For advice call 0800 612 8196

Fall from height claims

Due to the dangerous nature of working at height, there is a high duty of care on employers and premises owners to keep people safe and to reduce the risk of someone falling from height. If they have failed in this duty and you or your loved one has been injured because of a fall, you may be able to claim compensation.

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Overview

Helping you after a fall from height

Falls from height can often result in serious, life-changing injuries. It can be hard after you or your loved one has sustained these types of injuries to know where to turn to for help, but we're here to support you.

As well as helping you to claim compensation to assist you with any financial stress you might have as a result of being unable to work, we also have a dedicated rehabilitation and support team on hand to help you to access specialist treatment so that you can achieve your best outcome.

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There are no hidden costs and we don’t claw back shortfall fees, meaning you keep more of your compensation

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Dedicated rehabilitation & support coordinators to help you access the specialist help you need

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Our client stories

Empowering people to rebuild their lives

Thomas* injured his back and sustained a spinal cord injury when he fell backwards down a lift shaft in an accident at work. He fell approximately 25ft and had to have surgery on his back because of his injuries. Initially, Thomas believed he might never walk again, but with extensive support he’s now relearned to walk and is back at work.

Client Stories

Our support

How we can help you

We're specialists - we only do injury-related law, which means you can be sure you're receiving expert guidance and advice.

Why choose us?
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Caroline Trinder

Rehabilitation and Support Lead

Our rehabilitation and support coordinators

We have a dedicated team of rehabilitation and support coordinators, who all have a background in health and social care, on hand to help you with our full wraparound support.

  • Specialist support at the earliest stage, alongside your legal team
  • Plugging any gaps in the care you're receiving
  • Emergency fund to pay for initial care, aids and equipment
  • Collaborative working with your treating team to get you home safely
  • Psychological support and arranging counselling
  • Exploring grants and funding options available to you
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Our Process

Guiding people through the legal process

You might be worried about making a claim against your employer if you've sustained injuries in an accident at work. However, your employer cannot dismiss you for making a claim. We're here to help you make a claim and will deal with everything for you. 

1
Free meeting without the need to go ahead with a claim
We’ll come to see you face to face wherever you feel comfortable to find out more about you and your family, what you’re worried about and how we can start helping you. We’ll also talk to you about how your case can be funded, so you’ll have peace of mind and reassurance that making a claim won’t cost you money, even if your claim isn’t successful. We don’t believe in taking money off injured people like some other firms, so there are no hidden charges
2
Introduce our Rehabilitation and Support Team
Once we understand what’s worrying you, our Rehabilitation and Support Team will be in touch to understand more about your needs and to help you access the urgent support you need. The team include health and social care professionals who can help to plug any gaps in your care. They’re on hand to help with discharge planning and making sure you have everything you need to go home safely. We’ve also got an emergency fund to help pay for any initial care, aids and equipment you might need.
3
Contact the other side to get the ball rolling
We’ll send a letter of claim to the defendant insurers—this is basically a letter telling them what’s happened and why we think they’re responsible. It’s important we make contact with the defendant insurers as soon as possible to make sure your claim can move forward without any delays. They’re allowed time to look into what’s happened and tell us if they admit they’re to blame, they think they’re partly to blame, or they deny blame all together. Sometimes, there’s no response at all. However, while they’re doing this, we’ll be working with them to try and get funding for private rehabilitation to help your recovery from the very beginning of the claim.
4
Asking for interim payments
You might be worried about the impact your injuries have had on you and money worries if you can’t work. While steps one to three are ongoing, we’ll also be asking the defendant insurers for interim payments. These are payments that you get as soon as possible before your case has settled that can help pay for any suggested treatment, help with any financial worries you might have about paying your rent or mortgages, or paying bills, and to put in place a full treating and care team, helping to make sure you achieve your best possible outcome.
5
Gathering evidence
Next, we’ll start gathering the evidence. This could be to help prove that the other person involved was to blame (known as liability) and medical evidence to show what injuries you have, that these injuries were caused by the incident and how they’ve affected your life (known as causation and quantum). Liability evidence could be CCTV or police reports, and medical evidence includes your hospital or GP records, as well as reports from medical experts who specialise in your injuries.
6
Getting you the rehabilitation you need
As we carry on gathering all the information to build your case, we’ll be working alongside professionals who are specialists in your injuries to look at how we can support you and get you the best recovery possible. We do this by organising the highest quality rehabilitation and treatment for your specific needs. We’ll keep working with the defendant insurers to get all this funded for you while your claim is still ongoing so that you don’t have to wait.
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Working out how much your claim is worth
After gathering all the evidence, we’ll also calculate how much your claim should be worth. We’ll look at what losses you’ve had since your injuries including from not being able to work, as well as any losses you’ll experience in the future. We’ll also think about all the things you’ll need now and in time to come, including things like care packages, treatment, aids, equipment, changing your home so it works better for you, and any number of others things that might be important to you (for example getting back to a hobby you love or sourcing an adapted holiday home for you to enjoy time with your family).
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Fighting for your best possible outcome
Throughout your whole case we’ll be negotiating with the defendants—whether it’s to get them to accept they’re to blame, agree to release some interim payments to help with your recovery or discussing how much compensation you should get. We’ll always fight for your best possible outcomes.
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Lifelong support
Even after your case has settled, we’re still here for you. Our specialist Court of Protection team can help you if your family member can’t manage their own affairs anymore, or we can set up a Personal Injury Trust to make sure you can still claim the benefits you need. We’re also here to help with financial advice to make sure your compensation lasts you for the rest of your life.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Here are the answers to a few of the questions we get asked regularly. But if you have any other questions, please get in touch. We're here to help.

