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Given that work takes up such a huge amount of our lives nowadays, we expect to be safe when working; i.e. not running in to any hazards whilst we get on with our jobs. Health and Safety in the workplace is of paramount importance, and employers must adhere to loads of rules and regulations to make sure employees do not come to harm whilst in the workplace.

Whilst differing rules and regulations apply more to varying areas of employment, one of the most basic areas of health and safety law that applies to any employment situation is tripping hazards!

We get a lot of enquiries from people looking to make compensation claims for tripping injuries at work. At the end of the day, it’s so easy to get caught out. A tile on the floor becomes raised and isn’t inspected or maintained regularly enough by the employer, and you have yourself an employee tripping over an obvious and dangerous defect. A colleague leaves some bags in a corridor and you walk straight in to them; the likelihood is you ending up on the floor, humiliated, and injured.
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Tripping accidents are relatively common – there are tonnes of hazards out there just waiting to, well literally, trip us up. If you have tripped over and want to know if you are due compensation for the injuries you have ended up with, you will need to contact a specialist personal injury lawyer to assess the case and perhaps take it on.

But in the meantime, here is a little advice about making a tripping accident claim and some facts you need to know about:

Who Is At Fault?
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Believe it or not the amount of accident which arise on or about stairwells are consistently increasing with each passing year. In light of this it is important to understand then that if you are ever so unfortunate as to suffer an injury on a flight of stairs and you are adamant that the accident occurred as a direct result of another parties negligence, you may have every right to bring a successful claim and as such recover adequate compensation for your injuries.

It is imperative to understand that the nature surrounding potential avenues to claim under defected stairwells are numerous. Let’s take the workplace for a predominant example. Under these circumstances the employer of any business which hires employees are under a direct legal obligation to ensure that any staircases within their establishment are compliant with all the necessary health and safety checks to ensure that they are adequately protected from any potential legal repercussion.

Such health and safety include providing an assurance that all staircases well lighted particularly in areas which are mostly susceptible to visual difficulty in addition to making sure that appropriate handrails are provided for ease of climbing and support. It is also worth mentioning that employers must carry out consistent checks to ensure that the stairwells are always safe for usage, it is not enough to test them once and believe that that is enough.
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It is a sad fact that on too many occasions, when an individual has an accident in a building or office which is open to the public, more often than not the natural reaction is one of uncontrollable panic and embarrassment – it is not enough that you have slipped over on the floor, but when it’s in front of everyone as well! It is important to understand however that it is at this point where you are at your most vulnerable; as such it is not uncommon for people to just want to forget about the situation and move on as quickly as possible.

In light of this, I cannot stress enough that this is the wrong decision to take, if you are ever unfortunate enough to suffer an injury either at work or in a public building as a result of slipping on some poorly maintained surface or flooring which is a direct result of the occupier or employers negligence. You may very well be able to claim for personal injury and your losses which, although may never be able to fully make up for the embarrassment a fall brings, will certainly hope to bring a quiet sense of justice and satisfaction for you.

It is important to realise that establishments such as supermarkets and public houses are all under a legal obligation to ensure for their patrons that their time spent in their establishment is not only a pleasant one, but also one that is safe and without negative consequence. Because of this, it is considered a legal requirement that regular inspections regarding the entirety of the establishment are carried out as and when required, providing assurances that any potential defects or hazards are dealt with as swiftly and efficiently as possible to ensure that visitor accidents are always kept to a minimum; therefore protecting the appropriate occupiers from any legal repercussions.
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Well, I do hope that you have all had a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I can’t believe how quickly it has come and gone; but we all say this every year, and I doubt it will ever get any slower!

Anyway, if there’s one time of the year that we all generally like to go out to our favourite clubs, pubs, and bars, it’s over the festive and New Year season. New Years Eve is a big night for any club – and it tends to be one where people go a little crazy as well. We tend to find that there are a fair few injuries in nightclubs, pubs, and bars over the festive season; so, what can you do about it?

