Fall From Height Claims & Compensation | Osbornes Law

Falls from height are the single biggest cause of death and serious injury in the workplace. Our personal injury solicitors act for workers across the country who have been badly hurt in a fall that should never have happened. We have over 50 years of experience in accident at work claims and our team is ranked by the Legal 500 and Chambers UK.

Most fall from height claims are run on a no win no fee basis, so there are no upfront costs and nothing to pay if your claim does not succeed.

What counts as a fall from height?

A fall from height does not have to be from a great distance. In law, it is any fall from one level to a lower one that causes injury, whether that is from a roof, a ladder, scaffolding or a vehicle, or even into a hole or down a flight of stairs.

The Health and Safety Executive treats work at height as any work where a person could fall a distance liable to cause injury. Many of the falls we deal with happen from only a few feet, but the worker still suffers a fractured wrist, a broken ankle or a serious head injury on landing.

If you were injured in any of these situations because your employer did not plan the work properly or provide the right equipment, you are likely to have a claim.

Common fall from height accidents

Falls from height happen across construction, maintenance, warehousing, farming and many other industries. The most common causes we see include:

• Ladder falls. A ladder slips at the bottom or topples sideways because it was not footed or tied. See our dedicated page on ladder accident claims.
• Scaffolding accidents. A worker falls from an incomplete platform, an unguarded edge or a collapsing tower. See our page on scaffolding accident claims.
• Falls through fragile roofs and skylights. Workers step onto fragile asbestos cement sheeting, plastic skylights or rotten timber and fall through, often several storeys.
• Falls from mobile platforms. Cherry pickers and scissor lifts, known as mobile elevating work platforms, can tip or throw a worker who is not properly harnessed.
• Falls from vehicles. Drivers and loaders fall from the back of lorries, trailers and high-sided vehicles while sheeting, loading or unloading.
• Falls on building and construction sites. Open edges, floor openings, stairwells and excavations all create a risk of a fall. See our page on construction site accident claims.

Whatever the cause, the question is the same. Did your employer take reasonable steps to prevent the fall? If not, they are usually liable for your injuries.

How much compensation can you claim for a fall from height?

Your compensation has two parts. General damages cover the injury itself, the pain and the effect on your life. Special damages cover your financial losses, including lost earnings, treatment, care, travel and adapting your home.

As a guide to general damages, the brackets below come from the Judicial College Guidelines, which the courts use to value injuries. They cover the injuries we see most often after a fall from height.

• Moderate back injury: £15,260 to £47,320. Severe back injury: £47,320 to £196,450.
• Moderate brain injury: £18,700 to £110,720. Severe brain injury: £267,340 to £344,150.
• Moderate ankle injury: £16,770 to £32,450. Severe ankle injury: £38,210 to £61,090.
• Serious wrist injury: £15,370 to £29,900. Severe wrist injury: £29,900 to £47,810.
• Serious leg injury: £47,840 to £66,920. Severe leg injury: £117,460 to £165,860.

Figures are from the 17th edition Judicial College Guidelines (April 2024). The current 18th edition (April 2026) figures are around 8% higher. The most serious falls cause spinal cord injury or brain injury, where settlements run to six and seven figures once future care and lost earnings are included.

Your employer’s duties under the Work at Height Regulations 2005

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 place the duty to keep you safe on your employer, not on you. They apply to every workplace where there is a risk of a fall, not just construction sites.

The regulations follow a clear order of priority. Your employer must:

1. Avoid work at height wherever it is reasonably possible to do the job from the ground.
2. Prevent a fall where work at height cannot be avoided, by using a safe platform, guard rails or a properly secured ladder.
3. Minimise the distance and consequences of a fall where the risk remains, using nets, airbags or harnesses.

Your employer must also plan the work, assess the risks, provide the right equipment and train you to use it. Equipment such as scaffolding, harnesses and platforms must be inspected and kept in good repair.

Falls from height remain the leading cause of fatal injury to workers in Britain, according to the Health and Safety Executive. Where an employer ignores these duties and a worker is hurt, that worker is usually entitled to compensation.

What if the fall was partly my fault?

Many people worry they cannot claim because they feel they should have been more careful. You can still claim in most of these cases.

Your employer is responsible for providing a safe system of work, the right equipment and proper training. If they failed to do so, they remain liable even if you made a mistake.

Where you were partly responsible, the law calls this contributory negligence. Your compensation may be reduced by a percentage to reflect your share of the blame, but you are not prevented from claiming.

How to make a fall from height claim

We keep the process simple and guide you through it.

1. Get medical help and report the accident. Make sure it is recorded in your employer’s accident book, as this creates an early written record.
2. Speak to our team. Tell us what happened and we will give you an honest view of whether you have a claim, usually at no cost and with no obligation.
3. We investigate liability. We gather the accident report, witness accounts, photographs and your employer’s risk assessments and training records.
4. We arrange support. For serious injuries we can secure interim payments and early rehabilitation, so your recovery does not have to wait for the claim to finish.
5. We value your claim. We obtain medical evidence and work out the full value of your injuries and financial losses.
6. We negotiate a settlement. Most claims settle without going to court. If a fair offer cannot be reached, we are ready to issue proceedings.

Fall from height settlements

Every result below reflects a real client. Figures depend on the circumstances of each case, including the severity of the injury and its effect on your work and independence.

• £75,000 for a 30-year-old labourer who fell through a glass atrium on a roof and suffered serious “trimalleolar” ankle fractures, leading to arthritis and an ankle fusion that ended his manual career.
• Over £30,000 for a labourer and handyman who fell around eight feet when an unsecured ladder slipped at the bottom, breaking his hip and wrist.

For the most serious falls, our major trauma team has recovered substantial sums for workers left with spinal, brain injuries and multiple injuries, where the settlement must cover a lifetime of care, lost earnings and home adaptations.

“Following an accident at work, I was lucky enough to be recommended Ben Posford at Osbornes Law. Ben and his team supported me throughout and kept me well informed. They helped me get the compensation I need, and it will provide for what I need in the future.” Osbornes client, Trustpilot review (5 stars)

Why choose Osbornes

We have acted for many workers who fell from, or through, roofs, ladders and scaffolding because their employer did not take the basic steps needed to prevent the accident. Our personal injury team is ranked by the Legal 500 and Chambers UK, and our serious injury lawyers handle some of the most catastrophic fall cases in the country.

When you instruct us, you get a solicitor who understands the long-term effect of a serious injury on your health, your work and your family. We work with a network of medical experts, charities and support groups, and we focus on securing the best medical, care and financial outcome for you. Most claims are funded on a no win no fee basis.

Speak to a fall from height claims solicitor

If you were injured in a fall from height that was not your fault, our solicitors can tell you where you stand. Most claims are handled on a no win no fee basis.

Call us on 020 7485 8811 or fill in the contact form below.