Can I Sue After Tripping Over Wires Or Cables At Work Or In Public?

Slips, trips and fall injuries are a common type of injury that can be suffered in daily life. If you have sustained an injury in the workplace or a public space after slipping and falling due to the fault of someone else, you may have a claim. This article will guide you on how to sue after tripping over wires, both in the workplace and in public spaces.

We shall explain when you could have an eligible personal injury claim, and the different types of compensation that could be awarded in such a claim. Additionally, we share how long you have to begin a claim and the types of evidence that could support your case. We also discuss how a solicitor from our panel could help you.

If you have sustained an injury because of tripping over a wire or cable and you think you are entitled to claim compensation, please contact one of our friendly advisors so that we can help you.

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Someone tripping over a trailing wire

Frequently Asked Questions:  

  1. How To Sue After Tripping Over Wires Or Cables
  2. Compensation Amounts For Trailing Wire Injuries
  3. The Common Reasons Someone May Trip Over Wires Or Leads
  4. What Should I Do After Tripping And Falling On Cables Or Wires?
  5. Is There A Time Limit To Claiming Trip And Fall Compensation?
  6. What How To Sue Can Help You With
  7. More Information

How To Sue After Tripping Over Wires Or Cables

In order for you to be able to make a claim for tripping over a wire or cable at work or in a public setting, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  1. An individual owed you a duty of care
  2. The said individual breached this duty of care
  3. This breach caused you to have an accident and suffer an injury

Below, we set out the different cases where you may be able to claim for tripping over a wire.

Tripping Over Wires At Work

Your employer has a duty of care towards you as their employee. This is a legal responsibility set out by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. This states that your employer has a duty of care to take reasonable measures to esnure your safety whilst you are working.

This might look like, but is not limited to:

  • Providing adequate training 
  • Regularly performing risk assessments
  • Conducting maintenance checks on workplace equipment

When it comes to the presence of wires and cables in the workplace, the above translates to:

  • Providing the proper training to those working with wires or cables
  • Regularly performing risk assessments on the presence and use of electrical equipment 
  • Frequently checking and maintaining wires and cables in the building

If your employer fails to comply with these reasonable steps to keep you safe and you’re injured as a result, they may have breached their duty of care, and you may be eligible to claim.

Tripping Over Wires In A Public Place

When you are in a public space, someone owes you a duty of care. This person or party is known as the occupier, and their duty of care is set out by the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. The occupier could be the owner of a restaurant or the city council; regardless, per their duty of care, they must take necessary measures to ensure your reasonable safety whilst visiting that public space.

This might look like:

  • Putting out a warning or trip hazard sign for a foreseeable slip, trip or fall
  • Making sure wires and cables are secured down and tidied away

If an occupier breaches their duty of care and you are injured due to tripping over a wire or cable, you may be eligible to make a public liability claim. 

If this has happened to you, please make sure to contact us so that we can discuss whether you have a potential claim.

Someone tripping over a plugged in computer wire

Compensation Amounts For Trailing Wire Injuries

If you make a successful personal injury claim, you will be awarded compensation in the form of general damages. This is a financial payout which is designed to compensate you for your injury and any suffering it has caused you. This also includes any pain or suffering experienced mentally or emotionally, such as poor mental well-being due to reduced quality of life or developing PTSD after sustaining serious injuries.

Whoever is valuing the claim for your injury may refer to the Judicial College Guideline (JCG). The JCG provides guideline compensation brackets for a wide variety of injuries.

We have used some of these guidelines for the following table, aside from the first entry.

InjurySeverityCompensation guidelines
Multiple Severe Injuries with Special DamagesSevereUp to £500,000 +
Head InjuryModerately Severe£267,340 to £344,150
Back InjurySevere (iii)£47,320 to £85,100
Wrist Injury Complete Loss of Function£58,710 to £73,050
Ankle Injury Severe£38,210 to £61,090
Ankle InjuryModest Up to £16,770
Elbow InjuryLess Severe Injuries£19,100 to £39,070
Arm InjurySimple Fractures of the Forearm£8,060 to £23,430
Toe Injury Serious £11,720 to £16,770

How Your Settlement Amount Will Be Decided

During the personal injury claims process, legal professionals will calculate your claim and consider two types of compensation: general damages and special damages.

