A Guide To Making Ladder Accident In The Workplace Claims

By Danielle Graves. Last Updated 19th May 2023. Welcome to our guide on how to make ladder accident in the workplace claims. Did you suffer an injury following a fall from a ladder at work? Could this accident have been avoided had the correct ladder safety precautions been implemented initially? If so, you could claim compensation with a personal injury solicitor.

This guide will provide you with advice about falls from ladders, common causes of ladder accidents, what injuries could result from such events and how you could claim compensation for damages. We will also explain how a No Win No Fee financial agreement could significantly reduce the financial risk of pursuing a claim.

With years’ of experience in representing victims of third-party negligence, our panel of experts possesses the knowledge and capabilities to help you pursue your claim. For further assistance in beginning your claim or simply a casual chat about any concerns, call us on 0333 000 0729. Our lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with a friendly adviser waiting to take your call.

Jump To A Section

A Guide On Ladder Fall Accident At Work Compensation Claims

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a staggering 40% of fatal accidents for workers are for fall from heights, which makes it the biggest cause of RIDDOR reported fatal accidents. What’s more, of 111 workplace deaths, 40 took place in the construction industry. If you suffered an injury from a ladder fall that could have been avoided if the correct precautions were taken, then you could make a claim for compensation.

ladder accident in the workplace claims

ladder accident in the workplace claims

In this guide, we will look at a variety of factors which relate to ladder accident in the workplace claims, including causes of accidents and workplace injuries. We will also look at what rights workers have and how an employer could be held liable for infringement of these rights.

We understand you could have a lot of questions regarding workplace accidents claims and we will try to answer as many as possible, such as:

  • “If an employee falls from a ladder and is injured is he or she to blame?”
  • “What proportion of accidents involve ladders?”
  • “What percentage of major fall accidents involve ladders?”
  • “How many people are killed by ladders?”
  • “How many people each year are killed by accidents at work?”
  • “If I fell off a ladder at work, can I sue?”

However, if your question is not answered or listed above, an adviser from our team will be more than happy to help.

What Can Cause Ladder Accidents And How Can They Be Prevented?

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 sets out the duty of care that an employer has to ensure the safety of their employees in the workplace. Your employer is expected to take reasonable steps to avoid you getting into accidents, such as falling off a ladder.

You can only make an accident at work claim if your employer breached this duty of care and you were subsequently injured. For example, if you fell of a ladder for the following reasons, you may have grounds for a valid claim:

  • You were given defective work equipment, such as a worn or damaged ladder
  • You were not trained on how to use a ladder
  • You were given the wrong ladder

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 provides guidance on how to reduce the risk of injuries from falling off a ladder. Some suggestions include:

  • Ensuring employees don’t carry too much when using a ladder
  • Making sure that ladders are stable and secure enough to use
  • Offering an effective stability device or anti-slip tools if a portable ladder is used

If you have suffered injuries from falling off a ladder, get in touch to find out if you could be eligible to claim.

Ladder Accident – What To Do After A Ladder Accident?

If you have been involved in a ladder accident, the first recommended step is to seek out any necessary medical attention. Whether this comes in the form of first aid administered at the site of the accident, or a GP appointment at a later date, we always recommend you treat your health as a priority.

Afterwards, you could start to gather evidence of the negligence that led to your ladder accident.

If for example, you had been assigned to perform a two man ladder job alone while working on a roof, or you were provided with a faulty ladder that led to you falling off the ladder and injuring yourself, you could collect evidence in the form of:

  • Witness statements from colleagues
  • CCTV footage
  • Pictures taken of the faulty or broken ladder

You should also maintain records of any treatment you receive, and of costs you are spending or suffering because of your injury. This type of evidence could be of use to you when making a ladder fall claim.

Evidence of negligence can come in many forms, and you can contact a personal injury solicitor for advice on evidence that could be relevant to your claim. Please reach out to an adviser for more information on what you can do to help you claim for a ladder accident.

Ladder Safety In The Workplace

There is a legal obligation for all employers to support the health and well-being of their employees while on-site at all times. It is their responsibility to ensure all employees follow the correct health and safety procedures at all times. There are several different types of legislation that enforce basic health and safety practices which can help in preventing ladder accidents and other types of workplace accidents too. For example, one article of legislation is the Working At Height Regulations (WAHR) 2005. This simply establishes what the law will consider as “working from a height” and that there is a need to control a risk of falling from a height or distance which may result in injury. These regulations cover a range of activities, such as working on/in:

  • Scaffolding
  • Lorries (E.g. Back of lorry)
  • Containers
  • Staging or trestles (E.g. At concerts)
  • Mineshafts
  • Evacuation areas
  • Maintenance tasks (E.g. Window cleaning, shelf filing, shopfitting, etc.)

