If you’ve tripped over cables at work and injured yourself, you might be entitled to claim compensation to cover your suffering. To do so, you’d need to demonstrate that your accident occurred because of your employer’s negligence. Therefore, in this guide, you’ll read about the types of mistakes that could cause you to trip over cables and how the claims process works.
We can help you begin the claims process as we offer a completely free consultation. In your call, a specialist advisor will ask you questions to try and ascertain the cause of your accident. After doing so, they’ll set out your legal options and could have one of our accident-at-work solicitors connect with you. If your claim is accepted, your solicitor will manage the whole process from start to finish on a No Win, No Fee basis.
To see if you could claim compensation after tripping on cables at work:
- Call our legal advisors on 0333 241 2519.
- Connect to our live chat service right away.
If you’ve tripped on cables at work, getting legal advice right away, or as soon as possible, can significantly enhance the chances of receiving compensation for the pain, suffering, and financial losses you’ve incurred.
Can I Claim Compensation if I’ve Tripped Over Cables at Work?
Under regulations like the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers are required to prevent cables from being trip hazards. This involves using cable management systems, such as cord covers and cable trays, and ensuring cables are not placed in high-traffic walkways.
Additionally, some of the ways employers could reduce the risk of tripping on cables and wires at work include:
- Carrying out regular risk assessments of the working environment.
- Training you on workplace health and safety procedures. For instance, training on how to minimise the risks to others when using tools with a long cable or extension cables.
- Designing cable runs so that they are away from the most commonly used routes through the workplace.
- Using hi-vis tape or warning signs to increase awareness of trailed cables.
If your employer has failed to take reasonable steps to prevent an accident at work and you’ve tripped over cables as a result, you could be entitled to seek damages for any subsequent injuries. As such, a solicitor from our panel may offer to help you claim compensation for tripping on cables if you can demonstrate that:
- Your employer owed you a duty of care.
- You tripped over cables at work in the last three years because of your employer’s negligence.
- As a result of your trip or fall, you sustained an injury or injuries.
Proving that your employer was to blame for your accident (and subsequent injuries) is vital if you’re to receive a compensation payout. Therefore, you will read about the types of evidence that could make your claim stronger, shortly.
What Types of Negligence Could Lead to Trips on Cables in the Workplace
Here are a few instances of when it might be possible to claim for injuries sustained after tripping over cables at work.
- If you tripped over an extension cable that was stretched across a corridor and sustained a broken wrist at work in your fall.
- In a warehouse, you tripped over an extension cord that was left uncoiled and sprawled across the floor without any visibility tape or cable management.
- While walking through an office, you tripped over a bundle of computer cables that were stretched across a walkway without any protective covering or warning signs.
- You fell from scaffolding and sustained a spinal injury because a contractor using a power tool trailed an extension cable across the walkway.
- While working in a factory, you tripped on heavy-duty cable which was known to have been dislodged from its normal position but not refixed.
Many more scenarios could result in an accident at work claim after tripping on cables. Therefore, please get in touch now for a free assessment of your claim if your accident is not listed here.
What to Do if I Tripped on Cables at Work?
The steps you may need to take after tripping on cables in the workplace include:
- Seek medical attention for any injuries. If you have any concerns at all, you should visit A&E or your GP rather than relying on first aid.
- Report the work accident to your employer as soon as you can and ensure that it’s logged in the company’s accident report book.
- Try to make the area secure if you’re able to do so. This could prevent others from being injured by the same trip hazard.
It is crucial to take these steps so that a) there is a record of your accident and injuries and b) so that your employer has the chance to try and stop similar accidents in the future.
What Types of Evidence Can I Use for My Claim?
If you don’t have evidence to prove how you tripped on wires or at work, it could be difficult to win a personal injury claim. Therefore, you should collect evidence that can prove what happened such as:
- Photographs of the cables or wires that you tripped on.
- X-rays and copies of your medical records to help prove how you were injured.
- A copy of the accident report form to prove the date, time and location of your fall.
- Video footage of the accident if your employer uses CCTV cameras.
- Details of anyone who saw you fall in case witness statements are required later on.
Although it’s better to have as much of the evidence listed here as possible, you might still be able to claim without it. Therefore, why not call our legal advisors now to explain what happened and to check if you have a chance of being compensated for your injuries?
How Long Do I Have to Claim for Tripping on Cables?
In UK law, a three-year time limit is set for filing a personal injury claim related to accidents at work, such as tripping on cables. This period generally begins on the date the accident occurred or from when you realised you were injured.
