A slip, trip or fall claim is a personal injury claim against the person or organisation responsible for the surface or place where you fell, because they failed to keep it reasonably safe: a shop with an unsigned wet floor, a council with a broken pavement, an employer with a cluttered walkway or an icy yard, a landlord with a broken stair; it must normally start within three years, it is usually run on a no win no fee basis, and National Accident Support Line assesses whether there is a claim and refers it to a specialist solicitor with a callback within 2 minutes.

Falls are the most common cause of injury claims in the UK and the most often dismissed by the people who suffer them. A wrist fracture from a fall is treated as bad luck. It is often nothing of the sort. Floors get inspected, pavements get maintained, stairs get handrails and yards get gritted because the law requires it, and when the person responsible has not done it, the cost of the injury sits with them.

We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.

Who is responsible for a slip, trip or fall

Whoever controls the place. A shop, supermarket, restaurant, pub, gym or hotel is responsible for its floors, stairs and car park under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957. A council is responsible for public pavements, roads, parks and buildings under the Highways Act 1980 and the same Act. An employer is responsible for the workplace, its floors, walkways, lighting and outdoor areas, under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations. A landlord is responsible for the common parts of a building. A private landowner is responsible for land they let people onto. The claim is against the responsible party's insurer.

What you have to prove

Three things: that the place was in a dangerous condition, that it caused your fall, and that the responsible party failed to take reasonable care to prevent it. The third is where claims are won and lost. A shop has to show it inspected the floor at reasonable intervals and dealt with spillages promptly; a council has to show it inspected the pavement on a reasonable schedule; an employer has to show the walkway was kept clear and the yard gritted. Where they cannot, the claim succeeds. Where they can, and the hazard had just arisen, it may not.

Two rules worth knowing. For a pavement trip, courts treat a raised or sunken edge of around an inch, about 25mm, as the point where a defect becomes dangerous. And for a fall at work, the employer's duty is stricter than a shop's: the regulations require floors to be kept free from obstructions and substances likely to cause a slip, with no "we hadn't noticed" defence to speak of.

Where slips, trips and falls happen and who answers for them

Where	What usually causes it	Who is responsible
Supermarket, shop, restaurant, pub	Wet floor with no sign, spillage, trailing cable, stock in the aisle	The business, sometimes the landlord
Pavement or road	Raised slab, pothole, loose kerb, missing cover	The local council
Workplace	Wet or oily floor, cluttered walkway, poor lighting, ice in the yard, unguarded step	The employer
Stairs anywhere	Missing or loose handrail, uneven treads, worn carpet, poor lighting	The occupier or landlord
Car park	Potholes, unmarked kerbs, ice, poor lighting	The operator or landowner
Rented home, communal areas	Broken stairs, loose flooring, no lighting	The landlord
Park, playground, public building	Broken surfaces, defective equipment	The council or the body that runs it

We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.

The situations people describe to us

"I slipped on a wet floor in a shop and they said there was a sign"

A sign helps the shop but does not end the claim. The questions are whether it was visible from where you approached, whether the spillage should have been cleaned rather than signed, and how long it had been there. Ask for the accident book entry, the names of the staff who helped, and for the CCTV to be kept.

"I fell on the pavement outside my house"

The council claim, decided by how high the defect was, how long it had been there and whether the council's inspections should have caught it. Photograph it with a coin or ruler for scale, report it to the council and ask neighbours whether it had been reported before. The injuries a pavement fall causes and what they mean are covered in our guide.

"I slipped at work and they wrote it down as my fault"

The accident book records what happened, not who was to blame. A slip at work is judged against the employer's duty to keep floors clear and safe, and a supervisor's note that the worker was careless is not the last word.

"I fell down the stairs in a pub with no handrail"

One of the strongest claims there is, because the defect is obvious and the fix is cheap. Photograph the stairs and get the incident recorded before you leave.

What to do after a slip, trip or fall

Get the injury seen and recorded by a GP or A&E on the day. Report it to whoever controls the place and get it written down: the accident book in a shop or workplace, a report to the council for a pavement. Photograph the hazard from several angles with something for scale, and photograph your injuries. Take the names and numbers of anyone who saw it. Ask for CCTV to be kept. Keep receipts and a note of every day off. Then get in touch.

How a slip, trip or fall claim works with National Accident Support Line

Tell us what happened, by the form, WhatsApp or a call to 0333 212 2730, and web enquiries are called back within 2 minutes during opening hours. We ask where, what caused it, how long it had been there, whether it was reported and who saw it. If there is a claim, we refer it to a specialist solicitor who runs it on a no win no fee basis. If there isn't, we tell you straight. NASL is an FCA-regulated claims management company, not a law firm. Falls in shops, on pavements and in parks are covered in more detail on our accident in a public place page, and the personal injury claims guide explains what every injury claim involves.

Frequently asked questions

Can I claim for a slip, trip or fall?

Yes, where the place was dangerous and the person responsible for it failed to take reasonable care to prevent the hazard.

Who pays if I claim?

The responsible party's insurer: the shop's public liability insurance, the council's, the employer's liability insurance or the landlord's.

How long do I have to claim?

Three years from the date of the fall in England and Wales, or from the date you knew your injury was linked to it. For a child, three years from their 18th birthday.

Can I claim for a fall at work?

Yes. Employers have a strict duty to keep floors and walkways safe, and a fall at work is one of the most common workplace claims.

What if I was partly to blame?

The claim is reduced by your share, not refused. Not looking where you were going, or ignoring a clear warning, reduces a claim; it rarely ends one.

Do I need to have reported it at the time?

No, but it helps a great deal. Report it now if you have not, and get the injury on your medical record.

What does no win no fee mean?

Nothing to pay upfront and nothing if the claim fails. If it succeeds, the solicitor's success fee, capped at 25% and agreed before the claim starts, comes out of the award.

We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.

National Accident Support Line Ltd is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of regulated claims management activities, registration number 829991.