As mentioned above, general damages only compensate for your injury and any pain and suffering you’ve experienced. Special damages refer to any financial losses you have suffered because of the injuries you have sustained.

Just a few examples might be:

  • Medical bills 
  • Lost wages
  • Transportation costs
  • Loss of earnings.

Notably, special damages can also cover any financial losses you may encounter in the future because of the potential ongoing impact of your injuries. 

For example, in the event of a severe workplace accident resulting in a brain injury to an employee, the likelihood of long-term financial loss is higher. In a severe accident claim such as this one, interim payments may be made in an attempt to help the injured party navigate immediate medical expenses and other related financial costs.

To learn more about interim payments and how to sue after tripping over wires, please contact our advisors.

The Common Reasons Someone May Trip Over Wires Or Leads

There are various ways you may trip over a wire, either in the workplace or in public. Below we set out some examples of how this may happen.

  1. Your employer fails to carry out regular risk assessments in the office, meaning they fail to spot a trailing computer wire. This causes you to trip over the wire and hit your head in the fall.
  2.  Your employer fails to provide adequate training to factory workers using electrical tools attached to a long power cable. A worker trails a power cable near a flight of stairs whilst using the tool. This causes you to trip over the cable and fall down the stairs, suffering a broken leg.
  3.  The local library is refurbishing one of its study rooms, and the builders have left some discarded wires in a corridor. The library fails to cordon off this section or display warning signs, meaning you trip over these wires and break your ankle.

We are aware that there are many more examples of negligence that can impact people every day. If you would like to discuss your specific case, you can contact our advisors.

What Should I Do After Tripping And Falling On Cables Or Wires?

If you sustain an injury after tripping and falling and you believe an employer or occupier is at fault, it’s vital that you follow this important step: gather evidence. The reason why collecting proof is so important is that it strengthens and helps validate your claim.

There are multiple things that can be used as evidence:

  • Your entry of injury in an accident logbook
  • CCTV footage of you tripping over the cable or wire
  • If you seek medical attention, you can provide medical records
  • The contact information of anyone who witnessed your accident
  • Photgraphs of the accident scene

The above examples are only a few ways in which you can secure evidence of your accident caused by trailing cables or wires. One of the solicitors on our panel could help you with gathering evidence for your particular case.

Contact our advisors today to learn more about how to sue after tripping over wires.

A woman tripping over a pile of loose wires on the floor

Is There A Time Limit To Claiming Trip And Fall Compensation?

Yes, as per the Limitation Act 1980, there is a 3-year time limit to commence legal proceedings following the date of the accident. 

There are some exceptions to be aware of, that apply to:

  • Those under 18 are unable to make their own claim and will only be able to begin their own from their 18th birthday. They will then have 3 years from this date.
  • If someone lacks the mental capacity to make a personal injury claim, the time limit is frozen. It will only be reinstated if the person regains this mental capacity and will then run from this date.

In both of these cases, where the claimant is unable to start their own claim, a litigation friend could be appointed to begin the process on their behalf.

To see if you have enough time to make a claim, you can contact our advisors.

What How To Sue Can Help You With

How To Sue is here to help. Backed by a team of legal experts who specialise in personal injury law, our panel of solicitors have helped their clients win millions of pounds in compensation by providing advanced legal advice based on years of hands-on experience. 

The solicitors on our panel could help you with:

  • Gathering evidence
  • Filing your claim within the time limit
  • Communicating with the defending party
  • Organising independent medical assessment and rehabilitation support
  • Negotiating your compensation settlement.

Additionally, they can offer these expert services to you on a No Win No Fee basis under a Conditional Fee Agreement. Some of the benefits of this includes:

  • No service costs upfront
  • No service costs whilst the claim is ongoing 
  • No service costs if the case is lost
  • If you win, you will owe your solicitor a success fee. This will be taken from your compensation as a legally capped percentage.

To see if you could be eligible to work with a solicitor from our panel, you can contact our advisors. They can also explain how to sue after tripping over wires in more depth.

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Someone asking their solicitor how to sue after tripping over wires

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