Fell Down Stairs at Work – A Guide to Claiming Compensation

Falling down a flight of stairs at work can lead to fairly serious injuries. In more serious cases, those injuries can be life-changing. As with other areas of the workplace, your employer has a duty to try and keep stairways as safe as possible. Failure to do so might mean you’re entitled to claim compensation for any subsequent injuries. If you fell down stairs at work and injured yourself because of your employer’s negligence, this guide will explain when you could sue for compensation and how the claims process works.

If you’re considering making an accident at work claim, we can help. Firstly, we’ll review the claim on a no-obligation basis and offer free legal guidance. Next, we could connect you to one of our specialist accident-at-work solicitors if your claim appears feasible. If you then both agree to work together, your solicitor will provide a No Win, No Fee service when representing which can reduce the stress levels associated with personal injury claims.

To discuss your case with us right away, you can:

• Call 0333 241 2519 to contact our legal advisors.
• Use our online chat service.

You’ll find more on how to claim compensation for falling down a staircase at work throughout this guide and you can get in touch with our team if you have any further queries.

Can I Claim for Falling Down Stairs at Work?

The three main criteria you’ll generally need to prove if you’re to be compensated after falling down the stairs at work are:

• Your employer owed you a legal duty of care.
• Due to your employer’s negligent actions, you fell down some stairs.
• You sustained injuries that have been diagnosed in the last three years as a direct result of your fall.

Proving a duty of care existed in an accident at work claim isn’t usually too difficult. That’s because of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. This law means all employers must implement reasonable (and practical) measures to keep you as safe as possible in the workplace. These measures may include:

• Conducting risk assessments of your workplace regularly.
• Ensuring safety devices such as handrails are in place in high-risk areas.
• Training staff on the company’s safety policies.
• Maintaining an organised and tidy working environment.

If your employer fails to uphold their health and safety obligations, you could be deemed negligent and might allow you to begin a claim if you fell down stairs at work as a result.

If you’d like to check if this is the case in your claim, please speak to our team today.

What Types of Negligence Can Lead to Fall Down Stairs at Work?

As described above, you’ll need to prove that your employer has caused you to fall down stairs at work because they were negligent if you’re to claim compensation for your injuries.

Some of the ways that could be the case include:

• If you were working in a shop and you tripped on stock placed at the top of a flight of stairs because the stockroom was full.
• When working in a pub, you tripped on a torn carpet at the top of a mezzanine floor and fell down the stairs.
• If you fell on a staircase in an office block because the handrail was missing or loose.
• Where you missed your step while and fell down the stairs because you were carrying food up a poorly lit stairwell in a restaurant.

These are just a few scenarios where employer negligence might cause you to fall down the stairs at work. If you’d like us to check if your accident could allow you to start a personal injury claim, why not call our team today?

Types of Staircase Fall Injuries We Can Help With?

In essence, anything other than the most minor injuries could be covered by an accident at work claim. Some of the most common injuries that can occur after falling down a staircase we can help with include:

• Fractured or broken bones.
• Spinal injuries.
• Concussions or minor brain and head injuries.
• Soft tissue injuries affecting the ligaments, tendons or muscles.
• Lacerations and severe bruising.
• Psychological injuries.
• Ankle, knee, elbow and wrist injuries.

Whatever type of injury you’ve sustained, please get in touch with our legal advisors to see if you’re entitled to sue for compensation from your employer.

What Should I Do After Falling Down a Flight of Stairs At Work?

If you have fallen down a staircase at work, there are a few things you might want to do in the immediate aftermath. They include:

• Go to the hospital for medical attention for any injuries. Even if you’ve had first aid, it’s worth visiting a hospital or minor injuries unit for a proper diagnosis.
• Tell your employer that you’ve hurt yourself and how the accident happened.
• Ensure the accident is logged in the company’s accident report book.

Following these steps can help to make sure that the accident and injuries are recorded correctly. That’s important as it will offer your employer the opportunity to try and prevent similar accidents in the future. Additionally, it could provide you with evidence to prove your case which we discuss in more detail, next.

What Evidence Can Be Used If I’m To Claim Compensation?

If you fell down the stairs at work and one of our solicitors offers to support your claim, they’ll use evidence to try and present as strong a case as possible. The idea is to convince your employer’s insurance company that a) the accident happened, b) it was your employer’s fault and c) the extent of the suffering caused.

Some of the types of evidence your solicitor might use include:

• Photographs of any defects that caused you to fall down the stairs and pictures of any visible injuries.
• Witness statements if anyone else saw you fall.
• A copy of the company’s accident report form to prove where and when you were injured.
• X-rays, scan results and other medical records to prove your injuries.