Under the Limitation Act 1980, this time limit can be effectively suspended for individuals who lack the mental capacity to start legal proceedings. For instance, if someone sustains a serious injury from tripping on cables at work and cannot pursue a claim themselves, you can act as their litigation friend to claim compensation on their behalf at any time.
Crucially, claims made outside of the limitation period can become statute-barred. As such, it’s normally advisable to begin the claims process as soon as you can. If you’d like to check how long you have left to start your claim, please call now.
Take the first step towards claiming compensation for tripping on wires at work with our complimentary free consultation.
With 30+ years of experience, our solicitors are committed to providing a 100% No Win, No Fee claims service, offering claimants a risk-free path to pursue the compensation they deserve.
Or call us on 0333 241 2519 to speak with a specialist solicitor.
How Much Compensation for Tripping on Cables at Work?
Compensation payouts in successful accident-at-work claims vary from case to case. They are based on general and special damages.
General damages cover any emotional or physical pain and suffering caused by your accident. Therefore, your solicitor will need to gather medical records to help determine how you have suffered. These could be supported by an independent medical report.
Special damages may also contribute to any settlement you receive if you have been left out-of-pocket following your accident. This could include compensation for:
- Care and support costs.
- Travel expenses.
- Medical costs including physiotherapy, surgery and prescription fees.
- Lost income (and future loss of earnings).
- Home adaptation costs – to help if you’ve been left disabled by your accident for instance.
To prove your losses caused by tripping over cables at work, you will need to supply evidence such as receipts and bank statements.
Can I Claim if I’m Not a Full-Time Employee?
Earlier, we explained that employers have a duty of care to protect the well-being of their staff. Crucially, this duty is owed to all employees regardless of what type of contract they have.
Therefore, if you tripped over cables at work, one of our solicitors could help you to claim as a full-time employee, subcontractor, zero-hours worker, Saturday assistant, consultant or self-employed worker.
Please call our legal advisors now to find out more.
Should I Use a Solicitor to Help Me Sue My Employer?
If you tripped over cables at work and decide to make a compensation claim, you might decide to take on a workplace injury solicitor to represent you. This can be beneficial because their experience and legal skills should lead to a smoother claims process. It could also mean a better settlement than you might otherwise have accepted.
If your claim is taken on by a solicitor specialising in workplace accidents on our panel, they will generally:
- Manage all aspects of the claims process on your behalf.
- File your claim correctly and within the allowable time limits.
- Collect further evidence to support your case if any aspect of it is contested.
- Fight your corner to try and secure the maximum amount of compensation possible.
- Ensure that you are kept up to date throughout the claims process.
Another benefit of working with our solicitors is that they provide a No Win, No Fee service for all workplace injury claims. This means that once you’ve completed a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), you will only pay your solicitor for their efforts if you are compensated.
The CFA provides details of the success fee that would be deducted from your compensation payout if the claim is won. This success fee percentage is fixed and, by law, cannot exceed 25 per cent of your settlement.
Why not call our legal advisors now to see if you could claim for tripping over cables at work on a No Win, No Fee basis?
Do Trip and Fall Claims Require Court Hearings?
Our experience suggests that very few trip and fall claims go to court. Normally, solicitors will prefer to work with the defendant’s insurer to reach an amicable out-of-court settlement.
While this is beneficial to both parties, your solicitor could take your claim to court as a last resort if your employer fails to accept liability for your accident and injury or make a settlement offer that is far too low to cover your suffering.
How Long Is a Claim Likely to Take?
Compensation claims against employers can vary in length because of a number of factors.
For instance, a simple claim could be resolved in around 4 to 5 months. This might be possible if the injuries have already healed and the employer admits liability early on in the claims process.
Conversely, the claim could take a year or more if you’ve sustained severe injuries after tripping on cables at work. This might be the case, for instance, if you’ve been left paralysed and more time is required to fully understand how your life will be affected in the future. Crucially, you could receive interim payments from your employer’s insurer before your claim is finalised as long as liability for the accident has been agreed upon.
Contacting Us About a Tripping on Cables Compensation Claim
If you’ve been injured after tripping over cables at work and would like to find out if you might be entitled to compensation, you can:
- Call 0333 241 2519 to speak to a legal advisor.
- Use our 24/7 live chat service to ask any questions.
We’ll provide you with no-obligation legal advice in the consultation to discuss your options. If you tripped on cables at work and a compensation claim appears to be feasible, we ask if you’d like to be connected to one of our solicitors who’ll work on a No Win, No Fee basis if your claim is accepted.