I Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle, How Do I Make A Claim?
I Was Injured Tripping Over Glass Or A Bottle, How Do I Make A Claim?
By Daniel Moses. Last updated on 17th December 2021. Have you been injured because you tripped over glass or a bottle? If so, you could be entitled to compensation. Slips and trips on a bottle or broken glass can happen in many different places. The injuries this type of accident can cause also vary. Cuts, bruises or more serious injuries like broken bones can be caused by a bottle or broken glass.
tripped over glass
If you experience an accident like this due to negligence on the part of someone else, you should be able to claim compensation against the responsible party.
In this guide, we explain everything you need to know about accidents involving glass or a bottle. We cover the necessary steps to put in a compensation claim for this type of accident. We also explain how we can advise you on making this type of claim.
Get In Touch With Our Team
If you are looking for advice on making a personal injury claim, you can contact UK Law for help. Our panel of lawyers can answer any questions you may have about making a compensation claim. And we can provide free specialist advice if your claim relates to tripping over glass or a bottle.
You can reach us online through our live chat service or by using our claim online form. Alternatively, you can call us on 020 3870 4868
Services And Information
- Everything You Need To Know About Claims If You Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle
- What Is A Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle Accident?
- Who Is Liable If I Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle?
- What Injuries Could Be Caused By Tripping Over Glass Or A Bottle?
- Treatment For Injuries Caused By Tripping Over Glass Or A Bottle
- Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle Compensation Calculator
- Common Causes Of Tripping Over Glass Or A Bottle
- Claims If You Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle In A Shop
- Claims If You Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle In A Pub, Restaurant Or Nightclub
- How Much Time Do I Have To Claim If I Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle?
- I Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle, What Should I Do?
- Do You Handle Claims For Tripping Over Glass Or A Bottle On A No Win No Fee Basis?
- Contact Us For More Help
- Other Information
- Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle Claim FAQs
Everything You Need To Know About Claims If You Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle
You could potentially trip over glass or a bottle in many places. It could happen in your place of work or within a public area. Shops, bars, nightclubs or on the pavement are just some examples.
If you do trip over some glass or a bottle, there are some important questions to ask. Have you been injured? If you do have injuries, how bad are they? Who is responsible for the area in which you tripped over?
If you have been injured through no fault of your own, then you could potentially make a compensation claim. In order for it to succeed, you’ll have to claim against whoever is considered responsible and prove that their negligence caused the accident.
Read on to learn more about how compensation claims usually work if you’ve tripped on glass or a bottle.
What Is A Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle Accident?
These kinds of accidents can take place in a variety of settings. If you have tripped over glass or tripped over a bottle then this could lead to a number of injuries. If these injuries are sustained in the workplace then this could be an example of employer negligence. This is when your employer has breached their duty of care to you.
The graph below has been taken from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website. As you can see from the statistics gathered from2020/21 reports made to RIDDOR by employers, it was slips, trips, and falls that were the cause of the majority of injuries. They made up 33% of the figures.
Whilst all of these instances are unlikely to be because employees tripped over a glass or tripped over a bottle, it serves to illustrate just how often these incidents can happen in the workplace.
RIDDOR statistics graph
Who Is Liable If I Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle?
If you tripped on a bottle or glass and it wasn’t your fault, you may ask who can be considered liable for your accident. The answer to this question depends on where the accident took place and the circumstances.
If your trip occurred in your workplace, then your employer could be judged to have acted negligently and you could claim compensation from them. You would have to prove that your employer failed in their duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and this directly contributed to your accident. As part of their duty of care, employers are legally required to provide their staff with as safe a working environment as reasonably possible.
Owners and managers of public venues such as shops, pubs and restaurants also have a duty of care towards their employees and customers—a duty set out in the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. As part of their duty, they should take reasonable action to minimise the risk of tripping hazards.
Wherever your trip took place, there are always certain questions to address in order to make a successful compensation claim. Did someone else’s negligence create the tripping hazard? Is it realistic that the glass or bottle could have been cleared up before your accident? Can you prove that your injuries were directly caused by your tripping accident?
Your condition during the accident will be taken into account as well. For example, if it’s found that you were clumsy or drunk when you tripped over a bottle or glass, this may impact a claim, though it’s still worthwhile pursuing.
You can contact UK Law for more advice on who could be considered liable for your accident.
What Injuries Could Be Caused By Tripping Over Glass Or A Bottle?
If you slip or fall over glass or a bottle, then the injuries you can suffer as a result can range from mild to very serious. The impact created by your slip or fall could cause a lot of damage. Also, the glass or bottle which caused your trip could cause harm if you have direct contact with it.
