“Slips, Trips & Falls” was not a term I’d come across until I started working in the personal injury sector and so I’m aware it’s not a term people use every day. That said it is pretty self-evident what it relates to, and we all at some point during our lives will have slipped, tripped or fallen.
It makes up a large part of our industry, but that’s because it makes up a large part of injuries sustained in this country. Slips and trips are the single most common cause of injuries at work, with over half a million workers suffering in 2011/12 according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Both the number of injuries reported and number of fatalities (173 in 2010/11, down from 196 in 2006/7) has fallen, but numbers are still high.
Slip, trip and falls are also common in a non-work environment, be it tripping over uneven pavements, slipping at a supermarket or being injured on poorly maintained equipment at the playground. The most common of these is slipping on a wet surface; this can be due to a spillage, or where the floor has been cleaned and not dried or displayed a warning sign.
As with any claim for personal injury compensation, slip, trip and fall claims must be genuine. If someone were to make slip, trip or fall claim that was false, especially against the council, they could incur a fine up to £3,000.
To make a successful personal injury compensation claim after a slip, trip or fall, you would need to prove that the owner of the land or property where your accident happened was responsible for your injury.
5 Things to do if You are Injured After a Slip, Trip or Fall:
- Report the slip, trip or fall accident to staff or owner at the time
- Make a note of your accident in the accident book if there is one
- Take names and addresses of any witnesses to the accident
- Take photographs of the area where the accident happened. In cases involving badly maintained pavements or potholes, it’s a good idea to put a ruler (or coin if you don’t have a ruler handy!) beside the defect when you photograph it to give an idea of depth / height.
- If you are intending to claim medical & travel expenses as part of your slip, trip or fall claim, remember to keep the receipts.
Where the accident occurred determines who would be held responsible and therefore who a compensation claim would be made against. In the next few upcoming blog articles we’ll be looking at these in more detail but below is a short overview.
Council - If the accident occurred on council owned property such as a public footpath or playground, which they have neglected, then the personal injury compensation claim would be made against the local authority. Examples include tripping over a raised paving slab or a pothole in the road.
Occupier / Business - If someone slipped on a wet floor in a building open to the public (such as a bank, a supermarket or a restaurant) and were injured then the claim would be made against the occupier’s public liability insurance policy.
Employer – An injury sustained at work due to the negligence of an employer, such as tripping on a cable trailing along the floor, could result in a personal injury compensation claim being made against the employer.
We Can Help
If you, a friend or a member of your family, have suffered a personal injury or illness as a result of a slip, trip or fall then you may be entitled to make a personal injury compensationclaim. Our friendly specialist advisors can talk to you about your situation and see if you have a valid compensation claim. There is no charge for this service and you are under no obligation to claim with us.
If you Have a Genuine Claim, Contact a Genuine Company
May I Claim, is a trading name of R Costings Limited and our CRM number is 25770
If you’ve had an accident that wasn’t your fault and suffered an injury - you can trust us to handle your claim professionally.
Call us now on 0800 756 7774 and talk to us to find out if you have a claim - or fill in our Quick Claim form (on the right of this page).
http://info.mayiclaim.co.uk/personal_injury_compensation_claim_news/bid/319406/5-Actions-to-take-after-a-Slip-Trip-or-Fall
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