Accident At Work Caused By Trailing Leads Hazards – Can I Claim?

By Jo Anderson. Last Updated 17th November 2023. Trailing lead hazards can present a risk of injury in the workplace, and if you’ve tripped over any kind of cable or wire as a result of negligence, you could claim compensation for your injuries. In this guide, we’ll walk you through what constitutes a trailing lead with a focus on how one could cause an accident at work and how to begin a personal injury claim.

Trailing leads hazards

Trailing leads hazards claims guide

Your employer has a legal responsibility to ensure your safety while at work as much as they reasonably can. Our advisers can help you learn more about your rights after an accident. In the meantime, read on to learn more about the specifics of this kind of claim.

If you’ve been injured as a result of a trailing lead or wire, get in touch with us to see if you could be eligible to claim:

  • Call us at 0800 073 8801
  • Contact an adviser via the live chat feature below
  • Fill out our online contact form with your query

Select A Section

  1. Can I Claim For An Accident At Work Caused By Trailing Leads, Wires Or Cables?
  2. I Was Injured Due To Trailing Leads – How Long Do I Have To Claim?
  3. Examples Of How Trailing Leads Could Cause An Injury
  4. Evidence That Can Support Claims For Injuries Caused By Trailing Leads Hazards
  5. What Is The Average Compensation For An Accident At Work?
  6. Talk To A Specialist Solicitor

Can I Claim For An Accident At Work Caused By Trailing Leads, Wires Or Cables?

If you have been injured in a workplace accident caused by trailing leads or cables, you would not automatically be able to claim compensation. To have a valid personal injury claim, you would need to prove:

  • Your employer owed you a duty of care.
  • This duty was breached.
  • The breach caused you to suffer an injury.

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, your employer has a duty of care to take reasonable steps to ensure your health and safety while in the workplace and performing work-related tasks. Risk assessing the premises and identifying any trip hazards, such as trailing wires, is an important part of this. Any hazards that can be removed should be. If a hazard is identified and it cannot be removed, it should be clearly signposted to warn employees of the risk.

Should your employer fail to adhere to their duty of care, and this causes you to suffer an injury in a trip and fall accident, you could be eligible to make a personal injury claim.

To learn more about claiming compensation for such accidents, please read on, or contact an advisor for a free eligibility check on your case.

I Was Injured Due To Trailing Leads – How Long Do I Have To Claim?

If you suffered injuries from tripping on trailing wires and are eligible to claim compensation, you must start your claim within the relevant time limit. Generally, this is three years from the date of the accident that caused your injuries.

However, there are certain exceptions to this limitation period. This includes:

  • Those who lack the mental capacity to start a claim for themself. The time limit is indefinitely suspended. During this suspension, a court-appointed litigation friend could make the claim on their behalf. However, if the injured party regains this mental capacity and a claim has not been made for them, they will have three years from the date of their recovery to start one.
  • Those under the age of 18. The time limit is paused until their 18th birthday. Prior to this, a litigation friend could claim on their behalf. However, if they turn 18 without a claim already being made, they will have three years from the date of their 18th birthday to start one.

If you suffered injuries due to tripping over trailing leads and are unsure whether you could make a personal injury claim get in touch with one of our advisors. They can help answer your questions and offer you free advice.

Examples Of How Trailing Leads Could Cause An Injury

There are many ways in which trailing wires or trailing leads could cause an accident at work. For example:

  • Lack of risk assessments: Sometimes, trailing wires and leads are unavoidable. In these situations, your employer should do a risk assessment to see if the risk can be mitigated, for example, with a slipcover. If your employer fails to do so, this could result in a slip or trip accident that causes you to sustain an injury, such as a broken bone. 
  • Cluttered walkways: Walkways should be kept clear and free from obstructions, such as trailing wires. If they aren’t, this could lead to an employee tripping and falling down a stairwell or over a guardrail. As a result, they might sustain a head injury or back injury.
  • Electrocution: Damaged wires and cables can lead to electrocution. If an exposed wire is left trailing along the floor or overheard, accidental contact with it could lead to electrocution which could potentially result in a brain injury.

As we have already mentioned, you cannot claim for all accidents caused by trailing leads hazards. In order to form the basis of a valid claim, you have to be able to prove that your employer breached their duty of care, and this caused your injuries. To learn more, contact our team of advisors today.

