By Stephen Anderson. Last Updated 15th February 2023. Are you wondering whether you are eligible to make a claim for a fall, trip or slip? If you have been injured at work or in a public place due to negligence, you may be entitled to compensation.
In this guide, we aim to provide you with information regarding slip, trip and fall claims. We will discuss the potential causes for a trip and fall, and the compensation you could be awarded for a successful claim. Furthermore, if you have been injured to due a slip and fall, a lawyer from our panel may be able to help you with your claim under a No Win No Fee agreement. We will discuss what this is in more detail later in this guide.
How much compensation for a fall?
If you would like to discuss your potential claim, do not hesitate to call our friendly team of advisors today. Our advisors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to answer any question you may have about starting a personal injury claim.
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Select A Section
- Can I Make A Claim For A Fall?
- Causes Of Falls
- What Injuries Could A Fall Cause?
- Who Could Be At Fault For Your Accident?
- How To Prove Your Fall Injury Claim
- What’s the Average Payout for a Slip and Fall in the UK for 2022?
- Slip and Fall Lawyers – No Win No Fee
- Related Accident Claim Guides
Can I Make A Claim For A Fall?
If you’ve been hurt by a fall in an environment such as your workplace or a public area like a shop, then you may be asking if you can claim compensation.
Slip, trip and fall claims are only possible if you can provide evidence that you’ve been injured by an accident due to another party breaching the duty of care they owe you. Read on to learn more about what duty of care means and which party may be liable, depending on where the injury occurred.
If you get in touch, we can discuss in further detail how to claim for a fall; you can reach us using the contact details further up this page. If our advisors determine you have a strong case, they may be able to connect you with a slip and fall lawyer from our panel.
Can you claim compensation for a fall?
Yes, you can make a claim for financial compensation if the fall was due to someone else’s negligence. A good example of this is in the workplace, as your employer owes you and their other employees a legal duty of care. Therefore, if they neglect this duty and an oversight or action of theirs causes you to fall and injure yourself, then you could be within your rights to claim compensation.
However, compensation for a fall on its own is not something that exists. Merely falling over is not enough to make a personal injury claim. The incident must have caused physical damage, psychological trauma, or both.
Causes Of Falls
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in Great Britain, 29% of non-fatal injuries in the workplace in 2019/20 were caused by slips, trips or falls on the same level, and 8% were caused by falls from heights.
Fall accidents can be caused by a variety of issues, but most trips are caused by obstructions in walkways. For example, if you were shopping and there was produce left in the walkway without any warning from the owner, you could potentially slip or fall, causing injury.
Under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, property owners and occupiers have a duty of care to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the safety of those on the property they control. So if you’ve suffered harm in a shop, such as in the example above, you could claim from the occupier or owner.
Another example could be if you are walking along a public pavement and trip on a raised paving stone. If this caused you personal injury, you could be able to claim from your local council (if they have a responsibility to maintain the area) for not fixing the issue in due time.
What Injuries Could A Fall Cause?
Falls could cause a variety of injuries, depending on the severity. Some examples could include (but are not limited to):
- Head or brain injuries
- Back injuries
- Hip fractures
- Sprains and strains
- Dental issues
However, this list is not exhaustive, so don’t worry if your injury is not shown here. You could still be able to make a viable claim if someone else’s negligence caused your fall injury.
This guide will look further into the compensation amounts that could be attached to your injuries. When calculating this, the impact on quality of life and lasting symptoms are always taken into account.
How To Treat A Slip And Fall Injury
As we are not medical professionals, we cannot tell you how to treat a slip and fall injury. We always recommend you contact or seek out a medical professional for an informed opinion or for help with your injuries.
However, the NHS website offers information on first aid treatment you can apply to various injuries and gives you information about symptoms that could indicate you have suffered a serious injury and need immediate medical attention.
In the case of a head injury following a slip and fall:
- You can apply ice to the injured site or take painkillers in the case of a minor injury
- Seek help immediately if you have been knocked unconscious, vomited or suffered from any of the other serious symptoms seen in the NHS guide
In the case of back pain from a slip and fall:
- You can attempt some exercises or take anti-inflammatory medicine for minor back pain
- You should contact a medical professional if the pain has persisted for weeks or there is swelling on your back
If you have slipped and fallen, suffering an injury because of negligence, you can contact a GP to book an appointment. This can also be a good idea as a medical report could be helpful evidence if you choose to claim compensation for your fall.
