What Is The Pavement Trip Hazard Height In The UK?

Last updated 27th November 2025. Accidents involving slips, trips and falls can cause serious injuries, ranging from a dislocated knee to a broken wrist. Such injuries can significantly impact day-to-day life, from doing household chores to playing with your children and exercising. If you have been injured in this way, you may have looked into the trip hazard height in the UK. While there isn’t a legally defined minimum height, the general guideline is 1 inch (2.5cm).

Here at Legal Expert, personalised support is at the heart of what we do, and our solicitors genuinely care about their clients’ health and wellbeing as they guide them through the personal injury claims process. As part of this commitment, our solicitors offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis, ensuring eligible claimants can pursue compensation regardless of their financial status. 

The Important Questions Answered

• How is the pavement trip hazard height assessed in the UK? In the UK, a pavement trip hazard height is typically assessed as at least 1 inch in order for a personal injury claim to be considered.
• How might a pavement tripping hazard accident occur? They might happen due to poor maintenance, a lack of regular inspections, or a third party’s failure to make timely repairs to the pavement.
• What injuries can you suffer from a pavement tripping accident? Common injuries include broken bones, concussions, and soft tissue damage.
• What specifically can I claim for after a pavement tripping hazard accident? You can claim for your physical and psychological injuries, as well as any financial losses related to this harm.
• Can I claim without professional legal representation? While you don’t need to claim with one, working with an expert solicitor can increase your likelihood of securing the highest possible compensation.

If you have further queries concerning the question of ‘What height is a trip hazard?’, our advisors are here to help. Whether you’d like to find out more or want to discuss your own tripping accident, please get in touch today.

You can also watch our video below which explains the key takeaways from our guide:

What Is A Pedestrian Injury Compensation Claim?

A pedestrian injury compensation claim can be made if a pedestrian suffers an injury due to a breach of duty of care that was owed to them. These factors form the basis of negligence.

The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 states that the occupier of a public place (the party in control) owes a duty of care to all public members who visit their space. This means that occupiers must take steps to ensure the public’s reasonable safety while on their premises.

Specifically, the Highways Act 1980 states that, in most cases, local authorities and councils are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of public streets and roads. This means that, generally, your local council owes you a duty of care when you are on public pavements, and are responsible for ensuring that public pavements are reasonably safe for you to walk on.

One of the steps local authorities should take to uphold their duty of care includes conducting regular risk assessments to identify whether pavements are over the trip hazard height in the UK, and either eliminating these hazards or displaying warning signs of these hazards if they cannot be eliminated

As such, here is the pavement accident claims eligibility criteria you will need to meet if you wish to claim compensation:

1. An occupier, such as a local council, owed you a duty of care.
2. They breached their duty of care. For example, they neglected to check the pavement for a long period of time.
3. You suffered an injury due to this breach of duty.

So, if you are wondering, “What is a trip hazard, and can I make a pedestrian injury claim for tripping on pavement?” please contact us today. A member of our team can give you a free case evaluation and discuss your circumstances.

What Is The Pavement Trip Hazard Height In The UK?

There’s no legal threshold for what is considered a pavement trip hazard. However, local authorities will usually not consider claims for accidents caused by trip hazards of a depth of less than 1 inch (2.5cm).

If the pavement that you tripped and injured yourself on meets or exceeds this height, you could have valid grounds to make a compensation claim. Please speak to our claims team for further details.

How The Pavement Trip Hazard Height UK Is Assessed

As we have already mentioned, there’s no legal limit to what is considered a trip hazard on the pavement. However, claims for accidents caused by trip hazards of less than one inch will usually not be considered.

This is because, as part of the duty of care, the person in control of the area need to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the safety of the public. However, a trip hazard of less than one inch would not be considered enough of a hazard to warrant immediate repair.

However, if the trip hazard is an inch or higher and you’ve been injured, then you may be able to claim. The hazard should either be at least one inch above the level of the rest of the pavement or one inch below it.

Can You Claim Falling On Uneven Pavements If They Were Not Well Maintained?

As part of the duty of care that a local authority has towards you, they need to repair any hazards. This includes large hazards, like a tree that has fallen down and is blocking the path.

However, they also have a responsibility to deal with smaller hazards. This can include things like wonky paving slabs that pose a trip hazard.

According to Well-managed Highway Infrastructure- A Code of Practice, councils and local authorities should take a risk-based approach to maintain highways. For this reason, the Code doesn’t outline any minimum standards but instead gives information about how an organisation can develop their own levels of services.

If there is a hazard that does not pose an obvious risk to safety, then it is unlikely that a local authority would be expected to repair it. This is why, generally, a council will not consider a claim that is made for an accident where the trip hazard was less than one inch. Because this did not pose an obvious risk to safety, the council is not in breach of its duty of care if it does not repair the pavement.

How Local Authorities Defend Against Highway Tripping Claims

There are a number of different ways that a local authority or council might defend against a claim for compensation for tripping over a pavement. For example, they might state that they included signs around the trip hazard to alert people passing of the danger. If you tripped despite the presence of such signs, you might not be able to claim.

In addition to this, the council might defend itself by claiming that they could not reasonably be expected to have identified the hazard. Furthermore, they might have been aware of the hazard but claim that it is unreasonable to expect them to repair it in the time between it being discovered and the accident happening.

In order to give you a better chance of claiming the compensation you deserve, you should gather evidence to support your claim. Read on to find out how you can do this. You can also contact us for more information about building a claim.

What Evidence Can Support Highway Tripping Claims?