If you have been injured in a nightclub, it’s likely one of the following happened to you:
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Research studies have shown that in the UK alone approximately 1000 deaths occur as a result of falling down a flight of stairs. This is a scary statistic! In light of this it will come as no surprise then that, as an injury on stairs is worryingly easy and common to do, the legal responsibilities are quite rightly significant to ensure that any person or company that is responsible for maintaining a stairway must do so to a high standard to ensure no one is ever hurt through the use of stairs.

It is important to realise that those who fit or manufacture stairways are under a legal obligation to ensure that their stairs are free from any defect or hazard that could cause a person an injury; say, a bump, or a protrusion. As well as preventing defects, they must ensure that each step is of the correct height and width for its intended use. Handrails and appropriate support must be in place for the obvious reasons.

In addition to designers and manufacturers, it is similarly important to understand that employers are under a legal obligation to ensure that the working environment is safe for their employees, keeping accidents on and around a staircase to a minimum at all times.
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Let’s be honest, we’ve all been there – going to sit down at a family event or a public function only to completely miss the target, landing in what can only be described as an embarrassed lump on the floor. However, what is more embarrassing is being the victim in this situation when you were not to blame at all.

It is not uncommon when a situation such as this occurs for people to be too embarrassed to even contemplate what legal action may be open to them in seeking a claim for compensation.

It is therefore our responsibility to advise you of your rights, away from the  hoards of laughter from your supposed loved ones and colleagues at falling to the ground, and advise you in situations where you may have a very good claim for compensation for any injuries you have suffered from.
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As we are all manically dashing around trying to finish off our Christmas shopping, we sometimes can forget about where we are walking – I’m not talking about carelessly bumping into people in a mad rush to get the last item on the shelf; I’m talking about not watching what we are walking on. As winter brings the wet and cold weather, it can cause the floor to become a lot more dangerous than we anticipate, and can sometimes cause some people serious injuries in the event of accidents.

Slipping due to the floor being wet is one of the most common claims for compensation we see here at The Injury Lawyers.

We advise and assist numerous clients and aim to get the maximum compensation that they deserve. After all, slipping due to the negligence of whoever is responsible for the premises you are is not your fault. Failing to maintain the floor to a safe standard is not something you can control, and you should be compensated for any injuries you end up with.
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Every year, as Christmas draws nearer, my inner child is always awakened with the first fall of snow. Let’s be honest; our country has never been renowned for its white Christmases. Having said this, over recent years Mother Nature has attempted to give us some snowy cheer, and whilst we all love a bit of snow, the harsh reality is that claims for personal injury that are caused directly by snow go on the rise.

In a working environment, it is important to realise that employers are under a legal obligation to provide working conditions which are safe and free form reasonable danger for their employees. Keeping this in mind when thinking of snow, ice, and harsh wintry conditions, from a legal perspective, you have to take in to account employees wading through the snow and bringing water in to the workplace from the soles of their footwear.

Now, your employer has the duty of care to ensure that all walkways are safe and free of hazards; something that needs to be reviewed even more closely during harsh weather conditions. They must ensure that all floors are kept suitable to walk on- cornering off any unsuitable areas with warning signs and deterrents, or perhaps ensue to dry and water or moisture from the floor as quickly as possible. In light of this, if you have had an accident at work as a result of poor weather conditions or otherwise, and you believe that your employer failed to provide adequate warning or deterrent to prevent your accident, there is a high possibility that you may be able to claim for compensation.
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At The Injury Lawyers, we frequently speak to people who have been injured whilst out shopping at the supermarket.  Often they want to know if they have a claim, and if we are happy to advise them for free about their chances of winning. 

We advise that any potential claim can be brought about as an Occupier’s Liability claim, which means that if you are a visitor to premises, in this case a supermarket, the supermarket owes you a duty of care to ensure that you are safe whilst in their premises. 

So, if you have an accident at a supermarket and believe it was not your fault, you could bring a claim for compensation against the supermarket for neglecting this duty of care.
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