Slips, Trips and Falls Compensation Claims

The majority of slipping accident claims arise from a slip on a wet floor. Whether you’re at work, out shopping or in a restaurant, a wet floor presents a considerable risk of injury to people and those responsible for people’s safety on the premises should always take action to clean it up and warn people of the danger.

If there is water or other liquid present, a wet floor sign should be displayed. These should always be on show when floors are being cleaned – claims have a strong chance of success if you slip on a wet floor because a cleaner hasn’t displayed a warning sign.

Such action must also be taken in a timely manner. For example, if a floor remains wet for an extended period any warning sign may become redundant and the premises could still be held liable for not removing a known hazard within a reasonable time frame.

We also see a lot of claimants slipping in entrance ways during wet weather. Rain and snow obviously increases the risk of floors becoming wet, so building entrances should have a mat to stop excess water being walked onto the floor.

If you injure yourself after slipping on a wet floor you’ll be able to claim if your accident should have been prevented by drying the floor or warning you it was wet.

Land owners can’t be held liable for bad weather but there is a duty of care when it comes to preventing slips on ice and snow. For example, work yards where an employer expects staff to operate must be treated within a reasonable time of ice appearing. Car parks and entrances at work and schools should also be treated, or signage placed to warn of the hazard. Steps and platforms at bus and train stations are also subject to higher duties of care.

However, the same rules do not necessarily apply to all locations. For example, car parks can’t always be expected to be fully gritted and salted. The same applies to slipping on icy pavements. Local authorities have a responsibility to grit/salt the roads and they do so in order of importance, with the major routes like motorways and A-roads being prioritised over lesser roads. Typically, should someone slip and fall on a public footpath due to ice, it is highly unlikely that they would be able to prove sufficient liability against the local authority highways department to enable them to win any claim for personal injury compensation.

Entertainment venues such as clubs, pubs and restaurants have the same duty of care as anywhere else to prevent injury to their customers. This includes maintaining clean and safe premises, promptly cleaning up spillages, and signposting any potential hazards. If you’ve been injured in a slip, trip or fall accident in a pub or restaurant due to their negligence, you may be able to make a claim.

Clearly, if you slip or trip and fall after running around mucking about, or jumping from high up, any injuries you have are going to be seen as your own fault. However, being a little drunk does not actually stop you from being able to make a claim for compensation.

Going out for a few drinks is a legal activity and as such, it is foreseeable that patrons may be a bit tipsy. As such, there is a greater onus on the landlord to make sure that the facilities are safe, that signs are erected and floors are not left wet. If the 3rd party tries to argue that your injury was caused because you were drunk, they may be able to force you to have to admit some responsibility, but you would still have a claim.

Ensure you report the accident to the management immediately, and gather any evidence that could support your claim.

Slips, trips or falls account for almost a third of all workplace injuries reported under RIDDOR according to Government data for 2022/23.

Employers have a duty of care to ensure the safety of their employees. This includes providing a safe working environment, offering appropriate training, and adhering to health and safety regulations. If you’ve been injured in a slip, trip or fall accident at work due to your employer’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation.

Employers are required to regularly inspect work areas to check for hazards and take action to reduce any risk. Any employer who leaves a hazard in place without properly erecting hazard warning signs will be held at fault.

Claims for slipping on a wet floor at work are common, particularly among kitchen staff. We also see falls resulting from incorrect footwear or if a floor surface is not fit for purpose, perhaps requiring a non-slip covering. Injuries also arise as a result of a messy workplace, if wires or cables are not stored properly or if items are left in walkways or beside desks etc.

Always report the incident to your employer immediately and ensure it is recorded in the accident book. You should also seek medical attention even if the injury appears minor at first.

Shops have a responsibility to ensure their premises are safe for customers. This includes promptly cleaning up spillages, maintaining clear walkways, and signposting any potential hazards. If you’ve had a slip, trip or fall accident in a shop due to their negligence, you may be able to make a claim.

Shoppers often injure themselves after slipping in shop entrances during wet weather, or inside a supermarket due to a spillage or a leak on the floor. Sometimes the floor has been subjected to intense polishing, rendering it dangerously slippy.

Common hazards should be assessed and removed with regular inspections. In general, walkways should be kept clear and at the entrance to a shop, restaurant or other public venue, there should be a mat to enable people to wipe off excess rain water. If there is a spillage, wet floor or other slipping risk a hazard warning sign should be erected. If they have failed to display a hazard warning sign, you are likely to have a strong claim for personal injury compensation.

Be sure to report the accident to the shop immediately, and gather any evidence such as photographs of the hazard and contact details of witnesses.

The maintenance of public spaces, paths and roads fall under the responsibility of your local council. They are required to inspect and identify hazards that should be removed or fixed, such as cracked surfaces, damaged railings or missing lighting. If the council has failed to uphold its statutory duties and left an area in a dangerous condition for too long, they can be held liable for your injuries.

Defending such claims is made easier for local authorities because the courts have decided that the onus to prove council negligence should rest on the claimant. To prove liability, claimants must show that the council had known about the hazard before the accident. Furthermore, they must demonstrate that the council had reasonable time to inspect that area and should have repaired the hazard and removed the risk of injury.

A claimant will usually need to demonstrate that the hazard that caused them to sustain injury was present for a period of at least 6 months before their accident date.

To make a claim against a local authority or other land owner after a trip and fall on a broken pavement, the claimant must demonstrate that the defect (a raised edge, or hole, for example) met specific size requirements, usually a depth or height of over 1 inch.

Any defects found that have a vertical tripping edge of 1″ or more should be listed for repair and removed from the footpath as quickly as possible. If a hazard has been in situ for 6 months or more, it should have been highlighted for repair if the local authority correctly inspected the pavement in question.

How to contact your council

The UK Government website can direct you to who to contact if you’ve been injured because of a hazard on a road or pavement.