There is no ban on ladders and stepladders under health and safety law. However, the legislation calls for risk management in the form of sensible usage and a proportionate approach. The user should conduct pre-use checks to highlight potential hazards. The user should carry out these pre-use checks at the beginning of the working day and after the condition of the ladder changes (E.g. Dropped or moved from various areas). The user should check the stiles, feet, rungs, locking mechanisms, platform and treads for defects. If the ladder is defective in any way, then the user should notify their employer immediately.

For information about Health and Safety in Construction, please click here to read the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) guide. Alternatively, keep reading to learn more about ladder accident in the workplace claims.

Injuries From Falling Off A Ladder – Examples

If you fell off a ladder due to negligence, you could suffer various injuries. Falling off a ladder could be caused by overreaching, faulty ladders or improper usage.

Examples of injuries from falling off a ladder could include:

  • Head injuries.
  • Back injuries.
  • Shoulder injuries.
  • Neck injuries.
  • Broken bones.
  • Bruises
  • Lacerations

You should be trained by your employer in how to correctly use a ladder to prevent falling off a ladder. Additionally, the proper ladder for the task should be used and checked for faults before using. In the next section we look in more detail at ways to prevent injuries from falling off a ladder.

Call our advisors if you suffered injuries from falling off a ladder due to employer negligence.

Falling Off A Ladder – Prevention

As we have explained, having knowledge and training on the safe ways to operate a ladder are essential; they can help prevent workplace injuries such as falling off a ladder.

Outside of following the recommended safe operating procedures, other actions you can take to help you avoid falling off a ladder include:

  • Risk assessments: A risk assessment should be considered part of your safe operating procedures. The surrounding area should be assessed before the ladder is placed against the area of support, and a further assessment should be performed of the area at the top of the ladder.
  • Being aware of the conditions: The weather you are working in should be taken into consideration when working outside. You may need to avoid working on ladders in rainy conditions due to the slip risks, and be aware of how other conditions such as hot or windy weather are affecting your health or ability to work safely
  • Proper footwear: While slip-resistant footwear is not a requirement when working on ladders, you should still ensure that any footwear you use does not cause you a problem with the ladder you are using

Taking these, or similar actions of care can help you avoid suffering injuries from a fall off a ladder. Your employer’s responsibility will be to make sure that you are properly trained on these safe procedures and that any necessary provisions, such as a person below to help you steady the ladder, are provided to you.

If you were injured because of a lack of training, or a lack of necessary provisions, please speak with one of our advisers to see if you are eligible to make a personal injury claim.

Statistics Highlighting Ladder Safety And Accidents In The UK

There are many types of fall from height injury statistics that outline the dangers of using a ladder improperly. All of these should be taken into account as they will highlight the extent of accidents across Great Britain. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the most common accident kinds in Great Britain shows that falls from height makeup 8% of all non-fatal injuries to employees in 2019. Further from this, we can see in these statistics that falls are one of the single largest causes of workplace accidents.

I Had A Ladder Accident In A Public Place, Could I Claim Compensation?

For victims that experience an accident that wasn’t their fault, they could make ladder accident in the workplace claims if a third-party was negligent. The negligence of this situation could lie with a lack of warning signs or cordons in the appropriate place. To discuss personal injury claims for ladder accidents in a public place, contact our advisers today.

Work Accident Claim Calculator – Calculating Compensation for Ladder Accidents

If you want to make a claim for an injury at work, you may want more information about the potential compensation amount you could receive. General damages compensation relates to the suffering, pain and loss of amentiy caused by the injury. 

It’s important to remember that, when making a claim for falling off a ladder, you would only receive compensation if you can prove that the injury was the result of negligence. The amount you could receive due to injuries after a fall off a ladder depends on aspects such as:

  • The general impact the injury has had on your life
  • Whether multiple injuries were caused by the same accident
  • The extent of your injury and the anticipated length of your recovery 

The Judicial College Guidelines can provide you with a clearer idea of what you could receive for general damages. The figures below have been taken from the latest edition of the guidelines, published in 2022. 

Legal professionals can use these guidelines to help them value claims. However, please note that these figures are not guaranteed. This is because every claim is different and there are many factors to your case that can determine what you receive.

