Slip and Trip

Property owners, landlords and councils have a responsibility to ensure that their premises are safe. This means they have to ensure paving isn’t loose, spills are cleaned up and adequate lighting is in place as well as using reasonable care to keep their property safe. Sadly responsible parties don’t always take the responsibility that they should.

Pretty much all of us have slipped or tripped while we have been out at the shops, in work or walking on the pavement etc. In some cases these slip or trip accidents are caused by not looking where you are going but if you have been injured in a slip/trip accident through the fault of someone else’s negligence then you could have a chance to make a claim for compensation.

It is the duty of property owners to make sure that their building is free from obstructions or spillages that could lead to you having a slip, trip or fall accident. Due to this the floor in a workplace must be suitable for the type of work activity that will be taking place on it. Where a floor can’t be kept dry people should be able to walk on it without the fear of a slip; so how can this happen? Simple you need to ensure that the flooring that is present in your property has a certain degree of roughness to it, this is important as it will provide a grip so that even if the floor is wet you will still have an aspect of safety to protect you.

The flooring in a public building should also be cleaned correctly to ensure that it does not become slippery and that it keeps its slip resistance properties. Your flooring should also be fitted correctly and any potential hazards should be removed.

It doesn’t matter how old or new your flooring is, whatever its age all flooring should be maintained so that it is keep in a good condition. Maintenance of flooring includes making sure that any trip hazards, such as holes, uneven surfaces and curled up carpet edges are taken care of. If you do have uneven flooring that can’t be avoided, such as ramps and raised platforms then these should be clearly highlighted and signposted.

Floors are just one aspect that can cause you to have a slip, trip or fall accident. Another common cause of slip, trips and falls are uneven pavements. If a pavement slab comes loose and is sticking up, causing the possibility of tripping then it is up to the local council to make sure that this paving slab is fixed in a timely manner before any injury is caused.

One last cause of slip, trip and fall accidents are stair cases. Stair cases, both internal and external ones should have high visibility and non-slip square nosing on the step edges. They should also be provided with a suitable handrail and the steps should be correctly proportioned, meaning they are equal in height and width.

If you have suffered injury due to a slip, trip or fall accident then you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

What can I make a Compensation Claim for?

If you’ve been in an accident that wasn’t your fault and the accident was in the last 3 years you have a legal and civil right to claim compensation. There are many different types of accidents that may be caused by someone else these include:

• Road Traffic Accident
• Personal Injury
• Slip, Trip or Fall
• Medical Malpractice
• Work Accidents
• Animal Attack

All of the above are types of accidents that may occur to you and if they do, and the accident wasn’t in any way your fault why not claim compensation.

A Road Traffic Accident – this may involve someone in another car hitting your car, a lorry hitting your car, a car hitting a pedestrian, a car or bus hitting a motorcycle or bike the list is endless. Whatever the vehicle etc. you were in if you’ve been injured as a result of this accident you have the right to claim compensation from the other party. You may have received whiplash, back problems, paralysis, internal injuries, head injuries etc. all these are injuries you wouldn’t have received if you weren’t involved in the accident.

Personal Injury – this covers injuries from whiplash, asbestos inhalation, dog bites, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, eye and sight injuries, head injuries, bullying as well as radiation and fume inhalation. Any of the above may cause serious injuries to yourself and others. If you have had any of these you have the right to claim compensation from the party whose fault the injury was.

Slip, Trip or Fall – this involves you either slipping over, tripping over something or falling over. This may be slipping on residue, water or any liquid on a floor, tripping over a box lying in a pathway, doorway or tripping over an uneven pavement slab or road surface. You may even fall over an uneven road surface and injury yourself or fall over from slipping over on a slippery floor. If there are no signs indicting uneven surfaces, wet floors and surfaces you have the right to claim. You may injury your back, knee, head, leg, and arm whatever it may be you wouldn’t have received these injuries if there were signs indicting this.

Medical Malpractice – if you’ve felt ill you would go to your doctor or the hospital to get yourself checked over and is treated if necessary. The problem is more and more people are being turned away without treatment and without a proper diagnosis of the problem. If you do have a medical injury and your injuries haven’t been treated correctly you may be the case of medical malpractice. If untreated some injuries and illnesses are life threatening and unfortunately you may have been the victim of death. If this is true your family can claim compensation on your behalf.

Work Accidents – you go to work so you can pay your bills, but you don’t expect to go to work and hurt yourself. In factories and warehouses work accidents are more common, employees use faulty machinery, use machinery when they haven’t been shown how to the list is endless but this is the fault of the employer and owner of the company. It’s not only factories where accidents occur, in offices employees may hurt themselves lifting heavy files, falling over boxes left in a walkway. Whatever the type of accident you have at work you must record it in the company’s accident book and report it to your manager. They cannot sack you if you make a compensation claim against them and if you get any bulling or intimidating comments from your peers, managers tell your solicitor.

Animal Attack – this may happen when you’re walking your dog and another dog try’s to attack your dad as any dog lover would do you would try to get the other dog off your dog. This may result in being bitten and mauled by the other dog. You may be kicked by a horse in the chest, leg, head wherever a horse kicks this will be very painful and you have a right to claim from the horse’s owners. Whatever the type of animal that attacks you without provoking it first you have the right to claim against the animal’s owners from your injuries.

All these type of accidents can be claimed against, why should you have to suffer in silence and not get the help you require. You may have had to pay medical costs and prescription charges as well not being able to work which means loss of earnings.

Your compensation payout will include loss of earnings, medical costs and also money to help you pay for assistance, medical care if necessary. So why not make your claim today and make a difference!


Jene Pedder is the Webmaster of Accident Consult who specialise in Accident Compensation Claims.