Slip Or Trip At Work Claims
Our free guide is tell victims what to do following a slip or trip at work – our claims solicitors are also here 7 days a week to start your claim for compensation.
All workplaces are supposed to be safe and secure for staff and anyone else who has to enter the work environment. One of the most common accidents at work if a slip, trip or fall. Slips, trips or falls at work can sound like minor accidents, but they can lead to some extremely serious injuries and, if your employer was negligent about your safety leading to your slip, trip or fall, you are likely to be eligible for compensation.
If you are unsure whether your slip, trip or fall at work might entitle you to compensation, or if you are ready to make a slip, trip or fall at work personal injury compensation claim, call us on 0121 565 4317 or use our claims form to arrange your free, no obligation consultation. Our friendly tram of expert personal injury solicitors are ready to help you.
Common Causes For A Slip, Trip Or Fall At Work
1. Floors made wet, slippery and therefore unsafe as a result of poor weather. If you slip on a floor made wet by a large number of people coming and going from your workplace on a rainy day, you may think that this is ‘just one of those things’. In fact, your employer should have anticipated the large number of people coming and the impact that the weather might have. They could have put in sufficient mats to allow excess water to be removed from people’s shoes when first entering the shop, have put up signs to warn you about a potentially slippery floor and made sure that the floor was mopped on a regular basis. Given that they could have anticipated the circumstances that would lead to an accident, they could be considered negligent if they did not do these things to keep you safe, which means that you would be eligible for compensation.
2. Dropped liquids creating spills. Spilled liquids will happen, whether this is the result of a leaking pipe, people being careless in the kitchen area making drinks or if you are working with fluids as a part of your job. Your employers must be alert to the possibility of this happening and they must respond appropriately when it does. This should include putting up wet floor signs immediately, especially if the spillage is of a clear liquid that would be hard to see. They should also ensure that someone is responsible for cleaning up the affected area promptly to ensure that the hazard is removed as quickly as possible.
3. Cables, leads or other trip hazards lying across walkways. Electrical wires, water hoses, computer cables, power leads and other trip hazards should not be permitted to put you at risk. All such trip hazards should be moved out of major thoroughfares or highlighted with signage and bright labels, if it is impossible to move them. If you trip over something that has been left lying around, you are likely to be able to make a slip, trip or fall at work compensation claim.
4. Uneven or poorly maintained flooring. Peeling floor tiles or uneven flooring can be very hard to spot and easy to fall over. It is essential that all flooring is kept in a good condition and it would be considered negligent if your employer failed to make any repairs quickly. If the damage to the flooring leads to a high risk of a slip, trip or fall, it might also be necessary for management to use signs or hazard tape to alert you and make sure that you are careful. If these things have not been done and you sustain a fall as a result, you may be eligible for compensation.
5. Uneven or poorly maintained paving or other surfaces in outdoor areas. The responsibility of your employer often does not end at their front doors. If they have an outside area or car park, they are also responsible for making sure that these areas are kept safe and secure and free of defects and unnecessary or unexpected hazards. If you slip, trip or fall in the car park outside work, you may still be able to make a slip at work compensation claim.
What If I Can’t Afford To Make A Slip, Trip Or Fall At Work Compensation Claim?
With our no win no fee arrangements, you will not need to pay anything upfront to make a compensation claim for your slip, trip or fall at work. We will take over all of the arrangements and you will only have to pay if we are able to win your claim. This allows us to take all of the risk out of making a claim to get you the compensation you are entitled to. There are a very limited set of circumstances under which we are not able to offer no win no fee arrangements. Under these circumstances, we would discuss the available options with you to make sure that you have the best possible chance of getting the justice you deserve.
How Do I Make A Slip, Trip Or Fall At Work Compensation Claim?
In order to make a no win no fee personal injury compensation claim, you first need to sign a no win no fee agreement with us. This allows us to act on your behalf. Once we have this, we will:
- Write to your employer notifying them that you are making a personal injury claim against them for your slip, trip or fall and the injury you have sustained. We will ask them to accept liability (this is the legal term for accepting that they are responsible for what happened) and give them a deadline by which they have to respond. In most cases, your employer will accept that they are to blame.
- If they do not accept that they were the cause of your slip, trip or fall at work and the injury that you suffered, we will gather evidence in support of your claim. This could be in the form of witness statements, photographs, police reports or testimony from experts in health and safety or a related field. Once we have gathered this evidence, liability is agreed in almost all cases.
- In the unlikely event that we have to go to court to progress your slip, trip or fall at work compensation claim, we will make sure that you are supported and informed throughout. This is essential to giving you the peace of mind you need to concentrate on your recovery while we deal with getting you the compensation you deserve.
- Once liability has been agreed, we will also conduct the negotiations on your behalf. This means that we will be talking to the other party, listening to how much they offer, bringing that offer to you for a decision and putting forward our reasons for why you deserve a higher payment if you decline their offer. Negotiations can leave many of our clients feeling unsure and unsettled, as it can be hard for you to know how much compensation is a fair reflection of the pain, suffering and difficulties you have experienced. Our expert team of personal injury claims solicitors have years of experience handling these negotiations and will be able to give you the benefit of this experience making sure that you feel sure in your decisions as to whether to accept or reject a compensation offer. Although we will be conducting the negotiations for you, you remain in control of the process at all times. We will inform you of any and all offers of compensation and give you our opinion as to whether we think it is fair or not. Either way, the final decision is yours and we will support you in this.
What If My Employer Is Angry With Me For Making A Slip, Trip Or Fall At Work Claim?
Many people are concerned about making a work accident claim because they are worried that they might lose their jobs or otherwise be punished at work for their claim. Others are concerned that their claim may make things difficult for the company financially and potentially even lead to the company having to shut down. Whilst both of these worries are understandable, there are legal measures in place to ensure that you don’t need to worry.
It is illegal for any employer to fire or otherwise punish an employee for making a personal injury claim as a result of a work-related accident, such as your slip, trip or fall. If your employer were to attempt retribution towards you for claiming the compensation you are entitled to as a result of your slip, trip or fall at work, they would open themselves up to a further claim and even greater compensation payments. This is not to say that employers will never try to do this, but there are legal mechanisms in place to protect you and very few employers would even consider it. You don’t need to worry that your job might be at risk if you make a claim.
The second concern is for the welfare of the company. Under British law, all employers are required to have employers liability insurance, which covers them for any accident at work claims you might bring. This means that the company does not need to find the money to pay your work accident compensation claim, as this will be paid out by their insurance company. The company will not suffer financially and you will receive the compensation you need and are entitled to.
If you have suffered a slip, trip or fall at work and think that you might be eligible for compensation, call us on 0121 565 4317 or use our claims form to arrange your free, no obligation consultation now.
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