InjurySeverityAmountInformation
Back InjurySevere (i)£91,090 to £160,980The most significant cases will involve damage to the nerve roots, spinal cord and other such regions which give rise to severe disability.
Back InjuryModerate (i)£27,760 to £38,780There is a range of injuries which will qualify for this bracket, including lumbar vertebrae, compression fractures and crush injuries.
Back InjuryMinor (i)£7,890 to £12,510A minor injury may recover fully or at least to a nuisance level, without surgery within two to five years. Short term acceleration and/or exacerbation injuries, which again will take between two to five years to recover, will also apply to this bracket.
Elbow InjurySeverely Disabling£39,170 to £54,830This injury will severely disable the person in question and recovery may not be certain.
Elbow InjuryLess Severe£15,650 to £32,010Although less severe, these injuries will impair the individual’s function. However, an injury of this nature will not require major surgery.
Elbow InjuryModerate/Minor InjuryUp to £12,590The majority of elbow injuries that fall into this bracket will comprise of fractures, lacerations and tennis elbow.
Shoulder InjurySevere £19,200 to £48,030Often associated with neck injuries and involving damage to the brachial plexus.
Shoulder InjurySerious£12,770 to £19,200A serious shoulder injury will, among other symptoms, cause pain in the shoulder, neck, aching in elbow and symptoms of sensory damage in the forearm and hand. These symptoms will often result from damage to the lower part of the brachial plexus.
Shoulder InjuryModerate£7,890 to £12,770These types of injuries will usually cause limitation of movement and discomfort. Usually this will last for about 2-years (or thereof).
Shoulder InjuryMinor (i)£4,350 to £7,890An almost to complete recovery will likely occur, although damage to the soft tissue in the shoulder will cause considerable pain during this recovery period.

If you want to learn more about how to claim for an injury at work, please contact our team of advisors for free using the above details.

Can I Claim For Special Damages For Injuries Caused By Ladder Accidents?

You may also be awarded special damages as part of your compensation settlement. This is to compensate you for the financial losses you incurred due to the injury you suffered falling off a ladder. However, to receive special damages as part of your claim, you will have to provide evidence of your losses. Receipts, invoices or payslips could all be used as proof.

Some examples of the financial losses that could be compensated for in claims made for ladder accidents and injuries include:

  • Travel costs, such as taxi fares to medical appointments.
  • Medical expenses, including prescription costs and therapy.
  • Loss of earnings for time spent off work recovering from your injury. This may include past and future losses.
  • The cost of modifications to your home, such as the installation of a wheelchair ramp.

Injuries from falling off ladders may result in various expenses not included on our list. Contact our advisors today to learn more about the financial losses you could be compensated for in a personal injury claim. They can also provide you with free advice.

No Win No Fee Claims If You Fell From A Ladder

Whether you suffered following a ladder accident or another form of accident at work, your personal injury lawyer could seek to secure a settlement for your damages on a No Win No Fee basis. The premises of this financial agreement simply state your solicitor’s legal fees will only be your responsibility if the personal injury claim is successful. A small percentage will be deducted as a “success fee” from the final amount to cover these legal costs, though you will have a chance to discuss how much this percentage will be prior to beginning your claim.

If your claim is unsuccessful, then you will not be held accountable for your solicitor’s legal fees. What’s more, there are no hidden costs or upfront fees required to start a claim, which means the financial risks associated with pursuing a No Win No Fee claim are significantly reduced.

Why Choose Legal Helpline For Your Ladder Fall Accident Claim?

Our panel of solicitor has years of experience in representing victims for a range of claims, including ladder accident in the workplace claims. We understand how traumatic an accident can be, which is why your personal injury solicitor will treat your case with respect. Your legal representative will gather as much supporting evidence as possible to strengthen your claim while providing you with key updates about any important changes in your case. All the advice you receive will be impartial and given with your best interests in mind.

Ladder Accident in the Workplace Claims FAQ

Here are some common questions to conclude our guide.

How long can you claim for an accident at work?

Personal injury claims have a typical time limit of 3 years. This period is within which you must claim if you want to, otherwise, you won’t be eligible for a payout. However, exceptions apply to those under the age of 18 and those lacking the mental capacity to claim themselves.

Had an accident at work can I claim?

For victims that experience an accident that wasn’t their fault, they could make ladder accident in the workplace claims if a third-party was negligent. For a consultation, please speak to one of our advisors on the number at the top of the page.

Start Your Claim If You Fell From A Ladder

To begin your claim today, you can use one of the contact methods below to discuss your circumstances with a specialist from our team. A friendly adviser could assess the validity of your claim under a free, no-obligation consultation.

  • Call Us: You can reach us on 0333 000 0729
  • Online: Click here to begin your claim online.
  • Call Back: We’ll call you back at a time that best suits you, click here to find out more.

References And Resources

HSE Health And Safety Law
A brief guide to ladders and stepladders by the Health and Safety Executive

Using Ladders Safely
How to carry out crucial checks and use ladders safely.

Thanks for reading our guide on how to make ladder accident in the workplace claims.

Guide by HE

Editor MA.