Please speak to one of our team for more information about what you could need to claim for a fall.
Who Could Be At Fault For Your Accident?
The person at fault can differ in each situation. If you have a fall accident at work, it could be that your employer is at fault if they haven’t taken all reasonably practicable steps to keep you safe, as outlined in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Or, if you have a fall accident in a public place, the local council could be classed as the occupier of the space, and therefore could be held liable for compensation under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957.
Only when someone has breached their duty of care towards another can they be held liable for someone else’s injuries.
If you think you could be partially at fault for your accident, you could still be able to make a claim. You could come to a split liability agreement with the other party, whereby you take some responsibility for your accident and ensuing injuries. In these cases, the amount of compensation is calculated by your share of the responsibility — e.g. if you agreed to being 40% at fault, your compensation would reduce accordingly.
However, if the accident was wholly your fault, you would not be able to make a valid personal injury claim.
How To Prove Your Fall Injury Claim
To make a claim, you need to be able to prove that negligence on the part of another was the cause of your injuries.
To do this, you could start gathering evidence before speaking to a solicitor. Some examples of desirable evidence could include:
- Photographs of the accident or your injuries
- Medical reports
- Witness contact details for statements at a later date
- CCTV footage
- Accident report records
When putting your case together, a solicitor is likely to invite you for a medical appointment so that an independent healthcare professional can assess your injuries and any lasting impact they may have had. The findings of this assessment will be collected and used as key evidence in your claim.
It is important to note that there is a time limitation on making a personal injury claim. For the majority of cases, this is 3 years from the date of the accident (or, in some cases, from the date when the injured person became aware of their injuries being caused by negligence). However, there are some exceptions.
If the claimant is a child, their parents/guardians (or another eligible adult) have until their 18th birthday to make a claim for them as a litigation friend. After the person turns 18, they have 3 years to make a claim for themselves if one has not already been started.
Also, if the claimant has brain damage to the degree where they are currently incapable of making independent decisions, the time limitation is waivered indefinitely. A litigation friend could claim on behalf of someone who lacks the mental capacity to claim. If the person recovers mental capacity, they could claim for themselves from the date of recovery if nobody’s already done so on their behalf.
What’s the Average Payout for a Slip and Fall in the UK for 2022?
We’re unable to provide you with the average payout for a slip and fall in the UK. This is because every claim is unique. Should your claim be successful, the amount you receive is based on aspects like the ones described below.
This section will explain the different heads of claim that could result in you receiving compensation for a slip and fall injury. Your general damages compensation is based on the pain, suffering and general negative impact of the injury. This will be calculated depending on factors such as the extent of the injury and if any permanent health issues have been caused.
The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) can provide you with a better idea of what you could receive for your injury. Solicitors and lawyers use this information to accurately calculate your claim alongside other evidence. You can find some of these compensation brackets below.
This information has been taken from the most up-to-date guidelines, published in April 2022. Please remember that these figures are not guarantees, as every claim is unique.
