No Win, No FeeSlipping on a wet floor can cause all sorts of painful injuries. While some can be recovered from quite quickly, others can have long-term consequences. Importantly, if someone else’s negligence has caused your accident, you could be entitled to claim compensation for your suffering. This article will look at how to claim compensation if you’ve slipped on a wet floor because of someone else’s negligence and the types of injuries that are commonly claimed for. We’ll look at claims involving workplace accidents as well as if you’ve slipped on a wet floor in a public place.
We can support you at the start of the claims process by offering a no-obligation consultation over the phone. We’ll answer any questions you might have and provide free legal advice after your claim has been reviewed. If there’s a fairly good chance you’ll be compensated, we’ll ask one of our personal injury solicitors to contact you. They have dealt with many slip, trip and fall claims and they could agree to help you to claim on a No Win, No Fee basis. If they do, you won’t have to pay any legal fees unless you are compensated.
For more information on making a claim, please read on. Alternatively, you can call us on 0800 652 1345 if you would prefer to discuss your claim with a specialist right now.
Am I Entitled to Compensation for Slipping on a Wet Floor?
Our team of personal injury lawyers don’t want to waste your time so will offer a realistic assessment of your claim and only take it on if you have a realistic chance of being compensated. As such, some of the questions they’ll ask before accepting a claim include:
- Were you owed a duty of care by the party you’re claiming against (the defendant); and
- Did the defendant’s negligence cause you to slip on a wet floor; and
- Were you injured as a result?
Duty of care is something that your lawyer will verify by referring to laws like the Occupiers Liability Act 1984 or the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. However, this isn’t something you’ll need to be overly concerned about. Instead, you should concentrate on how to prove the extent of your injuries and who caused you to slip and fall. We’ll explain what proof you could use to support your claim shortly.
Common Examples of Wet Floor Accident Claims
Slips and falls on wet floors can lead to serious injuries, especially if appropriate safety measures such as warning signs were not in place. Some of the most common scenarios where a claim could be possible include:
- Uncleaned spillages: Supermarkets, restaurants, and other public spaces should have procedures to clean up spills promptly. If a spillage is left unattended without warning signs, and you slip as a result, you could claim compensation.
- Leaking appliances: In supermarkets or retail stores, leaking refrigeration units or air conditioning systems can create wet floor hazards. If a business fails to fix the issue or warn customers, they may be liable for any injuries.
- Recently mopped floors: Cleaning staff should use wet floor signs after mopping to alert people of potential hazards. If no warnings are in place and you slip, you may have grounds for a claim.
- Rainwater at store entrances: Shopping centres and public buildings must take reasonable steps to prevent rainwater from creating a slippery floor near entrances. This could involve using absorbent mats or regularly mopping up water. If they fail to do so and you slip, a claim may be possible.
- Spills in restaurants or cafés: If a drink or food spillage is not cleaned up quickly, it can create a slip hazard. If the restaurant or café staff fail to respond appropriately, and you’re injured, you could seek compensation.
- Workplace wet floors: Employers must ensure a safe working environment. If you slip on a wet floor at work because of poor maintenance, a lack of warning signs, or ignored health and safety procedures, you could file a workplace accident claim.
If you’ve suffered an injury after slipping on a wet floor, contact us today to see if you have a valid case.
What Types of Wet Floor Injuries Can I Claim For?
The speed at which you’ll fall after slipping on a wet floor can mean it’s easy to sustain a variety of different injuries. Some of the most common that lead to compensation claims include:
- Broken bones – particularly in the hands, fingers, arms, elbows and wrists.
- Concussions and other head injuries and brain damage.
- Back injuries.
- Soft tissue damage (sprains and strains of ligaments, muscles and tendons).
- Ankle injuries.
- Moderate to severe bruising.
- Cuts and laceration injuries (often as a consequence of contact with adjacent objects).
Some injuries may be relatively minor and you could make a full recovery within a matter of weeks. However, some serious head injuries or back injuries can be life-changing and you might have to live with the consequences for many years to come. Any compensation awarded will need to take the impact of your injuries into account.
What Evidence Do I Need to Prove I Slipped on a Wet Floor?
In any personal injury claim, proof will be needed to convince the defendant’s insurers that you should be compensated. This will need to show why the defendant was to blame, what injuries you’ve suffered from slipping on the wet floor and how the accident occurred. In most cases, this could include:
- Security camera footage: If your workplace or the place where you slipped and hurt yourself has security cameras, you should ask for a copy of any relevant footage. You must do this quickly as data is usually deleted in around 4 weeks or so.
- Medical records: You should visit A&E, your GP or a minor injuries unit after slipping and injuring yourself for a proper diagnosis of your injuries. Later on, if you decide to make a claim, you can ask for copies of any medical records and X-rays to show the severity of your injuries.
- Witness statements: If your wet floor accident was seen by others, ask them for their contact details. If liability for your fall is denied by the defendant, your solicitor could gather witness statements to try and prove what happened.
