A Guide To Making A Trailing Cable Hazard Injury Claim

By Stephen Moreau. Last Updated 7th March 2024. In this article, we investigate how a trailing cable hazard could lead to a personal injury claim. Tripping over a wire at work could occur in any workplace, including a building site, an office or a retail or catering outlet. If you trip over a trailing cable and injure yourself while at work, you might have a valid accident at work claim.

If legislation in place to help reduce workplace risk is not adhered to, and this causes you to sustain an injury, you might be able to make a personal injury claim. We explain the relevant legislation and what you will need to prove as part of your work-related injury claim. 

If you decide to claim for your trailing cable hazard injury, you may wish to do so with a solicitor. To conclude, we look at hiring a No Win No Fee solicitor for your work injury claim. 

To get in touch today:

Injured man lying on the floor after tripping over a trailing cable hazard.

Select A Section

  1. Am I Eligible To Claim For An Injury Caused By A Trailing Cable?
  2. What Injuries Could A Trailing Cable Hazard Cause?
  3. How To Claim For Injuries Caused By A Trailing Cable Hazard
  4. Compensation For Accidents At Work
  5. Contact A No Win No Fee Solicitor

Am I Eligible To Claim For An Injury Caused By A Trailing Cable?

If you sustain injuries when tripping over a trailing cable hazard, you might be eligible to claim compensation. While you are at work, your employer owes you a duty of care. This means that they must take all reasonable and practicable steps to ensure your health, safety and welfare in the workplace as per the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA).

Your employer is expected to adhere to relevant health and safety laws to help uphold this duty. In the case of trailing lead hazards, they will have to conduct a risk assessment in areas where cables may be used. From there, they will need to take steps to reduce the risk of injury. This could include removing the cables, ensuring they are secured to the floor, and signposting the hazard. 

If your employer fails to do this and you suffer an injury as a result, you might be entitled to make an accident at work claim.

Please get in touch with our advisory team if you have any questions about this eligibility criteria or to see whether you may have a valid personal injury claim.

What Injuries Could A Trailing Cable Hazard Cause?

There are various types of injuries that you could suffer if you trip over trailing wires. These may include:

  • Multiple fractured bones. For example, you could suffer a broken ankle tripping over trailing leads and a wrist fracture if you try to break your fall. 
  • Cuts and lacerations leading to permanent scars. If you land on a sharp object, it could result in cuts that could leave behind permanent scarring.
  • A head injury, such as a concussion if you hit your head in the accident. This can result in life-long memory and personality changes. 
  • A back injury. You could damage your spinal cord and soft tissue in a serious trip or fall. 

If you are claiming accident at work compensation for injuries caused in a trip and fall, you will need to meet the eligibility criteria we discussed above. Get in touch with an advisor today to discuss your injuries and whether you satisfy the requirements to make a personal injury claim. 

How To Claim For Injuries Caused By A Trailing Cable Hazard

If a trailing cable hazard caused your injuries, you might be able to make a personal injury claim. Proving that employer negligence caused your injuries is vital to any workplace injury claim. 

Evidence you could submit includes:

  • Medical records. 
  • Photographs of the trailing wires and your injuries. 
  • Work accident log book. 

As well as helping to gather evidence, a specialist work injury solicitor could ensure that your claim is filed within the personal injury claims time limit. The Limitation Act 1980 typically gives claimants three years to begin their work accident claim. Certain exceptions apply, however. These include:

  • If you were aged under 18 at the time of the injury. A litigation friend could start a claim on your behalf prior to your 18th birthday. If a claim is not started on your behalf, however, you will be given three years after your 18th birthday to start a claim yourself. While you’re under 18, the time limit is frozen. 
  • If you lack the mental capacity to claim following your trailing cable hazard accident. If this is the case, you will be given three years in the event that you regain the capacity to start your work injury claim. No time limit applies while you cannot pursue your own claim, and a litigation friend can claim on your behalf. 

Our work injury claims team can help you start your personal injury claim today. Get in touch for free legal advice. 

Compensation For Accidents At Work

If you make a successful claim for injuries caused by a trailing cable hazard, then the amount of compensation you can receive will depend on several factors. These include how many injuries you are claiming for, the types of injuries you have and how severe they are deemed to be.

You will be awarded general damages for a successful personal injury claim and possibly special damages as these are the two Heads of Loss in compensation claims. General damages compensate you for the pain and suffering your injuries have caused.

The table below contains compensation guidance brackets from the 16th and latest editions of the Judicial College guidelines (JCG). Those who value your claim may use the JCG as a reference, as it provides guideline compensation amounts for different injuries and illnesses. Please note that the first entry at the top is not taken from the JCG.

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Injury Severity Notes Amount
Multiple injuries and other damages Serious Settlements may include compensation for multiple injuries as well as costs associated with those injuries, such as loss of earnings and physical therapy. Up to £1,000,000
Head injury Very severe No meaningful response to the surrounding environment, little or no language function, and a need for full time professional care. £282,010 to £403,990
Knee injuries Severe (a) (i) Loss of function, considerable pain and lengthy treatment due to disruption of the joint. £69,730 to £96,210
Pelvis and hips Moderate (b) (i) A significant injury but it does not cause a major permanent disability. £26,590 to £39,170
Arm injuries Less severe (c) Recovery from significant disabilities has either taken place or is expected. £19,200 to £39,170
Leg injuries Less serious (c) (i) Serious soft tissue injuries or fractures with an incomplete recovery. £17,960 to £27,760
Shoulder injuries Moderate (c) Discomfort and movement limitations lasting for around two years due to a frozen shoulder. £7,890 to £12,770
Wrist injuries (d) Soft tissue injury or fracture taking longer than 12 months to heal. £6,080 to £10,350

Special damages are the second head of claim that your compensation could cover. This covers financial expenses or losses caused by your injuries. Examples could be the cost of home care provisions or loss of earnings.

If you have strong grounds to make a claim after a tripping accident, you can get more advice on how much your case could be worth by contacting our advisors today.

Contact A No Win No Fee Solicitor

You may decide to hire a No Win No Fee solicitor for your work injury claim. They may offer to provide their services under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) which is a kind of No Win No Fee agreement. 

This type of arrangement means your solicitor will not charge upfront in order for them to start work on your claim. If your claim is not successful, your solicitor will generally not ask you to pay for their services. If your work injury claim succeeds, however, a legally capped percentage of your award will be taken as a success fee.

Contact our work accident claims team for free legal advice. If your trailing cable hazard claim seems like it has a good chance at being successful, you could be connected with our panel of No Win No Fee work accident solicitors. 

To discuss your compensation claim for tripping over a trailing lead:

A No Win No Fee solicitor discussing claims for trailing leads hazards.

Resources On Workplace Trips And Falls

For additional reading and resources related to claims for trip accidents involving trip hazards, or to learn about other types of accident claims, check out the links below:

Further articles from UK Law:

If you have any more questions about claiming after a trailing cable hazard has left you injured, speak with an advisor today.