Slips, trips and falls over wires or cables are some of the most commonplace workplace accidents that can leave you suffering from quite serious injuries. It may be that you trip over a rope, cable or other type of wire and suffer some kind of injury that leaves you unable to work whether for a short time or for much longer. This can put you under a lot of financial pressure and as such, providing the accident happened in the last 3 years and you can prove employer negligence, you would be within your rights to file a tripping over wires or cables claim against them and receive the level of compensation you deserve.
Common Tripping Over Wires or Cables Accidents in the Workplace
Some of the most common tripping over wires or cables accidents in the workplace occur when areas are not correctly set up and/or inadequately cordoned off when work is being carried out in a working environment. It could be that appropriate hazard signs were not erected when a contractor was carrying out necessary work in the workplace and as a result you tripped over wires or cables that were lying about. If you suffered any sort of injury because you tripped and fell, you could be entitled to file for compensation for the pain, suffering and any expenses you incurred during your recovery.
What Are the Most Common Injuries Sustained in a Tripping Over Wires and Cables Accident?
You can sustain a variety of injuries when tripping over wires and cables in the workplace with the most common being listed below:
- A sprained wrist
- A sprained ankle
- Soft tissue damage
- Cuts
- Abrasions
- Fractures and broken bones
- Torn ligaments
- Torn tendons
- Head injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Spinal and back injuries
Should you have sustained any sort of injury in the workplace due to tripping over wires and cables, you would have every right to seek compensation from an employer providing the incident occurred in the last 3 years and you have enough evidence to prove employer negligence.
Would My Tripping Over Wires or Cables Claim Be Valid?
Employers in the UK are legally required to abide by the Health and Safety Executive regulations and other workplace laws which are set in place to keep employees as safe from harm and injury as possible. Providing you can prove that your employer failed to adhere to any of the following regulations and laws which resulted in you injuring yourself at work, your tripping over wires and cables at work could be deemed valid:
- The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 was ignored
- Workplace Regulations 1992 was not adhered to
- Risk management was ignored
- Hazard signs were not erected appropriately when contractors were carrying out necessary work
- An area was not cordoned off appropriately leaving wires and cables exposed on the ground
If you are unsure of what you need to prove your claim for compensation against your employer, it is best to discuss your case with a solicitor who specialises in accident at work claims.
What Evidence Is Needed to Make a Tripped Over Wires and Cables Claim?
Following an accident at work where you tripped over wires and cables that resulted in you sustaining an injury whether minor or more severe, you should collect as much evidence as possible even if you are not thinking about filing for compensation at the time. This evidence would not only prove the accident occurred while you were at work, but it would also establish who would be held liable for the injuries you sustained. The evidence you need to gather is detailed below:
- Photos of where the accident occurred
- Photos of your injuries before you received any treatment
- Witness statement
- Witness contact details
- A record of the accident as reported in the accident report book
- A medical report of the injuries you sustained
What You Should Do After Tripping Over Wires and Cables at Work
No matter how minor you believe your injuries to be, the first and most important thing to do is seek medical attention. The reason being that you may not be aware of the extent of your injuries to begin with because all too often any symptoms might only be apparent some time later. Other necessary steps to take following an accident at work are listed below:
- Check to see if the incident has been recorded in the accident at work book and if you find that there is no book available, make sure all the details of the incident and the injuries you sustained are written down and sent to your employer remembering to keep a copy of the details for your own personal records. It is worth noting that you are entitled to see the details of the incident and your injuries as recorded in an accident report book to make sure everything is correct
- If the incident is “reportable” to RIDDOR, make sure this has been done
- Get witness statements and their contact details
- Take photos of where the accident occurred and if available ask for any CCTV footage of the incident
- Take photos of your injuries making sure these are done before you receive any treatment
- Make sure you get a full, detailed medical report of your injuries
- Keep all records of expenses you incurred as a direct result of your injuries
What Level of Compensation Would I Receive in a Successful Tripping Over Wires or Cables Claim?
