Slipping and tripping accidents are very common and you may be able to seek compensation if you have suffered injury as a result.
You may be able to claim if you have fallen
- Whilst visiting someone else’s property
- in a shop or supermarket
- in the street
- whilst at work or on site
Whilst visiting someone else’s property
You may be in a friends or neighbours house or you may be in a property to which the public have access, like a sports centre or library. The people in charge of those buildings have a duty to take care of your safety, so if you fall over a box or slip on a wet or greasy floor, you may be able to claim.
Accidents in supermarkets and shops
Are very common. Annual visitors number many millions and it hardly surprising that accidents happen. Slipping on food produce or tripping over boxes left carelessly on the floor or being hit by produce that has not been stacked properly.
In the street
Whilst most of our roads and pavements are adequately maintained, some do fall into disrepair and injuries can happen as a result. All councils have a duty to inspect and maintain and if you can show that they have not done so, you trip because of a hole or fall over a protruding paving stone, you may be able to claim
Whilst at work or on site
Tripping and slipping accidents in factories and offices are also very common. Objects can be left on floors where they create a hazard, spillages can occur that are left or floors are cleaned without any warning signs that there might be a slipping hazard. On construction sites which are of their nature quite dangerous working environments, the employer or contractor should keep the site reasonably tidy and carry our risk assessments of the potential slipping and tripping hazards.
What must you show in order to make a claim
You have to show that someone owed you a duty to take care of your wellbeing, they have failed in that and your injury has arisen as a result. All accidents are different, and the law does not demand a perfect system, it does not require a local council to maintain perfectly flat roads and pavements for example, so whether you have a claim depends on the individual circumstances.
If you are injured in a slipping or tripping accident, you should report it immediately and if possible take pictures. In a recent case, the fact that the injured person had the foresight to take pictures of a leaking fridge in a supermarket meant that he was able to successfully take action against the supermarket who had been inclined to deny that there had been any problem with the fridge. It is therefore not possible to say with any certainty whether or not an individual claim will lead to success but the more information you are able to collect and give to your solicitors the better.
Compensation for injuries
It will depend on the injury. Sprains and fractures are very common with this sort of accident with compensation ranging from the low thousands to many thousands of pounds depending on the injury. Compensation for loss of earnings, care whilst you are unable to look after yourself properly, for example if the injury leads to your being on crutches and for medical expenses can all be claimed.
Many slipping and tripping accidents are fiercely fought by the organisations involved and their insurers so you should seek specialist legal advice. AccidentClaims.net can put you in touch with a solicitor who can assist you on a no win no fee basis.