I am considering pursuing a claim for slipping on a wet floor in a hospital and am curious to know whether I am eligible to seek a settlement. I was in a city centre hospital visiting an elderly relative last week when all of a sudden I found myself lying on the ground having slipped on a puddle of fluid that appeared to have leaked from a nearby storage press. I suffered some mild bruising as a result of the fall, but it has also left me very shaken. Am I eligible to claim compensation? And if so, how much may I be awarded?
In order to ascertain whether or not you are eligible to claim for slipping in a wet floor in a hospital it must first be established who was at fault for you accident. It is possible that you, a member of staff or another visitor or patient was responsible, or a combination. While you may assume that the person at fault for your accident was the person who allowed the fluid to leak onto the floor in the first place is responsible for your accident – this is not necessarily the case. Although a member of staff, patient or another visitor could be partly to blame if their actions – or inactions – led to the puddle forming, it may not be entirely their fault. You could also be held accountable for part of, or all of the accident if it is found that, for example, you ignored a wet floor sign or were otherwise aware that the floor was wet and that there was a risk of you falling. It is important that you speak with a solicitor at the first available opportunity in order to establish who was at fault for your accident.
If your solicitor believes that you are eligible to claim for slipping on a wet floor in a hospital they will provide you with an estimate of how much compensation could be awarded. This estimate will be based on the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases and will take a number of factors into account: the nature and extent of your injuries, your age, sex and previous physical condition and the permanency of your injuries will be taken into account.
As you mentioned in your question, the experience has left you shaken. Psychological injuries can also be compensated for, as can any loss of amenity caused by the bruising – inability to perform day-to-day tasks or pursue leisure activities. It is also worth noting that any quantifiable expenses incurred as a result of your injuries – transport costs, loss of earnings, medical bills for example – can me recovered through the special damages portion of your compensation package.
For a more in-depth and personalised analysis of your claim for slipping on a wet floor in a hospital, speak with a legal expert, which as mentioned above, is possible through our freephone injury claims advice service.