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By Jo Anderson. Last Updated 20th February 2025. Welcome to our case study guide, where we look at an example of someone’s experience receiving a compensation claim payout for a pavement trip. They successfully sued the council after they tripped and fell on uneven pavement.
We also look at the time limit and eligibility criteria for making a pavement trip claim.
Furthermore, we discuss what evidence could help you claim compensation and how much compensation for tripping on the pavement could potentially be awarded if a claim is successful.
To conclude our guide, we discuss how No Win No Fee agreements work. This is the basis which our specialist solicitors work under.
So, contact us or continue reading to learn more about a pavement tripping claim. By contacting our advisors, you can confirm the eligibility of your case today and potentially be connected to a solicitor:
Below, you can find a figurative case study to help you understand how to seek a compensation claim payout for a pavement trip and what a settlement following a successful case could include.
A woman received £29,000 for a claim against the local authority.
The woman fractured her leg when she tripped on a broken paving stone that had been reported by many people to the local authority, but no steps had been taken to address the hazard. As a result, she needed care at home while she recovered from her injury and was unable to work temporarily. She used the services of a personal injury lawyer and claimed compensation on the basis that the council was negligent in making the pavement safe for her to use.
The council admitted liability in this case, and the woman’s solicitor was able to negotiate for a £29,000 compensation payout to cover her pain, suffering and loss of amenity, as well as her care costs and additional expenses.
It is important to note that not every payout for a pavement trip claim is the same. The woman’s case was assessed under its own unique factors and circumstances. If you were to make a successful claim for a similar accident, the compensation you receive would be based on the circumstances of your case.
To learn more about the factors involved in determining compensation for a pavement trip injury, please contact an advisor.
If you tripped and fell on an uneven pavement, and suffered an injury, you might wonder whether you could claim compensation. There are certain eligibility criteria your claim must meet to be considered valid:
Those in charge of public spaces owe members of the public a duty of care to make those places safe to use for their intended purpose as far as reasonably possible. This is outlined under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. For example, they should perform regular risk assessments to identify any hazards, such as raised paving slabs.
Should they fail to adhere to this duty of care, this could cause you to become injured, and you may be eligible to make a personal injury claim.
To see whether you may have a valid case, or to learn more about pavement accident claims, you can contact our advisors.
4.8There is a time limit that you must start your personal injury claim within. As stated under the Limitation Act 1980, generally, you will have three years to start your claim from the date you were injured when you tripped and fell on an uneven pavement.
However, there are certain cases where exceptions would apply to this limitation period. For example, for those who lack the mental capacity to make their own claim, the time limit will be frozen indefinitely. During this time, a litigation friend could file a claim on their behalf. Otherwise, they can claim for themselves within 3 years if they regain the needed mental capacity.
For those under the age of 18, the time limit is frozen until their 18th birthday. During this freeze, a litigation friend could act on their behalf. If no claim has been started by their 18th birthday, they will have three years to begin their own claim.
For more information regarding the time limits for pavement accident claims, you can get in touch with our advisory team.
If you tripped and fell on an uneven pavement, and you are eligible to make a personal injury claim, you will need to provide evidence to support your case.
The evidence you will be able to gather would depend on the facts and circumstances of your case. Generally, the below types of evidence could be useful:
To learn more about the evidence that could support your pavement trip claim, please contact an advisor.
4.8Settlements for successful pavement accident claims will include general damages to compensate for your pain and suffering and the impact the injuries have had on your quality of life.
When a legal professional is valuing this head of your pavement trip claim, they may refer to the figures found in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document provides compensation guidelines for various injuries. Some examples of guideline payouts from the JCG can be found in the table below. However, this is only to be used as guidance. Your compensation would depend on the unique circumstances of your case.
It should also be noted that the top entry of this table does not appear within the JCG.
| Type of Injury | Severity | Compensation Bracket | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple serious injuries plus financial losses | Serious | Up to £200,000+ | A multitude of serious injuries causing suffering, pain and financial losses, such as lost earnings and medical expenses. |
| Leg | (b)(iii) - Serious | £47,840 to £66,920 | Serious comminuted or compound fractures or ligament or joint injuries that cause instability and treatment that is prolonged. |
| Leg | (b)(iv) - Moderate | £33,880 to £47,840 | Severe crush injuries that can be to one limb only or multiple leg fractures. |
| Leg | (c)(i) | £21,920 to £33,880 | Serious soft tissue injuries or fractures where an incomplete recovery is made. |
| Arm | Less Severe (c) | £23,430 to £47,810 | Despite disabilities that are significant in nature, a substantial amount of recovery will be made. |
| Arm | (D) | £8,060 to £23,430 | Forearm fractures that are simple in nature. |
| Elbow | Less Severe (b) | £19,100 to £39,070 | Injuries that cause functional impairment but do not cause significant disability or require major surgery. |
| Foot | Moderate (f) | £16,770 to £30,500 | Metatarsal fractures that are displaced causing continuing symptoms. |
| Knee | Moderate (ii) | Up to £16,770 | Bruising or twisting injuries as well as lacerations. This can cause continuous discomfort or aching. |
In addition to general damages, you could receive compensation for out-of-pocket expenses caused by your injuries. This head of claim is known as special damages. It could include compensation for:
You will need to provide evidence of these losses with documents such as payslips and bank statements.
To get a personalised estimate of how much your claim could be worth, please contact an advisor.
4.8Now, you may have some idea of the valuation of the compensation claim payout for a pavement trip. If your claim against the council is found to be eligible, we’ll connect you with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors. They’ll offer to work on your case on a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which means that you won’t have to pay them:
If your claim is successful, your solicitor will charge a success fee, which will be deducted from a percentage of your compensation. You need not worry about losing your compensation since there is a legal limit on this percentage.
For more information about suing the council for an uneven pavement, contact our team now:
Thank you for reading our guide about a compensation claim payout for a pavement trip. Here are some more guides from our site:
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