Injuries which a trip or fall over glass or a bottle can cause include the following:
- Broken and/or fractured bones
- Concussion from the fall
- Cuts and lacerations from broken glass
- Infections caught from broken glass
- Joint dislocation
- Knee injury
- Sprains, strains or other soft tissue injuries
Treatment For Injuries Caused By Tripping Over Glass Or A Bottle
If you or someone near you suffers injuries from tripping over a glass or a bottle, then there are immediate first aid measures you could follow. It is important to get the correct medical help as soon as possible. However, there are minor injuries you could possibly treat yourself before you reach a hospital or doctor’s surgery.
Minor cuts could potentially be treated by cleaning it with water and wrapping the injury in a clean dressing or tea towel and putting pressure around the cut (not on it). If you have glass stuck in your skin, do not try to pull it out. Attempting to do so could make this injury dangerously worse. Leave any stuck glass until a medical expert can treat it properly.
Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle Compensation Calculator
There are several questions you may have if you’ve tripped over a bottle or glass and it wasn’t your fault. One of your questions may be how much compensation you are entitled to receive. The answer to this depends on the circumstances surrounding your case.
Tripping over a glass or a bottle can cause a wide range of different injuries. The injuries you have and their severity have a big influence on your potential compensation.
Using the table below, you can calculate the potential compensation you’re entitled to based on possible injuries caused by your accident. The figures are estimates we’ve taken from the Judicial College guidelines. This is a frequently updated publication that solicitors may use to value injuries.
| Injury | Severity | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Hand Injury | Serious | £27,220 to £58,100 |
| Hand Injury | Less Serious | £13,570 to £27,220 |
| Hand Injury | Moderate | £5,260 to £12,460 |
| Thumb Injury | Very Serious | £18,390 to £32,850 |
| Thumb Injury | Serious | £11,820 to £15,740 |
| Thumb Injury | Moderate | £9,080 to £11,820 |
| Neck Injury | Minor | From around £2,300 to £7,410 |
| Shoulder Injury | Minor | From around £2,300 to £11,730 |
| Leg Injury | Less Serious | Up to £11,110 |
| Brain or Head Injury | Minor | £2,070 to £11,980 |
The figures listed above would fall under general damages. Injuries and mental suffering caused by your accident fall under general damages when compensation is being worked out.
For your case, you may also be compensated for special damages. This accounts for any financial losses your injury has directly caused. This can include medication costs, the costs of travel to receive medical care and loss of earnings from having to take unpaid time off work.
To learn more about what you can factor into a personal injury claim, please get in touch.
Common Causes Of Tripping Over Glass Or A Bottle
There are many things that can happen which leads to there being a glass or a bottle which gets tripped or slipped on. The event most likely to create this hazard depends on where you look. A glass or bottle can become a tripping hazard due to the following reasons:
- An accident or assault at a pub, bar, restaurant or nightclub
- Broken glass or a bottle is left in a dark area and is hard to see
- Broken glass or a loose bottle in a factory or other kind of workplace
- A road traffic accident
Claims If You Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle In A Shop
If you trip over a glass or a bottle in a shop, then you could be entitled to compensation from that shop. That’s because shops have a duty of care towards their customers. As part of their duty, shops are required to provide a safe environment so far as is reasonably possible.
If a bottle or glass ends up on the floor of a shop, it could be considered a breach of the shop’s duty of care. The bottle or glass may have ended up on the floor due to it falling from a shelf or not being stored correctly. A shop could be held accountable for your injuries if they were caused by an issue that realistically could have been avoided or at least dealt with in good time.
If you’ve been harmed in such a way, get in touch with our team to learn how we could help.
Claims If You Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle In A Pub, Restaurant Or Nightclub
Places, where you could accidentally trip over a bottle or broken glass, include restaurants, pubs and nightclubs. These types of businesses usually have many glasses and bottles within them. Discarded bottles and glasses can end up on the floor, especially in busy pubs and nightclubs, and create a tripping hazard.
As part of their duty of care, venues should clear up discarded bottles and glasses when they see them. Nightclub staff should also warn customers of their behaviour if their antics create potential tripping hazards. If a restaurant, pub or nightclub doesn’t take reasonable steps to clear up glass and bottles and someone trips as a result, they could face a compensation claim.
If you’ve injured yourself on a glass bottle in a club or pub, get in touch for free legal advice.
How Much Time Do I Have To Claim If I Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle?
If you’re looking to claim compensation for a tripping accident that wasn’t your fault, you may wonder how much time you have to make your claim. Usually, the time limit you have for formally starting a claim is three years from the date the accident took place. Accidents in which you trip over glass or a bottle are usually no exception.
There are certain circumstances when the time limit is different. If someone under the age of 18 is injured after tripping on glass or a bottle, then the three-year time limit is temporarily frozen. It does not activate until the injured person turns 18.