The level of compensation you may be awarded in a successful tripping over wires or cables claim, would depend on the complexity and severity of the injuries you sustained. Other factors that would be factored into the amount you receive are detailed below:
- The amount of time you are off work due to the injuries you sustained
- Whether your injuries would prevent you from working again
- Your out-of-pocket expenses that were incurred for treatments whether at a hospital or other medical facility
- The amount of money you had to spend out when travelling to and from treatment appointments
- Whether you needed care around the home during your recovery
- Whether you would require ongoing treatment for the injuries you sustained
- Whether you would need to be cared for on a 24-hour basis for the remainder of your life
If you were injured at work because you tripped over trailing wires or cables, you should seek legal advice as soon as possible. A solicitor who specialises in accident at work claims would offer essential advice on how best to proceed when filing a tripping over wires and cable claim. A solicitor would also be able to establish whether an employer was negligent in their duty to keep you safe from harm and injury in the workplace.
What Can I Include in a Tripping Over Wires and Cables Claim?
As with all work-related personal injury claims, there are specific things that can be included in a tripping over wires and cables claim against a negligent employer which are detailed below:
- General damages are awarded for all the suffering and pain you had to endure because you were injured in the workplace
- Special damages are awarded for all the money you had to pay out following an injury that you sustained at work through no fault of your own. Special damages also cover any loss of wages and future earnings should your injuries prevent you from working again and whether you would require specialist care and ongoing treatment
It is also worth noting that special damages could also include compensation for any damage that occurred to any of your possessions when tripping over wires and cables in the workplace.
Should I File a Tripping Over Wires or Cables Claim Against My Employer?
You may be off work for a short period of time or you may have to take much longer off work to make a full recovery from the injuries you sustained after tripping over wires and cables in the workplace. Your injuries may be such that you are unable to work again which could put you and your family under a lot of financial pressure. Filing for compensation from a negligent employer would help alleviate any financial worries you may be faced with following an accident at work bearing in mind that employers in the UK are legally required to have valid liability insurance in place. As such, it is an employer’s insurers who would pay out the compensation you may be awarded in a successful tripping over wires and cables claim.
The best course of action following an accident at work that leaves you injured, is to discuss the circumstances surrounding the incident with a solicitor who specialises in work-related injury claims. A solicitor can provide essential advice on how best to proceed when filing a tripping over wires and cables claim and would be in a better position should your employer decide to dispute your claim. They would also be able to determine whether your claim against a negligent employer would be deemed likely to succeed whether your case goes to court or it is settled “out of court”.
Can an Employer Sack Me for Making a Tripping Over Wires and Cables Claim?
Your employer cannot by law sack you should you choose to seek compensation for an accident at work that left you injured unless they have a valid reason for doing so. Should your employer show you the door for no good reason other than because you sought compensation, you could seek to file an unfair dismissal claim against them on top of your accident at work claim.
Working with a Solicitor on a No Win No Fee Basis on a Tripping Over Wires or Cables Claim
If you believe that your employer was negligent in their duty to keep you safe from harm while you were at work and you were injured when tripping over wires and cables, you should discuss the incident with a solicitor before taking any legal action on your own. The reason being that personal injury claims can often be complex with some employers and their insurers hotly disputing the circumstances surrounding accidents at work.
A solicitor would establish whether you have a claim against an employer and would do so by offering you a no obligation, initial consultation which is free of charge. Once a solicitor determines who is at fault for the injuries you sustained, they could offer to represent you on a No Win No Fee basis which means they can begin working on your claim without having to request an upfront fee to do so. You would agree to pay a specific percentage to a solicitor which is detailed in the Conditional Fee Agreement you sign at the outset. The contract also lays out the Terms and Conditions that apply to the agreement.
Should your tripping over wires and cables claim not be successful, there would be nothing to pay the solicitor for the legal services they provided. The reason being that having signed a CFA, the solicitor would have agreed to take on the risk involved in representing you on a No Win No Fee basis.