| Injury | Notes | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Foot Injuries | (d) Severe - This includes injuries such as a fracture in both heels or feet where mobility is restricted. There may also be considerable pain, degloving, osteoporosis or other disability. | £41,970 to £70,030 |
| Foot Injuries | (e) Serious - This includes injuries that may have resulted in continuous pain, arthritis, and prolonged treatment with a possible need for surgery. | £24,990 to £39,200 |
| Back Injuries | (a) Severe (iii) - Fractures or lesions of the discs. This could result in severe pair and impaired agility despite treatment. | £38,780 to £69,730 |
| Back Injuries | (b) Moderate (ii) - The muscles and ligaments in the back have been frequently disturbed. This can cause backache may accelerate a pre-existing condition. | £12,510 to £27,760 |
| Wrist Injuries | (a) This includes injuries where there may be total loss of function in the wrist. | £47,620 to £59,860 |
| Wrist Injuries | (c) This includes injuries where the result is some form of permanent disability, with persisting pain. | £12,590 to £24,500 |
| Ankle Injuries | (b) Severe - This includes injuries that may require extensive treatment, such as plaster casts or pins. The injury could result in instability or severe inability to walk. | £31,310 to £50,060 |
| Ankle Injuries | (c) Moderate - This includes injuries such as fractures or ligament tears. Injuries may give rise to moderate disabilities such as walking issues. | £13,740 to £26,590 |
| Shoulder Injuries | (b) Serious - The lower part of the brachial plexus is damaged and the shoulder is dislocated. This causes pain in the neck and shoulder. | £12,770 to £19,200 |
| Shoulder Injuries | Moderate (c) - Limited movement and discomfort lasting for two years due to a frozen shoulder. | £7,890 to £12,770 |
If you’re claiming for a slip and fall injury, you may also be able to claim special damages. This can cover you for the financial losses caused by the injury. This can include:
- Loss of earnings
- Adjustments to your home
- Care costs
- Travel expenses
- Healthcare costs
As part of this, you could also claim for future losses that will be caused by the injury, if there are permanent or long-term health issues caused. You would need financial evidence to prove the value of these losses. Potential evidence can include receipts, invoices, payslips and bank statements.
Slip and Fall Lawyers – No Win No Fee
If you are considering making a personal injury claim, a slip and fall lawyer from our panel may be able to take on your claim under a No Win No Fee agreement. They may offer to take on your claim with a specific type of No Win No Fee agreement, such as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
Generally, with a No Win No Fee agreement, you will not be required to pay any fees upfront to your solicitor. You will also not be required to pay them for their services if the claim fails. However, for successful slip, trip and fall claims, a legally capped success fee is paid to the solicitor. This amount will be taken directly from the compensation award.
For more information on slip and fall claims, or to be connected with one of the slip and fall lawyers on our panel, you can contact our advisors today. They could also potentially advise you on how much compensation for a fall you could claim.
- Call us at 0800 408 7825
- Use the contact form on our site
- Use our live chat to get instant responses
Slip and Fall Injury FAQs
What is the average payout for a slip and fall in the UK?
The value of any personal injury claim can depend on a few different factors. For instance, some injuries may be more serious than others. Additionally, the part of the body that’s injured may also affect how much you’re awarded.
Because of all the considerations that need to be accounted for, each claim needs to be evaluated individually. Therefore, there is no set figure that’s awarded for an injury sustained as a result of a slip and fall.
How long do I have to claim for a fall that causes an injury?
If you’ve been injured due to a fall, the compensation can typically only be awarded to you if you start the claim within 3 years of the injury being sustained. However, there are a few scenarios where this time limit can be a little more flexible. Get in touch today to find out if you could still make a claim.
If I am injured due to a fall from a height, can I claim if the accident was my fault?
If you are entirely to blame for your own injuries, then it’s unlikely you could make a successful claim for compensation. However, you could still be awarded a partial settlement if you were only partially to blame. For instance, it could be judged that you were only 50% responsible for how your injuries were sustained. This would result in you receiving 50% of what your payout would have been.
Related Accident Claim Guides
Thank you for reading our guide on how much compensation for a fall you could claim. We hope you found it helpful. For more related guides, see below.
Broken Elbow Compensation Guide – A guide on how much compensation you could claim after suffering from a broken elbow.
Reporting Accidents in the Workplace – An article explaining why it is important to report your accidents in the workplace and how you can do this.
Broken Pelvis Personal Injury Guide – A guide detailing what you can do after an accident resulting in a broken pelvis.
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents – A charity that aims to reduce the number of accidental injuries through advice and guidance.
Fall Information and Prevention – An NHS guide to falls, who they could affect, and how they can be prevented.
As well as having information on how much compensation for a fall you could be owed, we also have some other guides you may find useful:
- Can I sue someone for assault?
- Can you claim for a fall at work in the UK?
- Public transport accidents
- What is the average payout for a slip and fall?
- Public accident claims hot spots
- Council slip and trip accidents
- Public transport accidents
- How to make a public liability claim
- Making a claim against the council
- Claiming for a pothole injury
- Making a claim against a shop
- Accidents in a public park
- Cycling accident claims
- Claiming for injuries suffered while shopping
Thank you for reading our guide on how much compensation you could claim for a fall.
Article by AO
Publisher UI