Slips, trips and falls compensation

Who's at fault for your slip, trip or fall?

Slips, trips and falls generally happen because businesses, building landlords or local councils didn't take the correct maintenance, repair and safety measures to keep you and other members of the public safe. Most slips and trips when people are out and about are caused by:

• Wet floors plus wet or icy pavements
• Uneven flooring or steps
• Cracked or uneven pavements and kerbs
• Unexpected obstacles
• Poor lighting

Local councils

Your local council is responsible for keeping public spaces, pavements, steps and walkways in a safe state of repair. These could include identifying and fixing things like broken, cracked or dangerously raised surfaces, damaged or missing railings plus inadequate or damaged lighting.

In a slip, trip and fall claim, there's a detailed process to follow but your solicitor will basically obtain an acceptance or denial of liability from the council's insurance company. They'll then seek to negotiate a fair amount of compensation for you. 

While council people can't be everywhere, all the time, you can help if you spot a pavement hazard - simply report a pavement problem  online so it can be sorted out. Doing so may just help other people avoid nasty slips or trips.

Employers

A lot of slips, trips and falls happen at work - in the factory, on construction sites, even in offices. There are several laws that require employers to ensure the health and safety of all employees. You can find out more information on this legislation on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website. 

The HSE says the number of accidents at work are dropping year-on-year, however the Labour Force Survey revealed there were still 581,000 non-fatal injuries to workers in 2018-19. Slips, trips or falls on the same level were the most common cause of these, making up 29% of the total. 

Businesses

Businesses such as shops, supermarkets, pubs and restaurants also have a responsibility to keep you safe from slips and trips when you're on their premises. This means they must do things like signpost wet floors clearly, keep walkways or aisles clear, clean up spillages as quickly as possible, ensure adequate lighting and keep railings, steps and ramps safe.

Landlords

Slips, trips and falls don't just occur when you're out and about, they can happen when you're at home too. We know how stressful it can be to feel that the roof over your head isn't safe. If you live in rented accommodation, the responsibility for ensuring the property is safe and properly maintained falls firmly to your landlord. 

That landlord may be a private individual or property company, the local council or housing association that owns the home. There's very clear guidance about their responsibilities under the  Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. 

It's easy to feel intimidated about making a landlord complaint, but this legislation protects your rights. If you've been hurt because of their negligence, then contact us on  for a confidential chat with one of our friendly, legally-trained advisors. 

How do I make a no win no fee claim for slips, trips and falls?

Slip, trip or fall compensation claims are handled with a no win no fee arrangement, also known as a conditional fee agreement. It's the contract between you and your no win no fee personal injury lawyer.

If you win the claim, you'll be asked to pay any costs and expenses, not paid for by the other side, out of your compensation. This is likely to happen in most cases, as the other side is only required to make a contribution to your legal fees. These costs may include:

• A ‘success fee' which compensates the solicitor for the risk they take, as if your claim is unsuccessful they won't be paid at all.
• Any other legal costs or expenses not recovered from the other side, such as the costs of any legal expense insurance.

These costs will only be deducted when your compensation is paid, and there are no upfront costs or hidden charges.

What is the average size of trip, slip and fall compensation?

All accidents - and the injuries suffered as a result - are unique, so slip and fall compensation amounts can vary widely. It can depend on a number of things like the nature of the incident, the damage to your physical and mental health as well as any impact on your ability to work.

This makes it difficult to give an exact figure for how much your fall claim could be worth until things have been thoroughly investigated by your solicitor and your claim properly valued.

The damages in slip, trip or fall compensation are made up of two types, called general and special damages. Your solicitor will calculate both and add them together when they value your claim and begin negotiating with the other side. 

• General damages are awarded for what's called pain, suffering and loss of amenity. This covers the injury itself and the impact it has had on your ability to do things in your daily life.
• Special damages are the financial losses you may also have suffered like loss of earnings, the cost of medical treatments you've needed and even necessary modifications you had done to your home or car.