Evidence That Can Support Claims For Injuries Caused By Trailing Leads Hazards

To make a valid personal injury claim for injuries caused by trailing wires, leads or cables, you will need evidence that supports your case. Evidence that could support your accident at work claim may include the following:

  • Medical records that confirm your injuries and treatment.
  • Any video footage available that shows your accident, such as CCTV footage.
  • Photographs of the accident scene and your injuries.
  • The contact details of any witnesses who can provide a statement.
  • A copy of the work accident report covering the incident from your employer’s accident book.

If you arrange for a solicitor to support your case, then they can assist with this process of collecting evidence.

For more advice on gathering evidence when seeking accident at work injury compensation, contact our advisors for free today.

What Is The Average Compensation For An Accident At Work?

If you choose to begin a personal injury claim due to an accident from trailing leads hazards, the compensation you could receive can be impacted in part by how much pain and suffering you have experienced.

Solicitors use a document called the Judicial College Guidelines to help them decide how much a personal injury claim could be worth. The JCG relates to general damages, which is the part of your settlement that compensates for the pain and suffering caused by your accident.

Instead of including a personal injury calculator, we’ve listed some of the JCG brackets for injuries that can result from tripping over trailing leads hazards.

Injury TypeCompensation BracketNotes
Multiple serious injuriesUp to £1,000,000+Combinations of injuries that result in serious impacts on the person’s life and financed.
Moderate Head Injuries (c) (i)£150,110 to £219,070This bracket includes cases with an intellectual deficit of a moderate to severe nature as well as other issues.
Severe Back Injuries (a) (i)£91,090 to £160,980Injuries involving damage to the spinal cord and the nerve roots causing severe pain and disability.
Severe Knee Injuries (a) (i)£69,730 to £96,210A serious injury to the knee in which the joint has been disrupted, leading to considerable pain and ligamentous damage as well as other issues.
Severe Knee Injuries (a) (ii)£52,120 to £69,730A leg fracture that extends into the knee joint causing permanent and constant pain as well as limited movement.
Severe Leg Injuries (b) (iv)£27,760 to £39,200Moderate injuries such as multiple fractures affecting one limb.
Less Serious Leg Injuries (c) (i)£17,960 to £27,760This bracket includes serious soft tissue injuries.
Wrist Injuries (b)£24,500 to £39,170Significant injury with permanent disability but there is some remaining useful movement.
Serious Shoulder Injuries (b)£12,770 to £19,200This bracket includes cases of restricted movement from a fractured humerus.
Moderate Ankle Injuries (c)£13,740 to £26,590Fractures, strains, and sprains that result in disabilities of a less serious nature.
Hand Injuries (k)£10,320 to £16,340A serious ring or middle finger injury.

The amounts shown above should be used as a guide only. Your circumstances affect the amount of compensation you receive, meaning that your settlement may differ.

You could also be awarded special damages, which would affect the overall value of your claim. Read on to learn more about this potential second head of a settlement.

Special Damages In Claims For Trailing Leads Hazards Accidents

In every successful personal injury claim, the injured party is awarded general damages as outlined above. However, you could also be due special damages.

Special damages can be awarded in trailing leads hazards claims to cover past and future financial losses arising from the injury. They are could include items such as:

  • Lost earnings
  • Lost future earnings
  • Travel expenses incurred because of your injury, for example, if you’ve had to pay for taxis to get to and from hospital appointments 
  • Care expenses
  • Cost of rehabilitation

The purpose of special damages is to return you to the financial position you were in before your injury took place. During the course of your claim, a personal injury lawyer look at all aspects of your case and determine if you could be due special damages.

Talk To A Specialist Solicitor About Trailing Leads Hazards

You may find the process of making a compensation claim for your injuries easier with the support and guidance of a solicitor. However, you might be hesitant to do so if you’re expected to pay upfront fees to your lawyer with no guarantee that your claim will be a success. 

If you select Accident Claims UK to assist in your claim, you could be offered a type of No Win No Fee Agreement known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This means you will generally have:

  • No upfront fees to get your claim started
  • No fees to pay at any point during the claim process
  • No fees to pay for your lawyer’s services if your claim is unsuccessful

If your personal injury claim is successful, you will pay a small success fee from the compensation you are awarded, made up of a percentage that is capped by law.

If you’re thinking of making a personal injury claim because of an accident to do with trailing leads hazards, get in touch using the details below:

  • Call us at 0800 073 8801
  • Contact an adviser via the live chat feature below
  • Fill out our online contact form with your query

Slip, Trip And Fall Claim Guides

Below, you can find links to some more of our guides on accident at work claims:

You might also find the links below useful: 

Hopefully, this guide has answered some of the questions you have about claiming for accidents caused by trailing leads hazards. If you need any more information, don’t hesitate to contact us using the details below.