In this guide, we will explore trailing leads hazards and how they could cause you to sustain harm at work or in a public place. You may have suffered from a slip or trip as a result of a trailing cable, but that does not necessarily make you eligible to make a personal injury claim. 

You have to be able to prove somebody else’s negligence caused the incident. Also, you need to prove that you suffered harm, either physically or psychologically, due to their negligence. Negligence involves a person breaching the duty of care they owed you. We’ll discuss how this may lead to an accident that causes you harm later on in this guide. 

We will also look to answer questions such as, “what are trailing leads?” and “where is a trailing wires risk commonly found?”.

Furthermore, we will provide you with key information on the average payouts for a trip at work and how No Win No Fee solicitors could help you seek compensation. 

Please continue reading for more information. Or, if you would prefer, you can speak to a member of our team today by:

• Calling the number above
• Talking with one of our advisors via the chat in the bottom of your screen.
• Filling out our online contact form with your query. 

What Are Trailing Leads Hazards?

There are various types of hazards, such as trailing leads. This kind of hazard can be present in the workplace and in a public place. If the hazard is not addressed, it could lead to potentially dangerous situations as a result of leads, cables and wires being in such positions where you could trip on them and injure yourself.

According to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers owe their employees a duty of care. They must take reasonable steps to protect them from experiencing harm in the workplace. 

If an employer fails to uphold their duty of care, you could experience different injuries, such as: 

• Shoulder injuries
• Arm injuries 
• Hand injuries 
• Hip or pelvis injuries 
• Foot injuries 

However, for these injuries to lead to an accident at work claim, you must prove that they were sustained due to a third party’s negligence.

Recent Work Accident Figures

As per reports made by employers under The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), there were 51,211 non-fatal injuries to employees during 2020/21.

From that figure, 16,698 of those injuries resulted from slips, trips and falls at work on the same level. These statistics were sourced by the latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics. 

Calculating Compensation After Tripping Accidents

If your personal injury claim is successful, your payout may consist of two heads of claim. These are general damages and special damages and both heads of claim provide compensation for the various ways in which your injury has impacted your life.

For instance, general damages cover the pain and suffering that is sustained due to your injuries, including any psychological or physical injuries. They also take into account the impact on your life and potential future impact.

For example, you could receive compensation for an injury suffered from a trailing leads hazard, but if that injury stops you from working or socialising, your compensation amount should reflect this.

The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) is a document that legal professionals use to help them when valuing the general damages head of claim. Using the 16th edition of the JCG, we have compiled a table of compensation amounts relating to different injuries.

Although, you must remember that every personal injury claim is different and the compensation you might win could differ. Therefore, this table should only be used as a guideline. 

Body Part	Compensation Bracket	Details
Back	£91,090 to £160,980	(a) Severe (i): The most severe form of back injury which involves damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots.
Back	£12,510 to £27,760	(b) Moderate (ii): Includes common injuries to the back such as disturbance of ligaments and muscles as well as soft tissue injuries.
Leg	£96,250 to £135,920	(b) Severe (i): Injuries that are the most serious falling short of requiring amputation.
Pelvis And Hip	£78,400 to £130,930	(a) Severe (i): Extensive fractures of the pelvis alongside a dislocated lower back joint and a ruptured bladder.
Pelvis And Hip	Up to £3,950	(c) Lesser injuries (ii): A full recovery of minor soft tissue injuries.
Wrist	£47,620 to £59,860	(a) An injury that causes complete loss of function.
Wrist	£12,590 to £24,500	(c) When less severe injuries cause some permanent disability, for example, pain or stiffness.
Shoulder	£19,200 to £48,030	(a) Severe: Significant disability suffered due to damage to the brachial plexus.
Arm	£19,200 to £39,170	(c) Less Severe: While major disabilities have been suffered, a substantial level of recovery has occurred or is expected.
Elbow	Up to £12,590	(c) Moderate or Minor: Injuries that do not cause permanent damage with no permanent impact on function, such as a simple fracture or tennis elbow.

What Else Could Be Included In My Settlement?

Special damages may also be included in the settlement you receive. This compensates you for any financial losses suffered because of your injuries. For example, you may have to make some home adaptations if you suffer a permanent disability. 

Other costs that may be covered by special damages include: 

• Medical expenses
• Care costs
• Travel costs

Keep hold of any evidence that could prove any financial loss, such as bank statements, receipts and invoices.

For more information on what the average compensation is for a fall at work, call our team.

Reasons For Trailing Lead Hazards

There are many forms of trailing leads hazards, for example: 

• A staff member in an office may be using an industrial floor cleaner. They might fail to make other employees aware of the trailing leads hazard. As a result, this causes you to sustain a shoulder injury in an office accident.
• Your employer may have failed to tidy some loose cable that has been left out after being used in the warehouse. As a result, you get tangled in it, fall and suffer a wrist injury in a factory accident.
• Your employer, despite being aware of a loose lead from a piece of equipment on a construction site, may have failed to fix the hazard. Subsequently, you could trip on the lead and break your collarbone in a construction accident.
• Your employer might have failed to fix the poor lighting. You might have tripped and fell as you are unable to see the loose wiring, injuring your head.

If you have sustained an injury at work similar to this, you may be eligible to make a personal injury claim. Alternatively, if someone suffered a fatal accident at work, you may be able to claim on their behalf. Please get in touch for more information. 

What Evidence Could Support Tripping Accident Claims?

There are a number of steps that can be carried out in the aftermath of your trailing leads hazards accident to help you build a strong personal injury claim.

Your first priority should be acquiring the necessary medical care. This will help you treat any injuries sustained but also generate medical records that can later be used as evidence to support your claim. 

Next, you should: 

• Fill out an accident at work book – If applicable, you should write a report of your accident. Having evidence of where and how it happened can help your claim. 
• Gather witness contact details – Make a note of the contact details of any witnesses who might provide a statement to your solicitor at a later date.
• Photographic evidence – Take pictures of the scene of the incident and your injuries. 
• CCTV footage – Acquire any CCTV footage of the incident. 

What Does A No Win No Fee Agreement Involve?

Often legal representation can be expensive, which discourages people from hiring a solicitor. However, a No Win No Fee agreement mitigates the financial risk of funding legal representation.

Operating under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which is a type of No Win No Fee service, means that you do not have to pay your solicitor for the services they provide if your case fails. Furthermore, there are no fees to be paid for their services upfront or whilst your case is ongoing. 

If your case is successful, your solicitor will take a legally capped percentage of your compensation. This is called a success fee.

Discuss Trailing Leads Hazards Accident Claims

Hopefully, all of your questions on trailing leads hazards have been answered in this guide. If you have any other questions or would like to begin the claims process today, get in touch with a member of our team. 

You can do so by: 

• Calling the number above
• Talking with one of our advisors via the chat in the bottom of your screen.
• Filling out our online contact form with your query. 

Further Information About Trailing Leads Hazards

Please find some additional resources below:

• HSE – Guidance on Slips and Trips 
• GOV – Request CCTV footage yourself 
• NHS – How do I know if I’ve broken a bone? 

Thank you for reading our guide on trailing leads hazards. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Writer Beck Pickering

Editor Meg Martin