You cannot start a compensation claim on your own behalf if you are under 18. However, a claim can be started on your behalf by a chosen representative before your 18th birthday. This representative may be a family member or guardian and they are formally referred to as a litigation friend.
If you lack the mental capacity to claim on your own behalf following a trip on glass or a bottle, then the three-year time limit is frozen under this circumstance. The three-year time limit could activate later if you recover enough mental capacity to start a claim on your own. The time limit would start from the day you were judged to have recovered sufficiently to make your own decisions.
In some cases, it may take a very long time for someone to recover their mental capacity, or it may not be at all possible. In such cases, a litigation friend can claim on behalf of someone who lacks the mental capacity to do so themselves.
I Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle, What Should I Do?
If you trip over glass or a bottle and you feel it wasn’t your fault, you may ask yourself ‘what should I do?’ The first priority should be to seek the medical care you require for your injuries. Trips and broken glass can potentially cause serious harm.
Any injuries you have should be looked at by a medical expert as soon as possible. You should obtain medical evidence from any treatments you receive due to your trip. This evidence could be useful later when putting together your compensation case.
Your next step should be to collect other evidence related to your accident. The evidence could possibly include witness contact details, photos or security camera footage. You can contact UK Law for free legal advice on what you could use as evidence for your case.
After collecting evidence, you could then contact a specialist solicitor who could help support your claim. We recommend you choose a solicitor with experience in handling compensation claims related to slips and trips.
When you’ve selected your solicitor, they will review your potential claim and the evidence to support it. They should then let you know if they think your case has a good chance of succeeding. If they do, you could then sign a contract with the solicitor and they can then guide you through all the required steps in your case.
This is something we can help you with. Our panel of expert personal injury solicitors have decades of experience handling claims like this and can help you too.
Do You Handle Claims For Tripping Over Glass Or A Bottle On A No Win No Fee Basis?
At UK Law, our panel of personal injury solicitors can handle your claim on a No Win No Fee basis. If you agree to start a compensation claim on a No Win No Fee basis, then you should enjoy several financial benefits. These include the following:
- If your case is unsuccessful, you will not need to pay your solicitor for their legal fees.
- This should mean that your solicitor will work hard on your case since they face more risk.
- You won’t be required to pay fees upfront while your case is being set up.
- You will only need to pay your solicitor’s legal fees if you win your case
Under a No Win No Fee basis, your solicitor will take a small percentage of the compensation awarded if your case is successful. The details regarding payment will be included in your contract with your solicitor. You can review this before signing the agreement.
Contact Us For More Help
If you have any questions about making a personal injury claim, you can contact UK Law for free specialist advice. Our panel of lawyers can help to answer any query you may have about this type of claim. You can contact us through the following methods:
- By using our claim online form
- Through our online live chat service
- By calling us on 020 3870 4868
Other Information
For more information on claiming compensation after a trip or fall, you can check out the resources included below:
A Guide To Slip And Fall Accident Claims In UK
You can read our guide on claiming for slips, trips or falls caused by various other potential hazards beyond glass or bottles.
How To Make A Personal Injury Claim
Our dedicated guide on how to make a personal injury claim.
A guide on claiming compensation for an accident at work.
NHS Guide – How to clean a wound?
If you trip on glass or a bottle, you could suffer cuts that could potentially get infected. You can read this NHS page for guidance on how to properly clean wounds
NHS Guide – Does my cut need stitches?
Tripping on glass or a bottle can cause cuts that may require stitches. This NHS guide explains how to recognise when a cut requires stitches. It also gives advice on treating minor cuts and grazes.
Tripped Over Glass Or A Bottle Claim FAQs
Could I claim for another person?
You could potentially make a compensation claim on behalf of another person who has had an accident. This is only possible if the injured person is under the age of 18 or lacks the mental capacity to claim on their own behalf.
Could I make a split liability claim?
You could potentially make a compensation claim on an accident even if you believe you are partially at fault for it. Split liability may be ruled in your case if both you and the defendant are considered partially responsible for an accident. In such cases, you’ll receive a reduced compensation payout which reflects your amount of liability.
Will I need to take my case to court?
Your personal injury claim may be resolved before it becomes necessary to take it to court. If, however, an agreement can’t be reached between you and the defendant, then a court will resolve your case.
Do I need to visit the solicitor in person?
Your chosen solicitor will likely offer you the choice of having confidential discussions either in person or over the phone. At UK Law, you can have a free and confidential consultation about making a personal injury claim. The info you provide to us is shared in complete confidence and will never be shared with a third party. If you’d like to meet in person, we can arrange this too.
Thanks for reading our guide on making a claim if you’ve tripped over glass or a bottle.
