their own claims, and therefore, they will be unable to start a claim until they turn 18. They are given 3 years to claim from this birthday.
• Those lacking sufficient mental capacity are unable to make their own claim, and therefore, the time limit is suspended. They are given 3 years from the date of recovery to start their own claim if they recover this mental capacity.

Both groups can have a family member or other concerned party start a claim for them as a litigation friend. This only applies while the pauses in the time limit are in effect.

Please connect with our advisors to learn whether you still have enough time to begin your claim after you fell down the stairs at work.

Can I Make A No Win No Fee Fall Down Stairs At Work Claim?

After falling down the stairs at work, you could be eligible to make a compensation claim with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors. They provide their services through a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) because it has numerous advantages for someone seeking compensation. For example:

• No upfront solicitor’s fees apply for them to start working on your claim.
• No solicitor’s fees apply as the claim advances.
• No solicitor’s fees apply if the claim is unsuccessful.
• A claim that wins means that a success fee needs to be paid to the solicitor. This amount is a percentage deducted from the compensation. This percentage is limited under the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013.

If your claim qualifies, you could work alongside our expert solicitors. You can expect from them:

• A detailed evaluation of your claim.
• Help to gather supporting evidence.
• All communication with the employer taken care of.
• Deadlines and court instructions promptly handled.
• Any complex jargon explained and regular updates on the status of the claim.
• Access to rehabilitation and medical assessments.
• A professionally represented claim at all times.

Working this way could mean that you have outstanding legal representation on your claim from start to finish. Discuss your options after you fell down stairs at work with our advisors today:

• Contact us online.
• Ask a question for an immediate response in the box below.
• Call us on 0161 509 2856 to chat about a claim after you fell down stairs at work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below, we answer some frequently asked questions regarding accident at work claims for falling down the stairs:

Do I Have To Report It If I Fell Down Stairs At Work?

Any accidents and injuries suffered in the workplace need to be reported to your manager and a report written in the workplace accident book. Your employer will also need to report certain incidents to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Will I Need To Take My Employer To Court If I Claim?

Often, personal injury claims settle before going to court. However, your claim may need to go to court if liability or a compensation settlement is being disputed.

What If No One Saw Me Fall Down The Stairs At Work?

Even if no one saw you fall down the stairs, you could still claim as you can collate other evidence to support your case, such as CCTV footage and medical records.

Will Falling Down The Stairs At Work Always Be Due To Employer Negligence?

No, it is possible to suffer a natural accident despite the best level of caution taken by your employer.

More Information

Additional guides by us:

• This guide looks in depth at how to claim for injuries caused by falling down stairs
• Here, we look at claims for slipping on ice at work.
• Also, learn how slip and fall at work settlements are calculated.

External guidance:

• This resource from the NHS explains how to get copies of your medical records.
• Here is guidance about avoiding slips and trips from the HSE.
• Lastly, guidance on symptoms from the NHS.

Thank you for reading this guide on how to claim after you fell down the stairs at work.