The more of this evidence you can supply, the better your chances of being compensated. If you’d like us to review any evidence you have already, please get in touch with a member of our team.

Will I Be Fired for Claiming Against My Employer?

If your employer has breached their duty of care towards workplace safety and you’ve been injured as a result, you’re well within your rights to start a personal injury claim.

Furthermore, it is illegal for your employer to pick on you for making a claim for a legitimate injury. As a result, you cannot be fired, demoted, disciplined or treated any differently for doing so. Therefore, please feel free to get in touch and discuss how we can help you claim.

How Long Do I Have to Sue My Employer for Falling Down Stairs At Work?

Legally, you have 3 years to begin a personal injury claim from the date you fell down the stairs at work or the date the injuries were linked to the fall. This time limit is set by the Limitation Act 1980.

Importantly, as several tasks are likely to be required before you file your claim, it’s a good idea to begin the claims process as early as possible. If you don’t, the Limitation Act allows your claim to become statute-barred which means your employer could refuse to compensate you simply because the claim was filed outside of the 3-year time limit.

What Compensation Can I Claim for Falling Down the Stairs at Work?

The amount of suffering you’ve endured, your recovery time and any loss of amenity are all factors that are considered in the general damages element of a personal injury claim.

Therefore, if you successfully sue your employer for falling down stairs at work, your solicitor will use medical records and an independent report to try to ascertain your level of suffering. Once they have a list of your injuries, they’ll compare them to previous similar cases where possible and those listed in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This will allow them to place a value on your injuries.

The other element of a work-related personal injury claim payout is called special damages. This is compensation for any costs or financial losses linked to your injuries. For example, after falling down stairs in your workplace, you could be compensated for:

• Loss of earnings (and future losses).
• Medical and rehabilitation costs.
• The cost of making adaptations to your home so that you can cope with any disabilities.
• Care and support costs.
• The cost of replacing personal items damaged during your fall.

If your claim is feasible, your solicitor will provide you with a personalised compensation estimate once they’ve valued your claim.

Can I Claim if I’m Not a Full-Time Employee?

Earlier in this guide, we explained that employers owe their staff a duty of care concerning their safety. This is not limited to full-time staff however as other types of staff are owed the same duty.

As such if you fell down stairs at work, you could claim compensation if you were a zero-hours worker, a temp, self-employed, a consultant or a subcontractor.

To see if you have a valid claim after falling down the stairs whilst working, please call today.

Will I Need a Solicitor If I Want to Claim After Falling at Work?

Legally, you can manage a claim against your employer on your own if that’s how you want to proceed. However, the personal injury claims process can be quite complex at times especially if it is contested by your employer’s insurers. Even if it isn’t, they could try to reduce any settlement on offer by denying the extent of your injuries.

Therefore, you may wish to work with a specialist accident-at-work solicitor on our team to try and improve your chances of being compensated correctly. If your claim is accepted, some of the services provided by your solicitor might include:

• Finding and reviewing evidence to support the claim.
• Making sure your claim is accurate, filed correctly and on time.
• Handling all negotiations on your behalf.
• Sending you updates about your case regularly.
• Only settling for what they believe is a fair compensation payout rather than the first offer tabled.

Additionally, your solicitor will act on a No Win, No Fee basis. That means that you’ll sign a Conditional Fee Agreement so:

• You won’t need to pay for your solicitor’s efforts upfront.
• No payment for your solicitor’s work is needed if the claim is lost.
• You’ll only pay your solicitor’s success fee if compensation is awarded.

The CFA means that legally, the success fee you’ll pay is legally capped at 25 per cent of your compensation.

To see if you can use a No Win, No Fee solicitor after falling down the stairs at work, please call today.

How Long Will a Compensation Claim Take?

The length of the accident at work claims process can vary. For example, claims can be settled in as little as 6 months if you have recovered from your injuries quickly and your boss accepts that they caused your fall down the staircase.

Conversely, claims might take over 9 months (or even longer) if there is any argument over liability for your claim or it’ll take longer to work out how long you’ll continue to suffer.

If one of our solicitors accepts your claim, they’ll be able to advise you on how long it will take once they’ve written to your employer.

Contacting Us About a Fall Down Stairs at Work

If you’ve been injured after you fell down stairs at work, you can call us to discuss your claim for free by:

• Phoning 0333 241 2519 to speak with a specialist.
• Using our free live chat service.

If a compensation claim is taken on, your solicitor will manage it from start to finish and, importantly, will provide a No Win, No Fee service.