Falls from Heights — Claim Compensation for Falling at Work
Falls from heights are extremely dangerous. If you have suffered such an accident at work, contact our team to get a free claim assessment of your injuries. You’ll find out if you can claim on a no win, no fee* basis and then be passed to our panel of solicitors. Call today on 08082391859^ to start your injury compensation claim.
Workplace falls from heights in the UK
In the period of 2018/2019, there were 147 fatalities from injuries sustained whilst working, the highest number of these — at 40 of the accidents — were falls from heights. Half of these accidents occurred during work in the construction sector, which averages about 18 fatal accidents a year. A few of these falls from heights deaths are to those who are self-employed, often freelance or contractual to the construction industry.
Make a fall from a height claim on behalf of a deceased person
Today, this sort of workplace tragedy should not be happening. There are averagely 36 falls from heights fatalities each year, whilst there is a downward trend in decades past, it’s still a clear and present threat to workers’ lives. If you need to claim on behalf of a deceased loved one, please call us now on 08082391859^ for a no-obligation and empathetic discussion on claiming justice.
Make a compensation claim for a non-fatal falling from a height injury
If you are lucky enough to have sustained an injury whilst working at height and lived, then you are likely in a strong position to make a claim. Falls from heights accidents account for 8% of all non-fatal accidents reported to RIDDOR — or around 6,500 personal injury cases. We can help you claim compensation for the workplace accident — call today on 08082391859^ for guidance and a free claim assessment.
What are the main causes of falls from heights accidents?
Many people tend to associate working at heights with using ladders; this is often true of accidents resulting in non-fatal injuries. However, it doesn’t paint a clear picture of the risks and environmental factors in play. As the vast majority of falls from heights accidents are in construction, it’s situations that involve being outside at height and for extended periods of time too, which open up to more potential hazards.
- Fragile roofs and surfaces
- Falling from a ladder — especially when overreaching
- Scaffolding giving way
- Work during heavy winds or rain
- Unmarked or unshielded ledges
- Equipment failure, such as ropes and PPE
- Inadequate training — notably, again, in ladder use.
How can falls from heights at work be prevented?
The HSE has some excellent guidance on working at height. It talks about balancing the risks of falling with factors that are financial, practical, and timely. The main takeaway is to plan and weigh up potential risks to employees who will be working at height. Learning what the regulations are and investing time into staff education on how to use ladders properly can save lives. Other ways to protect workers at height can be from:
- Highlighting potential fall points; and where necessary, create guards.
- Properly evaluating surfaces for stress and weak points
- Providing adequate training, before starting work, otherwise bad habits could set in quickly.
- Allowing staff time to manage their safety; simply moving a ladder into a new position can save a costly and reputation-damaging lawsuit.
- Evaluating weather conditions and how it could present risks.
- Routinely stress-testing equipment that is imperative to safety, especially when working from very high up, like on wind turbines.
What should you do if you’ve suffered from a fall from height?
Such an accident should be recorded in the Accident Book by your employer, this helps establish an account of the injury sustained and how it happened. If your employer is reluctant for whatever reason to do so, this could be sign of negligence. You should collect accounts from witnesses of the accidental fall too. Sometimes taking pictures of the area you fell helps establish a clearer mental picture of the event that lead to your injury.
It’s also worth making a note of any ongoing discomfort you experience; this can be helping in building an accurate picture of how much compensation you should be entitled to, following a claim for personal injury.
What kind of injuries can you sustain when falling from heights?
If you can imagine it, it’s likely to happen when falling. The general indicator is how you fall, not particularly the height — although this will increase the force of impact and severity of injury. Even being up on a smaller ladder and having your foot or leg stuck as you fall could lead to traumatic brain injury.
The safest way to fall would be foot first, but more often than not, people end up on their back, which can have massive repercussions, especially if they have become paralysed or disabled as a result.
What workplace environments are typically associated with falls from heights?
Whilst construction is evidently the highest risk industry for fall from a height (and a myriad of other accident types) the truth is any worker can be at risk. This is especially true if they’re working at a height when it’s not common for them to do so. In the retail sector, employees are often doubly committed to presentation as well a service. Visual merchandising often requires hanging up large, promotional prints in store windows, which usually requires them to do so from on high. Inexperience in ladder work and often a lack of suitable equipment can lead to overreaching and, thus, accidents. Some other industries that are more common than you might realise are:
- Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
- Transport and Storage
- Mining & Quarrying
- Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
In truth, we couldn’t spend the time listing all potential workplace situations that could lead to a fall from a height. So, if your type of workplace hasn’t been listed, and you’re not sure if you have a claim, you’re still best to call on 08082391859^ to make certain.
How do I make a compensation claim for falling from a height?
First, we need to establish if you have a case for workplace compensation, and often with falls from height you will. If you’re unsure, it doesn’t hurt to ask us, even if you feel partially responsible for the accident. Certain factors like time pressure, multitasking and environmental factors can influence the events leading to the fall; these can be a type of employer negligence — when your safety becomes second fiddle.
Call us, whenever it suits you, on 08082391859^ for a friendly, empathetic discussion with one of our workplace accident solicitors** to find out if you do have a claim for compensation.
What are the benefits of claiming with Workplace Injury Claims for injuries caused by a fall from a height?
- We have a team of technical qualifiers who can assess your claim for free. If they feel you have a case, we bring your claim to one of our panel solicitors — that way you don’t run up any legal fees by just asking questions.
- Our telephony team is open 24hrs a day, but you can leave them a message with our contact form, and they’ll get back to you within a few working days.
- Our panel of workplace injury solicitors can work on a no win, no fee* basis, meaning again, you’re not drumming up expensive legal fees by claiming for your personal injury.
- The team covers the whole of the UK, and you’ll be assigned a panel solicitor depending on if you’re in England and Wales, or Scotland.
- Our panel solicitors have helped thousands of injured people claim compensation.
- We can also help with rehabilitation; arranging physio as part of a whole accident management package.
- Our UK call centre is based in Manchester.
- We fight for the maximum compensation for your work injury, because ultimately your job is to make the company successful, and they should at least ensure your safety in exchange.
- When we calculate your claim amount, we factor in loss of earnings, general expenses and any ongoing costs incurred by the injury, so that you get the highest level of compensation due to you.
- We’re friendly, empathetic and here to help you however we can.
Get in touch with our workplace injury solicitors** today to find how if and how much compensation you could claim.
If you’ve had a fall at accident at work and someone else is at fault, call our accident helpline today on 08082391859^ to start your claim — we’re here to help.