There are a number of different ways that you can support your claim for compensation after a pavement accident. These include:

• Photographs. It would help if you took photographs of the accident scene and of a ruler against the trip hazard showing how high it is. You may also want to take photographs of your injuries as they heal.
• Medical records. If you’ve been involved in a slip accident, you should seek medical attention even if you don’t initially think you’re seriously injured. The records that this generates will support your claim for compensation.
• Witness details. If someone else saw your accident happen, you could ask them to provide their details. At a later date, they could be asked to provide statements to support your claim.
• CCTV footage. If the accident was caught on CCTV, you could use this to support your claim. You can request CCTV footage of yourself.
• Financial evidence. As well as compensation for your physical injuries, you could also claim for the financial harm that your injuries caused you. For this reason, you may find it useful to collect evidence like receipts and bills to show the amount you have spent.

If you would like any more guidance on the evidence that you could provide to support your claim, speak to a member of our team today. Or you can read on to find out more about how compensation is calculated.

How Long Do I Have To Start A Personal Injury Claim? 

If you want to receive compensation for your injuries caused by a trip hazard, you must start a personal injury claim. You may be eligible to claim if another person failed to recognise the trip hazard height in the UK, resulting in your injuries. However, you must start your claim within a specific time frame. 

Under the Limitation Act 1980, you must start a personal injury claim within three years of the date you sustained your injuries. However, as everyone is claiming under different personal circumstances, there are some exceptions to this rule when it will not apply, such as:

• If the claimant is a minor, they are not legally allowed to start a claim so the three year time limit is paused until they reach the age of eighteen.
• If the claimant lacks mental capacity and this is recognised under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the time limit is indefinitely frozen. However, it will commence if they regain mental capacity. 

Understandably, claimants still may want to claim compensation despite the time limit being paused or frozen on their claim. However, this may be possible if a litigation friend is appointed to act on their behalf throughout the claims process. Litigation friends do not need to understand the law surrounding HSE trip hazard heights, but rather simply act in the claimants best interests. Our advisors can explain their role in more detail, if necessary. 

If you have any questions about the claims time limit, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly advisors today. They can go through them all with you and get you started on your claim if you are eligible to do so.

Pavement Trip Hazard Height In The UK Compensation Claims Calculator

When you claim compensation for your injuries, your settlement might be made up of general and special damages. General damages compensate you for the injuries you have experienced, whereas special damages compensate you for the financial impact your injuries have had.

General damages are worked out with the help of a medical assessment with an independent expert. They’ll assess your injuries and compile their findings in a medical report. This report can be used alongside guideline compensation brackets from the Judicial College (JCG) to help value your claim.

Below, we have included a table using the JCG. Please bear in mind that these are not guaranteed compensation amounts, and the top figure is not from the JCG.

You can also use our compensation calculator to see how much your claim might be worth. Simply input the details of your accident, and you could be given a valuation of your claim in moments.

Special Damages Which Could Be Awarded In Highway Tripping Claims

Special damages are the part of your claim that can compensate you for any financial harm that your injuries have caused you. There are a  number of different things that can be included in special damages. These include:

• Loss of earnings or future earnings. If you need to take time off work as you recover, you could be compensated for the impact this has on your wages.
• Travel costs. You could claim back the cost of travel to and from medical appointments.
• Medical/care costs. If you need treatment that you cannot get on the NHS, or your injuries are so severe that you need care while you recover, then you may be able to include this in your claim.
• The cost of plans you’re no longer able to commit to. For example, if you’re injured, and that means you’re no longer able to attend a holiday that you had booked, then you could claim the cost of this back.

Please speak to us for extra guidance on this area of your claim after being injured in an accident. Or, if you would like to know more about the minimum pavement trip hazard height, speak to our team today.

No Win No Fee Pedestrian Injury Compensation Claims

Our friendly team of advisors work around the clock to answer any questions you may have following a pavement accident. As part of the free services we offer, you could also be connected with one of the specialist No Win No Fee solicitors from our panel to help with trip hazard height UK claims. By operating under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), you could enjoy the following:

• No solicitor service fees at the beginning of your claim or as it progresses
• If your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t be required to pay fees for your solicitor’s work
• If your claim is successful, you’ll only be required to pay a small success fee for the work your solicitor has done. This success fee is legally capped, and the percentage will be deducted from your compensation. Therefore, you’ll always receive the bulk of your settlement.

At Legal Expert, an experienced No Win No Fee solicitor can provide the following advantages:

• Regular case updates
• Explanations of key legal terminologies
• Help with signing legal documents
• Assistance with evidence-gathering, such as witness statements and medical records
• Arrangements of physiotherapy sessions to aid any ongoing injuries
• An independent medical assessment to assess your injuries
• Negotiations with the defendant to achieve a settlement that best reflects your pain and suffering

To discuss the further benefits of making a claim with a solicitor, please contact our helpful team today.

Start A Pedestrian Tripping Claim

Remember that our advisors are on hand to assist you around the clock, providing 24/7 access whenever you require it. Also, you don’t have to move ahead with a claim purely because you’ve spoken with us; there’s no obligation to continue after your initial free consultation.

You can get in touch with us today for more information by:

• Calling our team on 0800 073 8804
• Contact us by filling out our online form
• Or by contacting us on our live chat service

Essential References

We appreciate you reading our guide about pedestrian accident claims. That being said, you may want more information. If that’s the case, we recommend that you check out the links below.

• Should I visit A&E? This NHS guide can help you figure out where to go for medical attention.
• This page from the government website provides advice on Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
• You may find our guide on pedestrian accident claims useful.
• Read our guide, where we look at No Win No Fee agreements in greater detail.
• For more guidance on how a slip, trip or fall solicitor could help, read this guide.

Thank you for reading our guide looking at the pavement trip hazard height.