In this guide, we discuss the question ‘Can you claim for a trip and fall in a construction accident?’. At the start of the guide, we explain the eligibility criteria that must be met if you’re to have valid grounds to make a personal injury claim following a construction accident.
Next, we provide some scenarios that could cause you to sustain slip, trip and fall injuries on a building site. We also provide an overview of how compensation in successful construction injury claims is calculated and how settlements aim to address the different ways your injuries have affected you.
Later, we discuss the types of evidence that could strengthen your case and how a No Win No Fee solicitor on our panel could assist you without needing an upfront or ongoing fee for their services.
To discuss your potential trip and fall claim for free, get in touch with our team of advisors. They can offer a no-obligation consultation and assess the validity of your case. For further guidance, you can:
- Call our team on 0800 408 7825.
- Ask questions via our free live chat service.
- Contact us online to tell us about your case.
Browse Our Guide
- Can You Claim For A Trip And Fall In A Construction Accident?
- What Construction Accidents Could Lead You To Claim Compensation For A Trip And Fall?
- Potential Compensation From Trip And Fall Injury Claims
- Evidence That Could Help You Claim For A Trip And Fall In A Construction Accident
- Make A Construction Accident Compensation Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis
- Learn More About Making A Construction Accident Claim For Slip Trip And Fall Accidents
Can You Claim For A Trip And Fall In A Construction Accident?
Whilst at work and carrying out your work-related duties, your employer has a duty of care to take reasonable and practical steps to prevent you from becoming injured. This duty is set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which is the central piece of workplace health and safety legislation.
Further laws such as the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 have also been enacted to help those responsible for construction sites to improve health and safety in the industry.
There can be many different companies working on a construction site, such as scaffolding, electric, and plumbing companies as well as the main contractor if different to your employer and possibly a site manager. All of these may owe a duty of care. As such, it might not always be your employer who is liable for a construction accident and subsequent injuries. Another company, contractor or sub contractor could also be liable. This means who your construction injury claim is made against will depend on who is liable.
You may be able to make a personal injury claim for a trip and fall in a construction accident if:
- At the time and location of your accident, you were owed a duty of care.
- This duty was breached.
- Due to the breach, you suffered injuries in a trip and fall accident.
If you’ve been involved in a building site accident and your claim meets the above criteria, negligence may have occurred for which you could seek compensation.
To find out if you could be entitled to slip, trip and fall compensation, why not speak to one of our friendly advisors today?
What Construction Accidents Could Lead You To Claim Compensation For A Trip And Fall?
Slips, trips and falls on construction sites could potentially lead to serious injuries. However, you can only claim for a trip and fall in a construction accident if you sustained an injury caused by a breach of duty.
Below, we’ve listed some examples of how construction site accidents that could occur and the injuries that could be sustained as a result:
- A construction worker fell into a deep excavation on a building site because of a lack of warning signs and safety cordons. As a result, they suffered a broken pelvis and multiple leg fractures, as well as a serious head injury. In some sad cases, a construction worker could also suffer a fatal injury.
- The site manager failed to take steps to repair a leaking pipe or notify workers of the hazard despite being told about it on numerous occasions. As a result, a plasterer slipped on the water and fell causing them to sustain a broken ankle and severe bruising.
- A construction worker was not provided with any training before being instructed to carry out work at a height by their employer. As a result, they suffered a trip and fall at work after failing to work within the safety guidelines and sustained a fractured skull and serious brain injury.
- A failure to conduct a risk assessment sees you life items that are far too heavy, causing you to suffer an arm injury.
To discuss trip and fall injury claims, call our team on the number above. They can help you understand whether you’re eligible to seek construction accident compensation.
Potential Compensation From Trip And Fall Injury Claims
If you make a successful personal injury claim for a trip and fall in a construction accident, your settlement could be formed of up to two heads of loss. The first, general damages, aims to compensate you for any pain and suffering caused by your physical and/or psychological injuries.
To help establish the extent of your suffering, you may need to visit an independent medical specialist during the claims process. The report generated from this appointment can be used to help value injuries in construction site accident claims.
