Falling Object Compensation – Claim For Your Injuries

By Ian Morris | Updated May 3rd, 2024

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You’re entitled to claim compensation if you have been injured by a falling object at work or in public and it can be proven your employer or a third party was responsible.

Falling objects can cause head injuries such as concussion, brain damage, severe lacerations and psychological trauma. Claims for compensation commonly relate to an accident at work where an employer has failed to adequately ensure the safety of workers or visitors. Alternatively, it could be a public liability claim if a pedestrian or passer by is injured by an item that falls from height, such as a loose or unsecured part of a building, a falling shop or pub sign, or dangerous practices on construction sites that are adjacent to pedestrian areas.

When it can be shown that there has been a failure to comply with legal statutory duties to minimise and prevent the risk of injury from falling objects, a compensation claim will succeed.

When you can make a falling object claim

A compensation settlement will be awarded to the claimant if it can be proven that the object fell as a result of negligence and a lack of adequate risk management.

Falling object injuries often happen when people are working at height, and commonly on construction or demolition sites. In these environments, the site management company should have adequately assessed the risk of such accidents and taken every precaution to reduce the risk of injury as far as possible. This should include requiring workers and visitors to wear personal protective equipment such as hard hats, and also establishing safety zones with adequate signage near which pedestrians are prohibited from passing. Alternative walkways with adequate signage should be created to ensure that people are not likely to be standing in an area where masonry or other items could fall. If you have been injured by a falling object in this sort of situation, you are likely to have a very strong claim.

Other claims relate to dangerous buildings in disrepair that have footpaths beside them. Building owners and local authorities have a legal responsibility to ensure that unsafe buildings are either cordoned off and repaired, again with pedestrian exclusion zones clearly marked, or where repair is not possible such buildings should be demolished. If you have been injured because of an object that has fallen from a such a building, again you will have a strong claim for injury compensation.

Other common causes of falling object injuries include:

Shop or building signs that fall from height on to pedestrians standing or walking below.
Wall mounted pictures or mirrors in venues such as pubs or restaurants that fall on to patrons sitting or standing below.
Ceiling tiles in public venues that fall on to people standing or sitting below

Why claim injury compensation if you’re hit by a falling object?

If you have been injured as a result of a falling object, claiming personal injury compensation can help ease some of the problems you’ll experience and help in a number of ways:

It will compensate you for injuries that were not your fault.
A successful claim could fund private medical treatment and rehabilitation therapies to speed your recovery.
Settlements can help you recover any lost income now and in the future if you are prevented from working again.
In the case of a fatal accident, loved ones can claim compensation for their loss.

As all claims are made on a No Win No Fee basis, you will never be charged if your claim does not succeed. A successful claim will lead to a compensation settlement being made to you, with the value of the claim including any lost income and incurred costs as well as a settlement for the injuries and medical treatment that you have sustained.

How Direct2Compensation can help with your claim

Any person who suffers an injury because of a falling object is entitled to make a claim for personal injury compensation. As with all claims, it is important to make sure that the details of your accident have been recorded properly and that medical attention is sought for any injuries that you have sustained. For help with reporting your accident correctly, contact us for free advice.

At Direct2Compensation we have the right expertise to manage your claim successfully. We know your rights and can help you to understand whether you have a valid claim or not.

Direct2Compensation work with some of the best expert injury compensation solicitors in the UK. With our easy to understand claims process and ability to handle your claim quickly, simply and transparently, there are many reasons that make us the right choice.

To start your claim today, or even to find out a little bit more about the claims process and how we can help, call us on 01225 430285 or if you prefer, . In just a few minutes on the telephone with you, we’ll obtain the initial information needed for our solicitors to commence a claim.

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Comments & Questions

Read on for questions and advice about claiming, plus falling object claim examples...

While loading trailer at work and quite heavy box fell on my head. For the rest of the shift I had mild pain in the back and that continued for further day. Two days after accident I had very bad head ache, sensivity to sound and dizzyness throught my shift at work and got diagnosed with concussion day after. Since then (past 3 weeks) the symptoms continued to appear whenever I tried to do anything even slightly physical (such as cooking food) and I wasn’t able to work. The workplace never properly trains you and doesn’t have any training logs, the stacking on pallets is usually poor and big metal cages usually end up overflowing over the top. I do feel good enough to resume work now, but would like to know if I would have a claim.

