A Guide To Slip And Fall Work Accident Claims

By Stephen Kane. Last Updated 24th May 2023. Some of the most common accidents in the UK involve a slip, trip or fall of some kind and more often than not, they happen in the workplace. Slip and fall work accidents can result in many different types of injuries, ranging from minor to severe, depending on the circumstances.

Slip and fall accidents in the workplace are sometimes just an unfortunate event, but quite often they are due to someone’s carelessness or negligence. In cases such as these, the victim may be entitled to make a personal injury claim for compensation against those liable for the accident.

If you have sustained an injury because of a slip and fall work accident that wasn’t your fault, and you would like to find out more about how to make a claim, contact us at Advice.co.uk for further help and guidance.

Select a Section

What Are Slip And Fall Work Accidents?
Compensation Payouts For Slips And Falls At Work
Calculating Damages For Slip And Fall Work Accident Claims
Employer’s Duty Of Care To Prevent Slips And Falls
Common Causes Of Slips And Falls In The Workplace
Time Limit To Claim After A Fall At Work
No Win No Fee Slip And Fall Work Accident Claims
Where Can I Find More Advice?

What Are Slip And Fall Work Accidents?

Slip and fall at work accidents are the most common types of accidents to happen in the workplace, according to the latest figures released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Fortunately, the majority of slip and fall work accidents result in minor injuries, but sometimes they can lead to more serious ones that can have dire consequences for the victim. Musculoskeletal injuries, such strains or sprains, are fairly common with these accidents, as well as cuts and bruising. Fractures and dislocation injuries are also quite common after a slip and fall work accident.

Slip and fall accident at work claims guide

After sustaining an injury at work due to a slip and fall accident that occurred because of someone else’s carelessness, mistake or negligence, compensation could be sought to help financially with the recovery. Call us today on the number at the top of this page to find out more.

Compensation Payouts For Slips And Falls At Work

Slip and fall compensation amounts will be different for every individual case and so it would be difficult to accurately predict the amount you would receive at this stage. There are a number of factors that determine the value of a case, which we go into later on in the guide, but one of the most influential factors is the injury type and its severity. In the table below, we have provided examples of the average amounts awarded for certain injuries that may be experienced in a slip and fall work accident. These figures have been taken from the Judicial College Guidelines, a legal publication used by solicitors and the courts to value claims.

What Injury?	How Severe?	Typical Payment	Notes
Back injury	Severe	£91,090 to £160,980	Cases of the most severe injury involving damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots, leading to a combination of serious consequences not normally found in cases of back injury. There will be severe pain and disability with a combination of incomplete paralysis and significantly impaired bladder, bowel, and sexual function.
Neck injury	Minor	Up to £2,450	Recovery within 3 months.
Toe injury	Moderate Toe Injuries	Up to £9,600	These injuries include relatively straightforward fractures or the exacerbation of a pre-existing degenerative condition or laceration injuries to one or more toes.
Ankle injury	Moderate	£13,740 to £26,590	Fractures, ligamentous tears and the like which give rise to less serious disabilities such as difficulty in walking on uneven ground, difficulty standing or walking for long periods of time, awkwardness on stairs, irritation from metal plates, and residual scarring There may also be a risk of future osteoarthritis.
Foot injury	Modest	Up to £13,740	Simple metatarsal fractures, ruptured ligaments, puncture wounds and the like.
Leg injury	Less Serious	£17,960 to £27,760	In the case of fracture injuries, the injured person will have made a reasonable recovery but will be left with a metal implant and/or defective gait, a limp, impaired mobility, sensory loss, discomfort or an exacerbation of a pre-existing disability.
Hand injury	Moderate	£5,720 to £13,280	Crush injuries, penetrating wounds, soft tissue type and deep lacerations.
Wrist injury	Minor	In the region of £7,430	An uncomplicated Colles' fracture.
Arm injury	Minor	£6,610 to £19,200	Simple fracture of the forearm.
Finger injury	Fracture of Index Finger	£9,110 to £12,240	This level is appropriate where a fracture has mended quickly but grip has remained impaired, there is pain on heavy use, and osteoarthritis is likely in due course.
Thumb injury	Loss of Thumb	£35,520 to £54,830	Loss of Thumb

If you would like a valuation more specific to your unique circumstances, call us on the number above and we will try to assist you as best as we can.

Calculating Damages For Slip And Fall Work Accident Claims

If you’re awarded a settlement package, you may find it consists of two heads of claim: general damages and special damages.

General damages are designed to compensate you for the pain and suffering experienced as a result of the injury and encapsulate the likes of the amount and type of treatment needed, and the length of time it is needed for. The claimant’s future prognosis in regards to the injury is also taken into account and any psychological trauma resulting from the injury and any negative impact on the claimant’s quality of life is also considered.

Special damages are intended to compensate the claimant for any financial losses or expenses incurred as a result of the injury. Examples of the types of things you can recover include:

Medical Expenses – Any medical expenses incurred directly because of the injury can be included. For example, any treatments, private medical care or procedures, prescription fees, required medical equipment and so on.
Travel Expenses – If you’ve had to travel to hospital appointments, for example, you can factor in the cost of travelling to and from. If you have had to alter your vehicle or buy a special vehicle to accommodate any disability caused by your injury, this could be included too.
Lost Income – Any income that you have lost, or future income that will be lost could be included.
Care Claim – If you have needed help at the home because of your injury, a care claim can be factored in too.