The guidelines for general damages are set by The Judicial College, which is part of the Ministry of Justice. Below we've included some examples from the latest guidelines covering the kind of injuries that can occur with slips, trips and falls - and the general damages they attract.

We can help give you an idea of potential general damages with our slip and fall compensation calculator. Simply answer a few short questions about your accident injury and it'll give you an estimated figure for how much you might be able to claim.

How do I start a claim compensation for slips, trips and falls?

We understand that making a claim for trip or fall compensation can seem like a daunting prospect - but we're here to help make it as simple as possible for you. The first thing to do is get some good advice about whether you may be eligible to make a slip, trip or fall claim. Just contact us free on  for a confidential chat or request a call back using the form at the bottom of this page.

You'll speak with one of our friendly, legally-trained advisors, who'll take the time to listen carefully to what you've been through, answer your questions and give you impartial guidance on whether you have a claim. If you do have grounds to make a claim and wish to go ahead, they can put you in touch with one of our specialist lawyers to deal with your fall claim. We can do this usually on the same call if that suits.

The decision to go ahead with a slip compensation claim is entirely yours - there's no rush and no pressure.

What evidence should I gather in a claim for trip or fall compensation?

We know that slips, trips and falls can be very painful and sometimes embarrassing even. It's understandable that your first thought is just to pick yourself up and get on with your day as best you can.

However, if your accident was someone else's fault, recording the evidence of what happened will really help your solicitor if you're eligible to make a claim for slip, trip or fall compensation. 

• Make sure you jot down the time, date and location of your accident and if it happened outside, make a note of the weather conditions - for instance, was it icy?
• Take photos of the accident site too, if it's safe to do so. This is ideally whatever it was that caused it and the surrounding area to show things like a lack of warning signs or inadequate lighting. 
• Often with a slip, trip or fall, passers-by will stop and help. If that's the case, it's worth asking them for their details as they may be happy to give a witness statement supporting your claim.
• Record your injury details and keep a daily diary to show how your recovery is going. Take photos of your injury too - smartphones are ideal for this as you can email the pictures easily.

Providing as much proof and useful detail as possible will help your solicitor build the strongest possible case for your slip compensation claim.

Can I make a slip, trip and fall claim on behalf of someone else?

Yes, you can. For instance, if your child was injured then a responsible adult like a parent, relative or guardian can make the claim on their behalf at any time up to the age of 18 (see below). You do this as what's called a litigation friend.

A litigation friend can also claim on behalf of an injured person who's suffered head or brain trauma - or someone who has a pre-existing medical condition which means they are unable to make a decision themselves. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 is the legislation that protects vulnerable people and establishes when a person lacks the capacity to make their own decisions.

Tragically, sometimes slips, trips and falls can be fatal. If your loved one has died in an accident, we know there's nothing that can take away your loss. If the accident wasn't their fault then making a compensation claim will help relieve some of the financial pressure you may be facing. Making a claim may also help shine a light on what happened so it doesn't happen to someone else.

Are there time limits for claiming slips, trips and falls compensation?

You typically have three years from the date when your slip, trip or fall injury happened. There's a fixed legal process your solicitor will follow, so if you're close to the three-year deadline, please call us as soon as possible on .

There are some exceptions to the time limits:

• If the claimant has also suffered serious brain trauma that has impaired their psychological capacity, then there's no time limit. An official litigation friend will be able to make the claim on their behalf. 
• A parent, guardian or other legally-responsible adult can make a claim for a child any time up until their 18th birthday.
• If no claim has been made, the child has three years between their 18th and 21st birthdays to make a slip, trip or fall compensation claim themselves as a legal adult.

If you'd like to pursue a claim at a later date, you'll need to issue court proceedings within the given time limits. If you don't issue your claim within those time limits, you won't usually be able to proceed. This is called being ‘time-barred' - your solicitor will be able to advise you further.