Our view is that you have valid grounds to pursue a claim for personal injury compensation as a result of the concussion injury that you sustained at work. The symptoms you describe and the fact that the severity of the injury wasn’t immediately obvious is consistent with such an injury and this matter certainly warrants further pursuit. We’d be delighted to help you with this and can explain your rights in terms of making a claim and how doing do does not jeopardise your employment.

If successful with a claim in this matter, you would be able to obtain a settlement for the injury and the impact that the concussion had on you for the period of time that symptoms remain present (even though you are now ‘fit enough’ to return to work, you no doubt have some residual issues caused by the concussion injury) and also recover lost income or costs caused by your absence from work.

Please call us on 01225430285 for further help. Alternatively, use our contact form to request a call from us or email us at justice@direct2compensation.co.uk

I was on the pavement to the side of my property and the tree along the edge of the road has fallen and hit me on the back of the head knocking me to the floor. An ambulance was called and they checked me over. Today I am feeling a lot worse so I went to the hospital and have been told that I have concussion and trauma to my neck. I have been referred to physiotherapy. Do I have a claim?

This is certainly a matter that should be further investigated. It is unclear at this stage as to whether it will be possible to succeed with a claim, but given the nature of the accident and the type of injuries you have sustained, we would like to look in to this.

Do you know who owns the tree? If it is public land, the tree will be public property and the local authority will have responsibility for it. However, unless there has been any report of the tree needing to be checked (i.e if a member of the public has reported any issue with the tree) it is unlikely that the local authority will be found to have been negligent. Also, if the tree fell due to a storm or other natural phenomenon, there is unlikely to be a claim.

This morning as I left home with my daughter in her buggy, I turned for a few seconds to put recycling boxes away. There is scaffolding on the neighbouring building and in the moments I turned away they dropped a heavy drill from three floors up and it fell right next to my daughter on the pavement. If it had hit her, I have no doubt the injuries would be life changing. What can I do?

As there has been no injury (fortunately), there is no grounds to pursue any claim. However, it would appear that the company in question operate a very risky approach to health and safety and it may therefore be sensible to report the incident and company to the Health and Safety Executive to seek further advice.

I have suffered a work related accident. I had tried to pick up some boxes that had been stacked by other workers. As I tried to take the box from the top of the stack another stack next to it started to fall towards me. Out of a natural reflex movement, I reached up to stop it from falling on to me and in doing so, my back just snapped. I was in immediate pain and I’m now suffering from sciatica. The Doctor has said that I will be affected all my life.

Do I have a claim? I want to mention that the area in question is a very intense area. Management are in the area daily and see it, but nobody says nothing about the boxes being stacked dangerously and too high.

Employers are obliged to ensure that the working practices that they oversee are as safe as possible and that the risks of injuries or accidents at work are minimised. Should an employer fail to uphold this duty, they are likely to then be found negligent should an employee sustain injury as a result of an accident that could have been avoided.

In this case, it would seem that your employer may well have been negligent and we feel that you have a valid claim for personal injury compensation. To allow boxes to be stacked in a manner that is unsafe – such as allowing too many boxes to be stacked, for the stack to be too high or unsteady reflects badly on the management of the workplace in question.

I’ve been hit in the head with a flying big heavy wooden umbrella at a garden centre that wasn’t secured properly by them they have filled out an accident report and I am going to attend the Minor treatment centre

You have a valid claim and our Solicitors are happy to help you with this matter.

My daughter aged 30 has been struck on the head/face by a wooden curtain pole which fell from a second floor window in the property that she was walking past with her boyfriend.
She had to go to hospital and has been advised to be off work for a while. Her injuries are not life threatening but she is very bruised and traumatised by this.
She has to see an ENT consultant next week, as advised by the A and E she attended last night.
How should she proceed if at all in legal terms?

If the property in question was a private residence, any claim for loss or injury would be against the property owners. In reality, unless the property has insurance cover (which is something our Solicitors can investigate and advise further on) it is unlikely to be possible to take action as although the liability is clear in such a matter, if there is no insurance cover, there is no guarantee that recovery of costs or settlement of any claim can be obtained. If the property in question is leased whether privately or through a Housing Association/Local Authority, liability may rest with such an organisation.

The key requirement initially is to ensure that the details of the incident are on record with the appropriate person(s). In this case, it is important to ensure that the incident has been reported in writing to the occupiers at the address of the property. Further, if there were any witnesses to the incident, having their details would be helpful too.

