I Slipped On A Wet Floor – Can I Claim?
Slipped On A Wet Floor Claims Guide
By Mary Nora. Last Updated 6th December 2022. This guide contains information about what to do if you are thinking of making a personal injury claim after you’ve slipped on a wet floor. In order to pursue a valid personal injury claim, you must have been owed a duty of care at the time of the incident. We explain more about where and when you are owed a duty of care and the personal injury claims process as we go through this guide.
The following sections contain information about who could claim for slipping on a wet floor, what injuries you could sustain, how slipping hazards should be removed or reduced, the compensation that could be awarded and how a No Win No Fee solicitor could help you through the claims process.
Read on for more information about claiming compensation after you slipped on a wet floor. Alternatively, you can get in touch with our advisers to discuss the details of your potential claim. Get in touch with us by:
- Calling us at 020 3870 4868
- Contacting us via the live chat feature below
- Filling in our online contact form with your query
Select A Section
- Could I Claim If I Slipped On A Wet Floor?
- How Could You Be Injured By Slipping On A Wet Floor?
- What Type Of Hazard Is A Wet Floor?
- Preventing Slips And Falls On Wet Floors
- Average Payout For A Slip And Fall In The UK
- Talk To Our Team If You Slipped On A Wet Floor
Could I Claim If I Slipped On A Wet Floor?
If you slip and fall in a work bathroom, supermarket aisle, or another public area, you may be wondering, ‘can I claim for slipping on a wet floor?’ The fact is that personal injury claims rely upon the concept of negligence.
To bring a successful personal injury claim, you must be able to show the following criteria are true of the circumstances surrounding your injury:
- You were owed a duty of care; employers, road users, occupiers of a public space, and medical professionals all owe a duty of care at certain times.
- This duty of care was breached, and
- As a result of their action or inaction, you sustained harm in the form of a physical or psychological injury.
Together, these three elements make up what is called negligence. If your claim demonstrates these criteria, you may be able to claim compensation for your injuries. Read on to learn more about legislation that is relevant to duty of care, or get in touch with our advisers to ask about your specific circumstances.
How Could You Be Injured By Slipping On A Wet Floor?
If you slipped on a wet floor, it’s possible you could receive a number of injuries. The injuries suffered in a slip, trip, or fall could include:
- Sprains or strains, such as in the back or joints
- Broken or fractured bones, such as a broken wrist
- A twisted ankle
- A knee injury, such as a broken knee cap
In severe cases, head injuries and spinal injuries could occur that leave you permanently disabled. If you are injured from a slip or fall, it is important that you seek out medical advice or treatment. Major injuries could be masked by minor symptoms and may need urgent medical treatment.
Get in touch with our advisers to learn more about claiming for a public or workplace accident today.
What Type Of Hazard Is A Wet Floor?
Wet floors can present a slip hazard. There are many reasons a floor could become wet, including:
- Cleaning activities
- Malfunctioning facilities, such as a cracked cistern or leaking roof
- Spilt liquids
- Condensation
If an employer or an ‘occupier’ identifies risks during a health and safety risk assessment, they must take reasonable steps to decrease or eliminate the risk. Some examples of this could include:
- Installing dehumidifiers to reduce condensation
- Repairing faulty facilities in a timely manner and, in the meantime, restricting access to the relevant areas
- Changing the times at which an area is cleaned to reduce exposure to freshly mopped floors
- Always use hazard signs to warn people of any dangers.
When hazards are identified, and actions are not taken to minimise the risks, resulting injuries could be viewed as being the result of negligence. If you slipped on a wet floor and believe it is because someone was negligent, contact our advisers today.
Preventing Slips And Falls On Wet Floors
Certain laws are in place to protect people in different situations. For example, The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 applies a duty of care on employers to ensure that they take reasonably practicable steps in keeping the work environment safe from avoidable accidents.
A similar piece of legislation, called The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, states that visitors are owed a duty of care when they are using a public space for its intended purpose. Those who control this space, known as the ‘occupiers’, must take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of these visitors.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the regulatory body that governs workplace safety in Britain. It was set up to provide rules and guidance so that work-related illness, injury and death are prevented.
