No Lighting On The Stairwell, Can I Claim Compensation After An Accident?
This guide contains information about whether you can claim personal injury compensation after sustaining harm in an accident that involved no lighting on a stairwell. Inadequate lighting could make it difficult to spot hazards, which could lead to being injured after a trip or fall. Improper stairwell lighting may introduce particular risks, as tripping in this location could lead to falling from a height.
No lighting on the stairwell claims guide
A third party may have owed you a duty of care to take reasonable steps to reduce or remove the risks posed by poor lighting.
The following sections contain information about the duty of care in the workplace and public areas, as well as who could be liable for injuries that occur in these locations.
Read on for more information. Otherwise, you can contact our team to talk about the circumstances surrounding your accident. Our advisers can answer the questions you may have about the personal injury claims process. Contact us by:
- Calling on 0800 073 8804
- Contacting us via the live chat feature below
- Filling in the online contact form with your query
Select A Section
- Can Poor Lighting On A Stairwell Cause Accidental Falls?
- Where Could Accidents Due To Poor Lighting Occur?
- What Injuries Could Be Caused By No Lighting On The Stairs?
- No Lighting On The Stairwell, Can I Claim Compensation After An Accident?
- Examples Of Payouts For Injuries Caused By No Lighting On The Stairwell
- How Do I Make A Poor Lighting Personal Injury Claim?
Can Poor Lighting On A Stairwell Cause Accidental Falls?
Stairwells could be located at work and in public places such as car parks and shopping centres. If these areas are not lit correctly, it could cause someone to trip over, perhaps causing an injury in the process.
Poor lighting could make it difficult to spot hazards. For example, defective lighting in a stairwell could prevent you spotting a spilled liquid, objects on the stairs or particularly high steps. In turn, you may trip or slip on the hazards and sustain an injury.
In some cases, you may be able to seek compensation for the harm you sustained. However, you must be able to demonstrate that negligence occurred. We will explore what this means further in our guide.
To learn more about claiming for harm sustained in an accident that occurred while there was little or no lighting on a stairwell, call our advisers. They can listen to the details surrounding your accident and tell you more about the personal injury claims process.
Where Could Accidents Due To Poor Lighting Occur?
There are various places in which an accident could occur due to no lighting on a stairwell. These include stairwells that are:
- Leading to or between work areas
- Located in carparks or shopping areas
- Used as fire escapes
- Located in schools, hospitals or workplaces you are visiting
Government legislation requires sufficient lighting in certain circumstances. For example, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 state that every workplace should have ‘suitable and sufficient’ lighting to move safely from place to place. This is part of an employers duty of care which is outlined in the central piece of workplace health and safety legislation The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Failure to uphold this duty could lead you to fall down the stairs at work and suffer an injury.
Similarly, the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 states that visitors are owed a duty of care while they are using a public space for its intended purpose; those in control of the space should take steps to ensure their reasonable safety.
For example, you may fall while going upstairs in a store due to no lighting on the stairwell that the person in control of the space was aware of and failed to fix. If you were injured as a result, you may be able to claim compensation for the harm you sustained after the accident in a shop.
Statistics On Trips And Falls From A Height
A piece of legislation known as The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) requires that employers report certain types of accidents and injuries. These reports are made to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and are collated into helpful workplace accident statistics. We have used these statistics to create the graph below which shows the number of non-fatal slips, trips and falls that were reported by employers under RIDDOR in 2020/21.
Workplace non-fatal slips, trips or falls on the same level compared to non-fatal falls from a height, as reported to the HSE.
Please note, these statistics only relate to workplace accidents and do not give an insight into the number of slips, trips or falls in public places. Contact our team of advisers to learn more about accidents stemming from no lighting on a stairwell and whether you’re eligible to claim.
What Injuries Could Be Caused By No Lighting On The Stairs?
Slipping or tripping on poorly lit stairs could lead to a range of injuries, such as:
- A broken arm or broken leg
- Sprains or strains
- A brain injury or head injury
- A dislocated shoulder
- A back injury
It’s a good idea to seek medical treatment following your accident to get treatment for your injuries. Also, a medical report can be a valuable source of evidence to support a personal injury claim.
Call our advisers to learn more about your eligibility to claim after an accident involving no lighting on a stairwell.
No Lighting On The Stairwell, Can I Claim Compensation After An Accident?
