Slip, Trip and Fall Claims

Occupiers of land and premises — including shops, restaurants, local authorities, and landlords — have a legal duty to ensure their premises are reasonably safe. If you slipped, tripped, or fell because of a hazard they knew about (or should have known about) and failed to address, you may have an occupiers' liability claim.

Eligibility

A slip, trip, or fall claim requires: (1) the occupier owed you a duty of care (they do, under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957 for lawful visitors), (2) there was a defect or hazard — such as a wet floor without signage, a broken paving slab, or poor lighting — and (3) the defect caused your injury. The occupier's system of inspection and maintenance is often central to the evidence.

Indicative compensation ranges

General damages for slip and fall injuries are assessed from the Judicial College Guidelines. Falls commonly cause ankle, knee, wrist, and hip injuries, as well as head injuries in more serious cases.

Severity / type	Range (general damages)	Characteristics
Wrist: undisplaced fracture, good recovery	£3,310 – £4,690	Minor fracture, full or near-full recovery
Ankle: moderate	£13,740 – £26,590	Significant ligament damage, surgery, some ongoing symptoms
Knee: minor	£5,910 – £14,840	Soft tissue, cartilage damage, reasonable recovery
Hip: fracture, elderly	£7,890 – £26,050	Painful fracture in older person, significant impact on quality of life
Wrist: severe (loss of use)	£47,010 – £59,860	Serious injury with permanent significant disability

Time limits

Claims must generally be brought within 3 years of the accident. Claims against a local authority for defective pavements or roads follow the same limitation period. Evidence of the defect (photographs, council inspection records) can be critical and should be gathered as soon as possible after the accident.

The claims process

Photograph the hazard and your injuries as soon as possible after the accident
Report the incident to the occupier and obtain a copy of the incident report
Seek medical treatment and keep all related records
Your solicitor sends a letter of claim to the occupier or their insurer
The defendant has a fixed period to investigate and respond
If liability is established, settlement negotiations or court proceedings follow

Frequently asked questions

What if there was a "wet floor" sign present?

A sign alone does not automatically defeat a claim. The sign must have been adequately positioned, visible, and the surface must have been made as safe as reasonably practicable. Courts look at the totality of the occupier's response to the hazard.

I tripped on a pavement — can I claim against the council?

Yes, if the defect met the relevant threshold (usually a lip or trip hazard of 25mm or more under many highway authorities' policies). The council's inspection records and maintenance regime are key evidence.

Can I claim if I was partly at fault — for example, looking at my phone?

You may still have a valid claim, but contributory negligence could reduce your compensation by a percentage reflecting your share of responsibility.

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