See all FAQ's

Can I claim compensation after a fall from a height?

Your employer should undertake a risk assessment of your workplace and put in place appropriate safety measures to reduce the risk of you falling from height. If they fail to put these measures in place, then you may be able to claim compensation. There are several requirements that employers must follow, which include:

  • Carrying out a full risk assessment
  • Ensuring all surfaces are free from obstacles and appropriate for the task
  • Making sure all equipment is in good working order
  • Providing adequate training about working at height
  • Supplying suitable personal protective equipment where necessary

If your employer has failed to do any of these things, and you have been injured as a result, you should speak with a specialist about claiming compensation.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

What can I claim compensation for after a fall from a height?

The compensation you receive will vary depending on the severity of your accident and how much support you need (such as care and treatment). A compensation claim can include things such as:

  • Compensation for the pain and suffering you have experienced
  • Any loss of earnings you have incurred both now and in the future
  • The cost of treatment and rehabilitation for your injuries
  • Psychological input to address any emotional support you may need
  • Alleviate financial strain as a result of being unable to work
  • Pay for aids and equipment to improve your mobility
  • The cost of adaptations to your home or for a new home to help your independence and wellbeing
  • Vocational and community support to help you to get back to work or to enjoy your hobbies

There are many elements that make up a compensation claim. A specialist solicitor will be able to advise you about the potential value of your claim and help you to achieve the maximum amount of compensation available to you.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

What type of accidents can you claim for?

People who work at height can get injured in a number of ways:

  • Ladder accidents – Ladders and stepladders are an easy way to access high areas; however, they are not always the safest or most suitable method. Ladders should only be used for periods of short duration and in circumstances where there is a low risk or no alternative. Common causes of ladder accidents include where the ladders have been badly maintained, where materials or tools need to be carried up and down the ladders and where the ladder has not been fixed or stabilised correctly.
  • Fall from or through a roof – Many serious injuries are as a result of falls where workers are moving between surfaces, where workers don’t notice a roof light or realise how dangerous the surface they are standing on, or where the roof cannot support the load or they lose grip.
  • Falls from machinery or large vehicles – These types of accidents are particularly prevalent in farming, construction and manufacturing injuries.
  • Falls from scaffolding – Most building site and construction accidents are normally due to scaffolding not being fitted correctly or maintained, or where training has not been provided.
  • Falls in warehouses/supermarkets - These can include instances where employees have sustained injury as a result of a fall whilst stacking high shelves or moving goods around.

Other falls from height can include any significant falls from areas that may have no safety barrier or warnings such as loading bays, telegraph poles and pylons, lift shafts and even stairs.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

What is classed as a fall from height?

A fall from height generally means a fall from one level to another. This could be if you are working above ground level and fall from an edge that isn’t secure or through an opening or fragile surface, or if you fall from ground level into a hole in the ground or an opening in the floor. Falls from height can also include falls from ladders, scaffolding or other machinery which elevates someone above ground level.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

Can I claim compensation if my family member was killed in a fall from height?

Yes, if a family member has been killed in a fall from height, you can make a claim for compensation on their behalf. Although no amount of money can bring back your loved one, making a fatal accident claim can help lighten any financial burden. Compensation will include a Statutory Bereavement Award in recognition of the grief a person has gone through after the death of a loved one, as well as a financial token in recognition that the person’s death was wrong. There are other costs and expenses that can be claimed for, including:

  • The pain and suffering of the deceased
  • Repayment of losses, for example, funeral expenses
  • Loss of income and financial support from the deceased
  • The cost of probate
  • Compensation for services the deceased would have performed (e.g., housework, childcare, etc.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

Is there a time limit to make a fall from height claim?

As with all compensation claims, there is a three-year time limit in which you must make a claim for a fall from height. This is three years from the date of the accident. There are some circumstances where this time can be extended, such as if the injured person is under 18, or they lack capacity. But it is recommended that you speak to an expert as soon as possible after an accident. Your solicitor can then start supporting you as soon as possible, as well as put things in motion to gather all the evidence in support of your case.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

Does my employer have a duty of care to keep me safe?

No matter what your job, your employer has a duty of care to make sure you are safe whilst you are at work. This includes ensuring that any jobs that require working at height are safe and the environment is appropriate for the work being carried out. If you become injured as a result of them failing in this duty of care, you may be able to claim compensation.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

Will I lose my job if I try and claim compensation from my employer?

No, your employer cannot dismiss you for bringing a compensation claim after an accident at work. By law, your employer must have insurance that covers them should one of their employees be injured in an accident. This insurance company will pay any compensation, not your employer.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

How much compensation for a fall?

The compensation you receive varies depending on the severity of your accident and how much support you need (such as care and treatment). To find out how we can help, we need to understand your circumstances and accident, as people get injured due to working at height in a number of ways.

Speak to one of our expert serious injury solicitors to see how we can help you and your family.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

Can I make a no win no fee claim?

Yes, our specialist solicitors provide our compensation claims on a no win no fee basis, so there’s no financial risk to you in making a claim.

Contact us for advice: 0800 612 8196 advice@cfglaw.co.uk

Get in touch

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or call 0800 612 8196

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