The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) can be used alongside the medical report as it contains a list of injuries alongside guideline valuation brackets.
Compensation Table
Our compensation table below includes JCG figures, but please be aware that claims for building site accidents vary from case to case so the amounts listed aren’t guaranteed. Also, the first line in our table is not taken from the JCG.
| Type Of Injury | Severity | Guideline Valuation Brackets |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries With Monetary Losses | Severe | Up to £1,000,000 + |
| Injuries Involving Paralysis | Tetraplegia | £324,600 to £403,990 |
| Paraplegia | £219,070 to £284,260 | |
| Injury Resulting From Brain Injury | Very Severe | £282,010 to £403,990 |
| Injuries To The Pelvis And Hips | Severe (i) | £78,400 to £130,930 |
| Neck Injuries | Severe (ii) | £65,740 to £130,930 |
| Leg Injuries | Severe (ii) | £54,830 to £87,890 |
| Arm Injuries | Injuries Resulting In Permanent And Substantial Disablement | £39,170 to £59,860 |
| Ankle Injuries | Moderate | £13,740 to £26,590 |
Claiming Special Damages As Part Of Your Construction Accident Compensation Payout
Another head of loss that might contribute to your settlement is called special damages. This awards compensation for financial costs or expenses linked to your injuries.
For example, you could receive trip and fall compensation for the following costs:
- Medical expenses, such as the cost of prescriptions.
- Loss of earnings if you have had to take time off work to recover from your injuries. This can include both past and future losses.
- Home modification costs, such as for a stair lift or wheelchair ramp if your injuries have caused permanent issues.
- The cost of care at home, such as help washing and cooking.
Get in touch with our advisors if you want further guidance on the question ‘Can I claim for a trip and fall in a construction accident?’ and for a free valuation on how much compensation you could receive if you succeed.
Evidence That Could Help You Claim For A Trip And Fall In A Construction Accident
When you make a construction accident claim, it’s important to provide as much evidence as possible. It should prove who was responsible for your accident and injuries and how much you have been affected.
Some examples of evidence that could help when claiming construction injury compensation include:
- Copies of your medical records and other information about the treatment you’ve received.
- A copy of the site’s accident report form.
- CCTV or mobile phone footage of the accident.
- Contact information for any potential witnesses.
- Photographs of your injuries and the accident scene.
If your claim is taken on by a construction accident solicitor from our panel, part of the services they offer include helping you build your case and collect evidence. Additionally, they have experience handling personal injury claims for construction accidents and can guide you through the different stages of the claims process.
To find out more about the evidence you could collect to substantiate your case and whether an expert solicitor from our panel could assist with construction accident claims, please call the number above.
Make A Construction Accident Compensation Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis
When you claim for a trip and fall in construction, you may wish to instruct a solicitor to represent you. This can be beneficial and make the claims process easier. Importantly, the solicitors on our panel offer a No Win No Fee service by providing their work under a Conditional Fee Agreement. The terms of this agreement typically involve:
- Not having to pay your solicitor for their work upfront, as the claim progresses, or if the claim fails.
- If compensation is awarded, you’ll pay a success fee. The maximum percentage of your compensation that can be deducted as a success fee is capped by law. This means you’ll keep the most of any compensation settlement you’re awarded.
To see if you could make a claim for a trip and fall in a construction accident with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel, you can:
- Call us on 0800 408 7825.
- Use our 24/7 live chat service.
- Contact us online to tell us about your construction accident compensation claim.
Learn More About Making A Construction Accident Claim For Slip Trip And Fall Accidents
Here are a few more of our guides that can help if you’re looking to claim compensation:
- Further information on construction site accident claims and how they work.
- Details on when common injuries for construction workers could result in a compensation claim.
- Advice on when you could make a serious injury claim and the steps involved in seeking compensation.
Also, here are some external links that may help:
- Advice on construction site safety from the Health and Safety Executive.
- Guidance on first aid from the NHS.
- Information on eligibility for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from GOV.UK.
We hope this guide has answered the question ‘Can I claim for a trip and fall in a construction accident?’. However, if you need any further information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with an advisor using the number above.