Your claim, explained
When can a slip or trip lead to compensation?
A fall does not automatically establish fault. Identify the hazard, who controlled it, what precautions were reasonable and how it caused injury. Photographs should show the surroundings as well as the defect.
Show why the hazard caused the fall
Details that help an individual assessment
Describe your route, lighting, surface and the point where balance was lost. Date photographs taken afterwards and explain changed conditions. A measurement can establish scale, but a number alone does not determine responsibility.
For a spill, inspection and cleaning records may matter; for a pavement, maintenance responsibility needs checking. Keep incident references and staff details. Preserve relevant footwear and record injury expenses separately from general inconvenience.
Before you contact us
Show the hazard in its surroundings
A close-up of a spill or damaged surface may not explain where it was, how a person approached it or whether a warning was present. Tell us whether the accident happened indoors, on private land or on a public route, and what you observed immediately before and afterwards.
Useful information to have to hand
- Keep wide-angle and close-up photographs with the date and location recorded.
- Note lighting, weather, warning signs and any staff report made at the time.
- Retain shoes or damaged clothing if their condition could become relevant.
A point worth checking early
A fall does not by itself establish responsibility. The condition of the area, control of it and surrounding evidence need assessment before a claim can be evaluated.
Request an individual assessment →Slips and trips are dismissed as trivial until you see the consequences: wrist and hip fractures, facial injuries and, for older people, a lasting loss of independence. The legal test is not whether you fell, but whether the person responsible for the premises took reasonable care to keep visitors reasonably safe.
We advise people injured in shops, supermarkets, workplaces, car parks, pavements and communal areas. We will explain what needs to be proved, help preserve the evidence quickly, and set out the funding options including whether a no win no fee arrangement may be available.
When can you pursue compensation?
- You slipped, tripped or fell because of a hazard on premises or a public highway.
- The occupier or highway authority knew, or ought to have known, about the hazard and failed to deal with it reasonably.
- You were lawfully present — as a customer, employee, tenant or member of the public.
- The claim is brought within three years of the fall.
Circumstances to discuss with a solicitor
- Spillages left unattended in supermarket aisles
- Wet floors cleaned without warning signage
- Raised or sunken paving slabs and defective kerbs
- Poorly lit stairways and missing or loose handrails
- Trailing cables, unsecured mats and cluttered walkways
- Ice and snow left untreated on commercial premises
What Compensation Could I Claim?
- Damages for fractures, soft tissue injury, head injury and any loss of confidence
- Loss of earnings while unable to work
- Care and assistance, particularly for older claimants who lose independence
- Private treatment, physiotherapy and mobility aids
- Damaged clothing, glasses and personal items
Recoverable compensation depends on the injury evidence, supported losses and applicable claim route.
Evidence That Helps
- Photographs of the hazard taken immediately, before it is cleaned or repaired
- CCTV — request it in writing quickly, as retention periods are often short
- The incident report completed by the shop or premises manager
- Cleaning schedules, inspection records and highway maintenance logs
- Witness details and medical records from the day of the fall
How Long Could the Claim Take?
Where CCTV clearly shows the hazard and the occupier's response, these claims can settle relatively quickly. Where inspection records are disputed or the highway authority relies on its statutory defence, the case takes longer and may need proceedings.
Costs and funding for slip and trip claims
What to clarify before you instruct
Ask how investigations into maintenance records or highway responsibility would be funded before commissioning reports.
Compare funding options and potential cost risksSlip and Trip Claims FAQs
Nobody saw me fall. Does that matter?
It makes the claim harder, but not impossible. CCTV, photographs, the state of your clothing and prompt medical attendance can all support your account.
How big does a pavement defect need to be?
There is no fixed threshold, although defects of around an inch or more are more likely to be considered actionable. Location, lighting and foreseeable use all matter.
The shop says it had just cleaned the floor. Is that a defence?
Only if the cleaning was reasonably carried out with adequate warning. A wet floor with no signage frequently supports a claim rather than defeating it.
I fell in a communal area of my building. Who is liable?
Usually the landlord or management company responsible for maintaining the common parts, depending on the terms of the lease and the management arrangements.
Should I photograph the whole walkway?
Wider photographs show the approach, lighting and surrounding conditions. Keep these alongside close-ups, with dates, rather than relying on a cropped image of the defect.
What if the floor was cleaned immediately?
Record the timing and staff involved. Witnesses and incident reports may help explain conditions that later photographs cannot show.
Can a fall on stairs be assessed?
Describe the step, handrail, lighting and movement involved. The cause needs investigation; the occurrence of a fall does not itself establish a defect.
Does a warning cone prevent a claim?
Its position and visibility matter. Describe what you saw on approach instead of assuming one warning either establishes or defeats responsibility.
Should I measure a pavement defect?
Only if safe. Show the method and surroundings. A measurement is evidence, not a universal threshold that guarantees a successful claim.
What if rainwater was involved?
Explain the entrance, matting, surface and weather. The assessment concerns reasonable precautions in those circumstances, not merely the presence of water.
Can I discuss a communal stairwell injury?
Provide the tenancy or management details and previous reports. Responsibility for the shared area must be identified before selecting a defendant.
Should I keep the shoes I wore?
Keep relevant shoes and photographs where practical. Do not alter evidence if footwear condition is likely to be disputed.
What if I tripped over a cable?
Record where it ran, the surrounding activity and who controlled the space. Workplace, event and public premises incidents can involve different responsibilities.
Are earlier complaints useful?
Dated complaints may help investigate notice of a hazard. Check that they concern the same place and condition rather than an unrelated defect.
Can I enquire about a supermarket spill?
Provide the store, aisle, time and suspected cause. Keep receipts that establish timing and request preservation of relevant footage promptly.
What if I reported the accident late?
Explain the actual sequence, including treatment or other reasons for delay. Do not amend dates to make the report appear contemporaneous.
How can I show where an unwitnessed fall occurred?
Receipts, messages, appointment records and photographs may help. Identify which evidence concerns the location and which concerns the resulting injury.
Can broken glasses form part of the losses?
Keep replacement records and photographs connecting the damage to the incident. Property loss should be recorded separately from injury and care expenses.
How do I record assistance after a fracture?
List additional tasks, dates and help received. Separate ordinary household contributions from extra assistance caused by the injury.
Does an existing balance problem prevent an enquiry?
Disclose it so the assessment can consider both the alleged hazard and medical history. Avoid attributing every consequence to the fall without evidence.
Speak to our team
Explain the injury and any approaching deadline. We will confirm whether we can assess your enquiry.
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