This is certainly a matter our specialist Solicitors can investigate and advise on by way of their No Win No Fee service. Injuries sustained in such an incident will at best be painful and upsetting, but have the potential to cause longer term symptoms of nausea, dizziness, vertigo, blurred vision and may also include neck pain and headaches.

If your Daughter would like to discuss her situation and further consider her rights regarding a claim, please ask her to call us on 01225430285. It is important to note that there is a 3-year claim limitation period for such matters. Whilst it is prudent to start the process at the earliest opportunity, given the recency of the incident, your Daughter should take a few days at least to overcome the initial shock and not worry or stress about contacting us today or tomorrow.

I work at a crisp factory and they were doing some work on the machines on the first floor. I work on the ground floor, but the top floor is open so you can look down into the ground floor from above. A piece of metal fell on to my arm today at around 10:20am and this came from the first floor. It hit just below my shoulder meaning it was only inches away from my head. The metal was a bit smaller than an A4 piece of paper, but was thick like a safe box that you can lock. It was extremely heavy and the manager had not made a risk assessment of it or even noted down the incident. What can I do? My arm is tender and a bruise is forming. A lot of witnesses have seen this happen.

You can make a claim for personal injury compensation and we can help you to do so. Make sure that you have made a written report of the incident with your employer. If your employer won’t let you use the accident book, email your own report of the incident to the company. You should also contact your GP regarding the injury to seek treatment and advice – this will also ensure that there is medical evidence available to support your claim.

I was in work and construction work was being done and the partition wall fell on me, resulting in severe concussion. I’ve had a ct scan and X-rays on my shoulder, should I claim? They have admitted negligence.

Absolutely you should pursue a claim. Claiming compensation after injuries sustained in a non-fault accident is a legal right and is why employers and construction sites such as the one you were working on are mandated to have insurance cover. Whilst nobody at the site would have meant for the incident to happen, it has happened and you have been injured as a result. No individual or colleague will be personally liable for your injuries or claim and it won’t cost you or anybody else their job.

You certainly have a valid right to pursue a claim as a result of your workplace accident and we would like to speak with you further to help.

A box of 5kg chicken fillet was drop on my head at work however I was bleeding then I had a black out for sometime. I went back to work to finish on my way out the boss told me that it’s part of the job and that i have to take it like a man.

If you were injured, make sure that the incident is recorded in the employers accident book and that medical attention is sought as you would have a valid claim for compensation as a result of this incident.

Hi I have been in a accident at work, which has left me with shoulder and neck pain my friend said I was knocked out by this. What happened was i work at a furniture/carpet shop and me and a fellow work college had to bring the big bins through some doors into a archway in the archway there is some sofas stacked up in boxes weighing approx 50kg as I have opened the door.. the bottom box had crumpled and the top box fell from height onto my head neck and shoulder which pushed me to the ground as well as my college once we was on the floor another box then fell on us making us unable to move and trapped under the boxes. I currently don’t know what to do I will be off work as I drive and can not move my shoulder and neck properly and also have to lift heavy items what do we do… I’m currently in hospital getting seen too now with my college please help thanks kind regards Nicholas

You describe an accident that was totally avoidable if the employer had paid proper attention to the risks posed by stacking items in such an area, in such a way. This will be seen as employer negligence. As such, you have a strong and valid right to pursue a claim for compensation.

We would be more than happy to help you make your claim via our No Win No Fee service and our expert specialist personal injury Solicitors. If you haven’t already done so, try to ensure that an accurate record of the incident is made with the employer.

I had a shelf/stock fall on top of me in the backup freezer in work. No signs of serious injury, but after being to A&E looks like possibly a bit of soft tissue damage to my upper back (but not certain). I was just given some painkillers. I was by myself in the freezer, but had 2 witness reports (one who heard a loud bang and one who helped clean the mess; we didn’t take photos which in hindsight was a mistake). I have many people who would vouch for negligence as there was no locking pin on the shelf, which had their been it would have no way of falling off. I’m off work now for a few days at least. Would I still have a claim?

You can make a claim and have every right to do so. Although you are fortunate to have not suffered more serious injuries, soft tissue damage to your upper back – albeit not too serious – is sufficient to make a claim and as you rightly point out, the cause of the injury can be attributed to employer negligence.

I work for amazon. I was working in a pod and there’s two plastic things (don’t know what they called) in between each person working. As I was doing my job, one of the big plastic things fell on to me and hit me. It wasn’t too serious but I had to grip it and push it back. Obviously the things had missing screws and so on. Is this something I should look into or not?

