Some people might hesitate to make a claim for compensation after they’ve tripped and fallen, feeling that it’s far too trivial an incident. Media stories about frivolous claims and a general feeling that a ‘compensation culture’ is developing in the UK have led to some people feeling that claims of this kind are somehow dishonest, and amount to trying to cash in on misfortune. All of this is a mistake, however.
If you’ve slipped and fallen, and this has resulted in an injury, then it could end up having a major impact on your life. In the first place, an injury such as whiplash, severe bruising or broken bones will result in a great degree of physical pain which can then become psychologically debilitating. Your ability to move about freely may be curtailed, leading you to spend money on travel expenses and on top of this you’ll have to pay out for medication and perhaps doctors’ fees.
Put all of this together, and you’re also probably going to have to take some time off work, another financial blow. It has to be remembered that all of this is only happening because someone else was negligent. It may be that a restaurant left a floor wet and you slipped on it, a local authority failed to repair an uneven paving stone or the place in which you work failed to clear up some debris over which you tripped, but whatever the precise circumstances, another party’s negligence has caused you harm.
When your personal injury lawyer starts to put your case together they’ll be attempting to prove that negligence caused your fall and that it resulted in the injury you sustained. Although the exact amount of compensation you receive will depend upon the precise details of your case, your lawyer will be able to give you a rough estimate. This amount will be based upon the nature and type of your injuries and will be augmented with an amount to reimburse you for expenses and lost earnings, both now and in the future. The purpose of a claim of this kind is to minimise the negative impact of your fall and to allow you to concentrate on important matters such as a return to full health.