- Photographs: As well as taking pictures of any visible injuries, you should take photographs of the accident scene if you’re able to. Ideally, this will happen before the floor has dried or anything has been removed from the scene.
- Accident reports: If you slip on a wet floor at work or in a public place accident, you should always report the accident. Most organisations have to keep a record of the incident and you are entitled to a copy. This can help to prove the date, time and location of your accident.
Your solicitor will help to secure supporting proof for your claim where possible but please let us know if you have any already when you get in touch.
What Is the Time Limit to Claim for Wet Floor Injuries?
As with any type of personal injury claim, if you’ve slipped on a wet floor and would like to be compensated for your injuries, you’ll need to abide by the 3-year time limit. Usually, this will begin from the date of your accident. However, if your child has been injured from slipping on a wet floor, the time limit doesn’t begin till their 18th birthday. For this reason, you could use the litigation friend process and claim on behalf of your child at any point before that date.
Claiming early can be a good idea because it can make it easier to secure supporting proof. Additionally, if liability for the accident is accepted early, you could receive an interim payment to cover any ongoing costs (loss of earnings, medical costs etc) before your claim is settled in full.
How Much Compensation for a Slip on a Wet Floor Can I Claim?
Any personal injury claim must take into account how you suffered physically, mentally and financially. There is a lot to consider and that’s why we believe it’s best to take on specialist legal representation before claiming compensation for slipping on a wet floor.
If you’ve slipped on a wet floor and your claim is taken on by one of our solicitors, they could seek damages to cover:
- The physical pain caused by your injuries and any ongoing symptoms.
- Any distress, anxiety, depression or other forms of mental harm linked to your accident.
- Any impact your injuries have on any normal hobbies, social activities or your family life (loss of amenity).
- The time someone else spent looking after you during your recovery. In more serious cases, this may include the cost of a professional carer.
- Travel costs such as fuel or parking fees linked to hospital visits.
- The cost of replacing any personal item damaged during your fall (clothes, phones, jewellery etc).
- Remedial medical treatment costs and physiotherapy.
- Home and vehicle modifications to improve any quality of life issues caused by a permanent disability.
Can I Claim for Loss of Earnings Due to My Injury?
If your wet floor injury prevents you from working, you may suffer financial losses, especially if your employer doesn’t provide full sick pay. Lost wages, overtime, bonuses, or commissions that you could have earned may be included in your compensation if they are directly linked to your injury.
Crucially, if you’ve sustained more serious or long-term injuries, you may also be eligible to claim for future loss of earnings. This would be calculated based on your age, career prospects, and earning potential before the accident.
Will I Need a Solicitor to Claim Compensation for My Wet Floor Injury?
You’re not required to use a solicitor to pursue compensation for a wet floor injury, but they could give you a far better chance of a successful outcome.
Our solicitors realise that no one wants to risk losing money in legal fees when claiming compensation for slipping on a wet floor with no sign. As such, they offer a No Win, No Fee service for any claim they agree to work on. As a result, you only have to pay legal fees if your claim is successful.
As part of their service, your solicitor will look to:
- Discuss the impact of your injuries with you so they fully understand how you’ve suffered.
- Arrange for medical reports and collect proof to support your claim.
- Inform the defendant of your wet floor injury claim and handle all communication with them on your behalf.
- Try to deal with any arguments or objections by supplying additional proof where necessary.
- Try to secure the maximum compensation possible and look to negotiate any settlement offer upwards if it’s deemed to be too low.
If your claim is won, an agreed success fee will be deducted from the settlement to cover your solicitor’s costs and time.
Wet Floor Accident Claims Frequently Asked Questions
Will My Claim Be Affected If There Was a Wet Floor Sign?
A wet floor sign does not automatically prevent a claim. If the sign was poorly placed, difficult to see, or not put up in time, you may still be able to seek compensation.
What If I Was Partly at Fault for My Accident?
If you were partially responsible for your accident, such as by running or not paying attention, you may still be able to claim compensation. However, your settlement may be reduced to reflect your level of responsibility. This is known as contributory negligence, and your solicitor can help determine how it might affect your case.
Will I Need a Medical Assessment for My Claim?
To help determine exactly how you’ve suffered from your slip and fall, you’ll need a medical assessment during your claim. This will be conducted by an independent medical expert and can usually be arranged locally. After examining your injuries and discussing the suffering they’ve caused, the expert will explain your prognosis in a report for all parties involved in your claim.
Your solicitor will use this report to calculate how much compensation for slipping on a wet floor you might get.
Start a Wet Floor Injury Compensation Claim Today
We are here to help you start the ball rolling if you’ve decided to claim. Simply call our team on 0800 652 1345 today and your claim will be assessed and legal advice will be offered about your options.
If your claim is taken on, one of our personal injury solicitors will work on it on a No Win, No Fee basis which should make your claim a lot less stressful.
Our live chat team is available if you have any extra questions about a slipped-on-wet floor compensation claim.