It goes without saying that the missing screws and the fact that the item fell should be reported immediately to the employer in order that it can be repaired and made safe for future use.

With regards to a potential claim, you have a valid claim in terms of the actual accident, but we need to identify whether your injury is sufficiently serious to warrant a claim. The best course of action would be to call our team on 01225430285 to discuss the accident.

I have had my nose broken and will have a scar on my face unloading a container of Tins and they all fell on me, but mainly facial damage is the issue. How much potentially could be awarded as I do not want to upset my boss and claim?

It is impossible to advise of possible settlement valuations at this stage as we don’t know the severity of the injuries and the long term implications. You may require surgery on the nose injury at a later date and if your scarring is permanent and visible, these issues will greatly alter the potential value of your claim.

A shelf fell on me at work what should I do ?

You need to make sure that a record of the accident is made in your employers accident book – or a similar reporting system. You should state clearly what happened, when and where. If you have sustained injury, make sure details of the initial injuries are recorded in the accident book and seek medical attention if appropriate.

If you have been injured by the falling shelf, we can help you claim compensation for the injuries you have sustained. Please call us on 01225430285 to find out how we can help you.

I work for Amazon as a trainer. I was training someone today and some liquid on a tote was coming by up above and landed in my hair. I seek the care team but they told me to go home and wash my hair.

If the liquid was hazardous and caused any injury – either respiratory or through chemical burns to the scalp/skin, you could seek to pursue a claim. If however, you were uninjured but simply left frustrated and annoyed, there is no claim.

I was visiting my parents on Monday 29th June, with my 2year old son. Upon walking to the front door, a roof slate fell from the neighbours house and fell beside where we were walking, fragments hit my leg and hit my son on the arm.

I know the housing estate of the house – do I have a claim and how do I do this?

The Housing Association may be liable for the injuries that you and your Son sustained. If the owners (housing association) were made aware of repair issues and failed to act upon those reports, they are likely to have to accept liability and you could succeed with a claim.

Our Solicitors can certainly consider this matter for you.

My mom raised falling roof tiles with the housing association months ago but they never came to fit the issue. Yesterday, I was visiting to drop shopping off outside while complying with social distancing and a piece of tile fell off and hit me on the top of my head. My mom has informed the housing and they have said they will list the repair as urgent now. I had a headache all day and I have a small but very sore cut on the top of my head. Where do I stand with compensation as they injury is only small?

In the scenario you describe, it should not be too hard to establish liability. However, the issue that could prevent a claim is whether or not your injury is sufficiently severe to allow a claim to proceed.

Whilst you have already had headaches and have a small laceration, to bring a claim your symptoms will need to persist a while. We would strongly recommend that you contact your GP or attend Hospital as if you are diagnosed with concussion and your headaches are ongoing, you would be able to make a claim and we would be happy to help you with this.

You can start your claim by calling us on 01225430285.

I was injured at a school a child was rocked a bench that weighs a ton and it fell on my foot causing crush injures that required a visit to the hospital. I received a letter stating that the county was not liable as the benches came from a reputable supplier and the child was not using the bench properly. Also I found out in the letter that a risk assessment was not carried out as the benches were new and not defective and considered low level risk. Are they allowed to put furniture in a school canteen that weighs a ton and half without having them risked assessed. I want to know if I have a case to take the matter further as my pain is still ongoing.

To be able pursue a claim against an employer for an injury sustained in the workplace, you have to consider whether the employer could have reasonably been expected to have prevented the accident.

In this case, it would seem that the student in question caused the accident by misuse of the bench in question and even though the new benches were not risk assessed, it is unclear at this as to any employer negligence.

Hi I had a Big metal light fall on my head whilst at work. I have a small lump on my head which is really sore and bruised, it may get bigger. Am I entitled to a claim? I work in a corporate bank.

Essentially, if you have reported the incident with the light in your employers accident book and sought medical attention for the impact injury and ongoing symptoms, our view is that you do have a valid claim.

Hi there

A month or so ago I was involved in a work place injury at a Amazon warehouse. Metal container fell on my head and knocked me unconscious, Amazon themselves were down to move all the boxes out of the work area, they failed to do this and boxes were not stacked properly. This resulted in me having a sprained neck and Spine and now suffer with back problems and having to keep going to see a physiotherapist.

You are likely to succeed with a claim for compensation based on the description of the incident you have given. Please call us on 01225430285 or use our online forms to make further contact with us to start your claim.