You may be able to make a personal injury claim following an slip, trip or fall accident at work or in a public place if the following criteria are met:
- Someone owed you duty of care; for example, your employer or the person in control of a public space
- That person breached the duty of care they owed
- As a result of this breach, you sustained harm in the form of a physical or emotional injury
This is known as negligence. If negligence caused you harm, you may be able to seek compensation.
Contact our advisers to find out more information about who owed you duty of care to address no lighting in a stairwell.
Examples Of Payouts For Injuries Caused By No Lighting On The Stairwell
The compensation you could receive after successful a personal injury claim depends upon the severity of your injuries and several other factors. Rather than providing a personal injury calculator, we’ve included a table containing compensation brackets for certain injuries.
These figures are pulled from the Judicial College Guidelines, which is a document that personal injury solicitors usually use to help them assess the value of the general damages portion of your settlement. General damages are awarded in successful personal injury claims to recompense you for the pain and suffering caused by your injury.
Please only use the figures as a guide because you’re actual settlement will vary.
| Injury Type | Guideline Compensation Bracket | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Very Severe Brain Injury (a) | £282,010 to £403,990 | There will be little response to environment and language function, as well as the need for full-time nursing care. |
| Moderately Severe Brain Injury (b) | £219,070 to £282,010 | Very serious physical or cognitive disability with substantial dependence on others and the need for care of some kind. |
| Paraplegia (b) | £219,070 to £284,260 | Considers the extent of pain, degree of independence, and impact on life expectancy and sexual function as well as the psychological impact. |
| Severe Back Injuries (a) (i) | £91,090 to £160,980 | Severe injuries involving damage to the nerve roots and spinal cord. Resulting in pain and disability as well as other issues. |
| Severe Back Injuries (a) (ii) | £74,160 to £88,430 | Significant damage to the nerve roots with resulting loss of sensation, mobility impairment and other issues. |
| Arm Injuries (b) | £39,170 to £59,860 | Serious fractures of both arms that lead to functional or cosmetic permanent disability. |
| Arm Injuries (c) | £19,200 to £39,170 | Significant disabilities but a substantial level of recovery occurs. |
| Severe Leg Injuries (b) (iii) |
£39,200 to £54,830 | A compound or comminuted fracture that is serious in nature is covered by this bracket. |
| Severe Shoulder Injuries (a) | £19,200 to £48,030 | A shoulder injury that is associated with damage to the neck and brachial plexus. |
| Moderate Ankle Injuries (c) | £13,740 to £26,590 | Less serious disabilities resulting from injuries such as fractures and tears to ligaments. |
If you’ve suffered financial losses as a direct result of your injury, you may receive a second head of claim known as special damages. These could reimburse you for:
- Lost earnings
- Lost future earnings
- Care or physiotherapy costs
To learn more about special damages in personal injury claims, contact our team of advisers. They will assess the merits of your potential claim and offer an estimate for how much you might receive after suffering an injury due to no lighting on a stairwell.
How Do I Make A Poor Lighting Personal Injury Claim?
You might be worried about the financial risk of hiring legal representation. Legal Expert could help in this regard, through the use of a No Win No Fee agreement.
There are different kinds of this agreement, but if your potential claim is passed on to one of our solicitors, they may offer you a type known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Under the terms of this agreement, you won’t usually have to pay for their services upfront or if your claim fails.
Instead, you will only a pay your solicitor a small percentage of your compensation if your claim is successful. This amount is capped by law.
Get in touch with our advisers to learn more about hiring a solicitor to help you through the personal injury claims process on this basis. They can offer you personalised advice about your specific circumstances. Get in touch by:
- Calling us at 0800 073 8804
- Contacting us via the live chat feature below
- Filling in the online contact form with your query
Related Accidents Caused By Poor Lighting At Work
More guides about personal injury compensation:
- Personal Injury On Private Property – A helpful guide on how to claim compensation if you’re injured on private property.
- Accident at Work – A guide on claiming compensation if you’re injured at work.
- Loss Of Earnings – A useful guide explaining how to seek reimbursement of loss of earnings.
Other resources you may find useful:
We hope this guide about claiming for injuries sustained in an accident due to no lighting on a stairwell has been useful. If you have any further questions, get in touch with our advisers today.
Written by Finley
Edited by Mitchell
