You can suffer a workplace injury in many ways but one of the most reported to the Health and Safety Executive is tripping over wires or cables. It is this type of accident at work that can leave you suffering from an extremely serious injury. The result is that you are unable to work and bring in your normal wage during the time it takes you to recover.
If you were involved in this type of accident while you were at work and you suffered any sort of injury, you may be wondering if you can claim for tripping over wires or cables at work and what sort of evidence would be needed to support your case and to prove that your employer was negligent in their duty to keep you safe at work.
- What are The Most Common Tripping Over Wires of Cables in the Workplace Accidents?
- What Are the Most Commonly Reported Injuries Suffered in Tripping Over Wires and Cables Accidents?
- What is an Employer’s Duty Towards Employees in the Workplace?
- What Evidence is Required When Filing a Tripping Over Wires or Cables Claim?
- What Should Be Done After Tripping over Wires and Cables at Work?
- How Much Tripping Over Wires and Cables Compensation Could I Get?
- Can I Claim Losses and Damages in a Tripping Over Wires and Cables Claim?
- Is It Worth Filing a Tripping Over Wires or Cables Claim Against an Employer?
- Would I Lose My Job if I Make a Tripping Over Wires and Cables Claim?
- What are the Terms of a CFA if I Make a Tripping Over Wires and Cables Claim?
- Would a No Win No Fee Solicitor Accept My Tripping Over Wires and Cables Claim?
- Informative Links
What are The Most Common Tripping Over Wires or Cables in the Workplace Accidents?
If you trip over wires or cables at work because the area was not adequately cordoned off or because things were incorrectly set up and as a consequence you suffer an injury whether minor or more severe, your employer could be deemed in breach of their duty to ensure a work environment is safe for you to be in. Other reasons why this type of workplace accident commonly occurs is because of the following:
- Inappropriate or the lack of hazard signs having been erected to alert workers and other employees of a danger that is present
- Cables and/or wires were left lying about
If you suffered a workplace injury by tripping over cables or wires and you would like to seek compensation, you should consult a solicitor at www.accidentclaims.co.uk who would assess whether your employer failed to keep you safe from injury and harm at work as set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act which requires all employers in the UK to do so.
What Are the Most Commonly Reported Injuries Suffered in Tripping Over Wires and Cables Accidents?
Some of the most commonly reported injuries suffered in tripping over wires and cables in the workplace include the following:
- Sprained wrists – this occurs when you put out an arm to break your fall
- Sprained ankles – this occurs when you fall awkwardly
- Cuts
- Abrasions
- Soft tissue damage
- Torn tendons
- Torn ligaments
- Fractured and broken bones
- Internal bleeding
- Head injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Back injuries
If you suffer an injury because your tripped over wires and cables at work, you should follow the procedure as set out by an employer which should include ensuring the incident is reported either directly to them or to the person in charge. You should then gather as much evidence as you can even if you do not initially want to file an accident at work claim. The reason being that a little later in time, you may want to seek compensation for the workplace injuries you sustained through no fault of your own.
What is an Employer’s Duty Towards Employees in the Workplace?
Every employer in the United Kingdom is legally obliged to adhere to the Health and Safety Executives regulations as well as other laws/legislation that are set in place to protect employees and other workers whilst they are at work. If you have proof that an employer failed to abide by the laws or they chose to ignore them in order to meet deadlines and you suffered an injury because you tripped over wires and cables, you could be entitled to seek compensation from them.
The laws, legislation and regulations that all employers must abide by are as follows:
- The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- Workplace Regulations 1992
- Risk management was carried out regularly
- Hazard signs were appropriately erected while contractors were carrying out necessary Areas are correctly cordoned off so that wires and cables are not exposed on the ground
If you feel that the accident happened due to employer negligence and you are obliged to take time off work to recover from the injuries you sustained, you should contact a personal injury lawyer so they can determine whether you have a strong tripping over wires and cables at work claim.
What Evidence is Required When Filing a Tripping Over Wires or Cables Claim?
The more proof you can provide, the stronger your tripping over wires or cables claim would be. If you are unsure of what evidence you need to support your claim, you can contact a personal injury lawyer at www.accidentclaims.co.uk who would offer essential advice on what would be required. However, as a rule of thumb, you should always gather the following as soon after the workplace incident as you can:
- Witness contact details
- Written statements from the people who witnessed your accident
- Photo or CCTV footage (if available) of where the accident occurred
- Photos of the injuries you sustained – ideally these should be taken prior to you having been treated
- A record of the incident as noted in the workplace Accident Book
- If there is no Accident Book in the workplace, make sure you send a personal email or a registered letter to the employer with details of the accident and the injuries you suffered
- A medical report whether you were treated at a local hospital’s Accident and Emergency department or by your own GP
Even if you are not planning to claim compensation to begin with, you should still gather the information above because you may want to file an accident at work claim against your employer if your injuries turn out to be more serious that you initially thought.
What Should be Done After Tripping Over Wires and Cables at Work?
The first thing you must do after tripping over wires and cables in the workplace, is to seek medical attention as soon as you can whether from a designated first aid officer or by going to the Accident and Emergency department of a local hospital. You may think that the injuries you sustained are only minor, but with the passage of time you realise that the damage is greater than you first thought. Very often symptoms are only apparent later on which could be for a variety of reasons.
If your injuries are such that you have to go to hospital by ambulance, make sure that someone accompanies you. You should also ask someone you trust to report the accident to the person in charge or to your employer directly making certain that the incident is correctly recorded in the workplace Accident Book. Once you are able to, you have the right to verify that all the information relating to your accident has been correctly noted and if you find that it has not been, you are entitled to correct it before adding your signature to the report.
How Much Tripping Over Wires and Cables Compensation Could I Get?