To learn more if you slipped on a wet floor at work or in a public place, contact our advisers. They can provide insight into the merits of your claim and offer advice about what to do next.
Average Payout For A Slip And Fall In The UK
To make a valid slip and trip claim, someone must have breached their duty of care, resulting in your injury. You might be able to make a slip and trip claim if you slipped on a wet floor due to someone else’s negligence.
The compensation payout you might receive in a successful claim could include general damages and special damages. General damages covers the pain and suffering you experienced as a result of your injuries.
The bracketed figures from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) guide solicitors when they are calculating general damages. However, they cannot be considered the average payout for slip and fall in the UK, as every case is calculated according to the individual circumstances.
| Injury Type | Compensation Bracket | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Paraplegia (b) | £219,070 to £284,260 | Award considers the presence or risk of increasing paralysis, the extent of the individual's pain and independence, as well as life expectancy and depression. |
| Moderately Severe Brain Injury (b) | £219,070 to £282,010 | Injury that leads to very serious disability of a physical or cognitive nature. Substanital dependence on others and need for full-time care. |
| Moderate Brain Injury (c) (i) | £150,110 to £219,070 | Award will consider the amount of personality change, intellectual deficit, and sensory impairment caused by the injury. |
| Chest Injuries (b) | £65,740 to £100,670 | Traumatic injury that leads to permanent damage, physical disability, impairment of function and reduction of life expectancy. |
| Severe Knee Injuries (i) | £69,730 to £96,210 | Disruption of the joint, damage to the ligament and osteoarthritis, with lengthy treatment, considerable pain and need of future treatment. |
| Severe Knee Injuries (ii) | £52,120 to £69,730 | Leg fracture that affects the knee, causing constant pain. |
| Severe Leg Injuries (b) Very Serious (ii) | £54,830 to £87,890 | Award considers the severity of mobility problems, need for mobility aids, length of time to heal, treatment time, and level of deformity. |
| Hand Injuries - Serious Damage to Both Hands (b) | £55,820 to £84,570 | Permanent disability and significant loss of function. |
| Hand Injuries - Serious Hand Injuries (e) | £29,000 to £61,910 | Injuries that reduce the function of one hand to about 50% its former capacity. |
| Wrist Injuries (a) | £47,620 to £59,860 | Injuries that lead to a complete loss of function. |
You could also receive special damages to reimburse you for financial losses your injuries have caused you. These could include items like:
- Loss of earnings
- Loss of future earnings
- Medical expenses, such as prescriptions
- Travel expenses incurred while travelling to and from medical appointments
To learn more about how to calculate special damages after you slipped on a wet floor, get in touch with our advisers today.
Talk To Our Team If You Slipped On A Wet Floor
If you’re worried about the cost of hiring legal representation, we may be able to help. The solicitors on our panel may offer you a type of No Win No Fee agreement known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
Using this agreement, you won’t have to pay for a solicitor’s services up front or during the process of claiming. Instead, you will only pay a small percentage of your final compensation amount, and only if your claim is ultimately successful. This amount is capped by law.
To learn more about the steps you can take after you slipped on a wet floor, contact our team of advisers. You can get in touch by:
- Calling us at 020 3870 4868
- Contacting us via the live chat feature below
- Filling in our online contact form with your query
Wet Floor Accident And Injury Claim Resources
More guides that may be of interest:
Time Limits – Guide containing information about time limits that may affect a personal injury claim
Accident At Work – Information about your rights after an accident at work
Negligence Compensation Claims – Further resources about compensation stemming from negligence
Further resources that you may find useful:
Civil Law – HSE summary of the way civil law allows a worker to make a compensation claim against negligent employers
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) – Organisation dedicated to imparting the knowledge required to prevent serious accidents
Request CCTV Footage – Government information about requesting CCTV footage showing yourself
We hope you’ve found useful information in this article about claiming compensation if you slipped on a wet floor. If you have any more questions, contact us using the details above.