It is important to keep hold of any receipts for expenses incurred as a direct result of your slip and fall work accident injury as, without proof, it is unlikely that you will be able to reclaim these in your compensation claim.

Employer’s Duty Of Care To Prevent Slips And Falls

Employers have a legal responsibility to provide their employees with a safe working environment. This duty of care, as well as others, is set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992, and The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

Employers must ensure that appropriate health and safety policies and procedures are in place for all areas of a workplace and that staff are adequately trained on such procedures. Employers must also ensure that correct personal protective equipment (PPE) is available and given to staff when and where necessary. Risk assessments must also be conducted, as well as regular maintenance inspections of equipment and machinery to identify any faults. Should faults be identified, repairs ought to be made within a reasonable timeframe, or if the risk of harm is great enough, the equipment or machinery should be removed from use. Failure to comply with health and safety regulations could result in employers being deemed liable in the event of an accident.

Some industries, particularly the construction industry, have their own specific separate health and safety regulations, such as the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

If you have suffered an injury from a slip and fall work accident, and you believe it was because of your employer’s negligence, you may be entitled to claim compensation. Contact us today for more information and support on such issues.

Employee’s Duty Of Care To Prevent Slips And Falls

It’s not just employers who have a duty of care to their workers, employees also have a duty of care to their co-workers to follow health and safety policies and procedures.

Employees should always be aware of their surroundings and make sure not to leave items lying around or ignore anything that could be hazardous. By all employees keeping to the set rules and regulations and generally using common sense, the likelihood of an accident occurring will be much lower.

Common Causes Of Slips And Falls In The Workplace

There are numerous reasons as to why a slip and fall at work accident may occur. It’s therefore important that employers ensure that effective and appropriate health and safety policies and procedures are in place and followed. Some of the more common causes of fall at work accidents include:

Unsuitable or poorly maintained floor coverings
Floor coverings that are uneven or damaged
Electrical cables left trailing over the floor
Poor lighting
Spillages and contaminated floor surfaces causing a slip hazard
Poor housekeeping and untidiness

Trip, slip and fall injury at work

Unfortunately, despite being careful and aware of your surroundings, if health and safety policies and procedures are not in place or not being followed correctly, the chance of you being injured in an accident.

Time Limit To Claim After A Fall At Work

If you slip at work due to employer negligence and sustain an injury as a result, then you have 3 years from this date to begin the process of making a claim. This fall at work claim deadline can be found in the Limitation Act 1980.

There are two exceptions to this time limit if you want to make a fall at work claim:

Under 18s – For those under 18, it is not permitted to make a claim themselves. However, one can be made on their behalf by a litigation friend. The time limit only begins from the injured party’s 18^th This is also the first date the injured party can start their own claim, if it has not been started for them already.
Those who lack the mental capacity to claim – Again, in instances such as these, a litigation friend must be appointed to start a claim. However, there is no time limit to do so unless the injured person reaches a point where they are deemed capable of making their own claim. From this date, the 3-year time limit begins.

If you’ve slipped at work and want to know more about claims for injuries sustained in slips and falls, get in touch with our advisors today.

What Evidence Can Support A Slip And Fall At Work Claim?

If you are eligible to make a fall at work claim, you could collect evidence to help support your case. Collecting enough evidence could help prove that your employer was liable for the accident and the types of injuries you suffered.

Examples of evidence that could be gathered for slip and fall claims include:

Medical records that show the injuries you suffered due to your slip and fall and what treatment you’ve received for them.
Photographs of the accident scene and your injuries.
Any video footage that shows you slipped at work, such as CCTV footage.
Contact details of any witnesses that saw your work accident so that they can provide a statement at a later date.
A copy of the report about your accident from your employer’s work accident book.

Contact our advisors today to discuss your potential claim. If they believe you may have a valid case, they could connect you with a solicitor on our panel who could assist you with gathering evidence.

No Win No Fee Slip And Fall Work Accident Claims

Our panel of solicitors can give you the option of entering into a No Win, No Fee Agreement, also known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). The CFA is designed to offer claimants financial protection and the confidence to pursue justice. If you sign a CFA with a solicitor from our panel, you will not have to pay fees upfront or any fees during your claim either. And if your claim is unsuccessful, you will not have to pay any of the fees your solicitor has incurred in pursuing your case.

If your claim is successful, your solicitor may seek a small contribution towards their costs. This is known as a ‘success fee’ and would be deducted from the compensation you receive at the end of the claim. Don’t worry, the success fee is legally capped and will be set out in clear terms within the CFA.

To contact our advisors, you can:

Calling us on 0161 696 9685
Or by using our online contact form

Where Can I Find More Advice?

Below we have listed someone useful links where you can find more information that may apply to your circumstances:

Citizens Advice – Advice on what you can do if you have a work accident.

Health and Safety Executive – Information on the health and safety at work act.

NHS – What you can do to help prevent falls.

We also have a bunch of dedicated guides on making an accident at work claim, which you can read below:

Accident At Work Claims

Road Traffic Accident Claims

Public Place Claims

Medical Negligence Claims

Personal Injury Claims

Slip And Fall At Work Accident Claim Specialists

Get Free Advice