When it comes to calculating the amount of tripping over wires and cables compensation you may receive, this would depend on several things which are explained below:
- The extent and complexity of the workplace injuries you suffered
- The length of time you had to take off work to recover
- Whether the injuries you suffered were so severe that you are unable to carry out your normal job and it would be impossible for you to carry out alternative employment
- The out of pocket expenses you incurred which must be directly linked to the workplace injuries you suffered
- Whether you required help and care around the home during the time you were recovering from your injuries
- Whether you required long term, ongoing treatment, therapy or rehabilitation
- Whether your injuries are so severe you require 24-hour care for the rest of your life
By contacting a personal injury solicitor as soon as you can, they would first assess your claim before advising you on the amount of tripping over wires or cables at work compensation you could be entitled to receive which they would do as soon as possible by basing your case on past similar claims and the amount of compensation that is awarded in general damages according the Judicial College Guidelines.
Can I Claim Losses and Damages in a Tripping Over Wires and Cables Claim?
The compensation awarded in accident at work claims is divided into two specific categories which are as follows:
- General damages are awarded in compensation for the injuries sustained which is based on the Judicial College Guidelines
- Special damages are awarded to compensate an injured party for all the costs and expenses they paid out as a direct result of having been injured through no fault of their own. They are much easier to calculate for this reason and which is why it is essential that you keep all the relevant receipts to support your expenditure
Special damages cover the following:
- Your travel costs which you incurred going to and from the place where you receive treatment, therapy or rehabilitation
- Your medical expenses which would include prescriptions, medical aids and other expenses that are not covered by the NHS
- Care costs should you need help and care around the home during the time you recover from the injuries you suffered
- Home and vehicle adaptations should these be necessary
- Damage to your personal possessions
- All other costs that can be directly linked to the injuries you suffered
If you need legal advice regarding the evidence and documents required to support a tripping over wires and cables at work claim, you should contact a personal injury solicitor who would assess your case in a no obligation, initial consultation for which you would not be charged a fee.
Is It Worth Filing a Tripping Over Wires or Cables Claim Against an Employer?
You could find that your injuries prevent you from working whether for a shorter period of time or much longer. This could end up putting you and your loved ones in financial hardship, unable to pay monthly outgoings and other bills. If the injuries you suffered at work are very serious, you may not be able to do the job you normally do and finding alternative work an impossible task. As such, seeking compensation from an employer in breach of the legal duty to ensure that you were safe at work, could alleviate any financial problems you may have to face following a workplace accident that left you injured.
With this said, when you file an accident at work claim against a negligent employer, it is their insurance provider who deals with your case. This is because it is compulsory for all employers in the UK to have valid liability insurance which must be issued by an approved provider. It is the insurer who handles and pays out the tripping over wires and cables compensation that you may be awarded, whether this is through a court judgement or because your employer and the insurer decide to offer you what is known as an “out of court settlement”.
Would I Lose My Job if I Make a Tripping Over Wires and Cables Claim?
An employer would be in breach of the law if they sacked you after you injured yourself by tripping over wires and cables in the workplace. One of your “rights” is to seek compensation for any distress, pain, suffering and loss of amenity you were put through following a workplace accident that happened through no fault of your own. Even if you think you were partly responsible for the injuries you suffered, you may still be entitled to make an accident at work claim against an employer which in law would be “contributory negligence” on the part of an employer.
Should your employer act unfairly towards you or threaten you in any way which includes making your redundant, you should contact a solicitor who specialises in employment law for legal advice. The reason being that your employer would be acting in breach of UK law and as such their behaviour may entitle you to seek further compensation by filing an unfair dismissal or detriment claim against your employer.
What are the Terms of a CFA if I Make a Tripping Over Wires and Cables Claim?
A Conditional Fee Agreement is a contract between two parties that sets out the Terms and Conditions of the agreement as well as the “percentage” that is known as a success fee that would only be payable when you win your tripping over wires and cables claim against a negligent employer.
Also known as a No Win No Fee agreement, it allows a personal injury lawyer to represent you without you having to pay them upfront to do so. A CFA is a legally binding contract where a solicitor agrees to provide you with legal advice and representation when you file an accident at work claim and the only time that you would have to pay for the services provided is when you receive compensation. The amount that is due would be taken from the money you receive. However, should your case be unsuccessful, the “success fee” is waived because a No Win No Fee solicitor agreed to these terms when they signed the agreement with you.
Would a No Win No Fee Solicitor Accept My Tripping Over Wires and Cables Claim?
Providing a solicitor can satisfy themselves that you have a strong tripping over wires and cables claim and that your employer was in breach of the legal duty to ensure the workplace was safe, they would typically offer you No Win No Fee terms when representing you. This allows you to seek compensation from an employer without any financial risks. Should an employer deny responsibility, a solicitor working on your behalf would recommend starting legal proceedings and would send a letter to the employer detailing your intentions.
This is usually enough for an employer and their liability insurance provider to accept responsibility and could be sufficient for an insurer to offer an initial settlement offer. However, this first offer should not be accepted because it may be lower than the amount of compensation you could be entitled to. As such, a No Win No Fee solicitor would renegotiate directly with the insurance provider to get them to offer more in the way of tripping over wires and cables at work compensation which would be a fair and acceptable settlement.
Informative Links
To find out more about workplace regulations 1992 that must be adhered to both by an employer and employees, please follow the link provided below:
For more information on the law relating to compulsory liability insurance that all employers in the UK are obliged to have, please follow the link provided below:
Compulsory liability insurance for employers in the UK
If you were injured in a tripping over wires and cables at work and your employer fired you because you sought compensation from them and you would like more information regarding employment law in the UK, please click on the link provided below: