Slips, Trips and Falls Stories

Karen Filey, 26, Liverpool, received £2,500 after a fall in a shopping precinct

"I claimed against a property developer after an accident while out shopping. Moss had been allowed to build up on the pavement of a shopping precinct, which led me to fall and hurt my knee, causing bruising, a build-up of fluid and cartilage damage. I saw the online advert and phoned for advice. I can't fault the way the advisor handled my call, getting the ball rolling while making sure I knew exactly what the next steps would be. It was really useful to then be referred to a local solicitor, so that they could keep me up to date. Everything worked out for me from making that first call through to getting my compensation."

Martina Southall, 41, Dyfed, won £1,200 after slipping in a pub

"I slipped on a wet floor in a pub where there were no warning signs. I sprained my ankle so severely that I needed an ambulance. I then needed crutches, painkillers and two weeks off work. I made a call and the helpful advisor listened to my situation and took me through how the claim process works. The local solicitor they passed me on to kept me up to date and won £1,200 compensation for me eight months later."

Claire Calder, 25, Llanelli, won £4,000

"I was in a supermarket where the floor was wet but no warning signs had been put out. I slipped on the wet floor, hurting my hip and arm and needing a visit to hospital. After seeing an advert I made a call and spoke to a helpful advisor, who explained the next steps to me. The local solicitor who handled my case phoned me regularly to keep me updated along the way to winning my case."

Bradley 22, West Midlands, received £3,750

"A fall on a raised paving slab left me with my arm in a sling for six weeks. When I phoned National Accident Helpline the advisor made the process simple and found a lawyer to take my case on. A straightforward medical assessment was arranged for me to look at my injuries and I only needed to have a few meetings with the lawyer before my £3,750 compensation came through."

Dawn Black, from Swansea was awarded £2,750:

"I walked into a shop where nothing had been done about mopping up the entrance made slippy by the rain. The next thing I knew, I was flat on my back with a sprained arm. What if I had been a toddler or an elderly person? It was ridiculous that the shop had let it get like that. After making a call, the helpful advisor found me a local law firm who I was really impressed with. My compensation paid for the physio I needed and really benefited from, and hopefully the shop has now learned how to look after its floors."

Mrs Coldwell from Surrey was awarded £5,500 after a tripping accident:

"It was 7 weeks before my wedding. I was walking across a car park as part of my duties at work. My foot went down a hole and I suffered a very painful injury to my ankle. After a visit to hospital, I was left with my foot in plaster. I couldn't believe it. My wedding was only a few weeks away. As a result of the injury, I couldn't drive and I had to rely upon others to help me with the school run. I couldn't go through with my long awaited hen night and had to cancel what I really wanted to do.   In addition to that, I couldn't work. I was torn about making a claim as the car park belonged to my employer and I wasn't sure that I had a claim. However, I was in a lot of pain and the accident wasn't my fault.

The accident had such a lot of impact on my life and I didn't want anyone else to have to go through this. I was relying heavily upon others to help with my wedding plans and normal day to day living. I saw the National Accident Helpline TV ad and made a call. The advisor was really helpful and understood how much inconvenience I had suffered and the pain I had endured. She selected the right solicitor for my case. The solicitor was brilliant. I couldn't fault them. They helped me through the legal paperwork and understood all my concerns.  The hole was repaired very quickly and I was given excellent guidance about what award was reasonable for my case."

Mrs Wilson from Lincolnshire was awarded £20,000 after a fall:

"I was out shopping as part of my employment, minding my own business, when suddenly I was thrown to the ground. I was completely shocked. Security guards had thrown two drunk men out of a shop just as I was passing by. I was in a state of shock and suffered a terrible injury to my shoulder. After the accident, I tried my best to return to work but the injury meant that I could not do the job as well. This was really unfair as I was close to retirement.

I was really unsure about making a claim as what had happened to me was so unusual. Although I tried to return to work, the injury meant that I couldn't do my normal tasks and I had to make the decision to leave my job. I had worked for over 20 years and was looking forward to retirement. I began to realise how unfair this was especially as I had not caused the accident. I saw the National Accident Helpline TV ad and wondered whether what had happened to me would be something they could help me with. I made a call. The adviser was surprised about the accident. She had not heard of such a case before. She was very helpful and put me through to the right solicitor. My solicitor was really helpful and helped me fight for my right to compensation. The defendant denied responsibility but the solicitor guided me through the process and fought for me. I won compensation of £20,000.

My compensation has helped me to physically recover and to invest so I am really glad I made that call. If I had been asked to make payment to a solicitor before making a claim, I would not have carried on with the claim because it would have seemed so daunting."

Gary Parker, Norwich, was awarded £4,500 following a fall at work:

"When I was at work I was in a lorry and a loose grab rail came away. I fell and broke two ribs which meant I had to take nearly  4 months off work. I called the National Accident Helpline and they put me in touch with a solicitor really quickly. The solicitor was great - he kept me in touch and wrote regularly. I was awarded £4,500 which covered my loss of earnings and generally helped me out.  I was very happy with the service and the compensation. I wouldn't want to be landed in the same situation again, but if I was I would definitely use the National Accident Helpline. If no win no fee didn't exist I think I would have thought twice about claiming. It's difficult to pay a solicitor up front - particularly if you're not able to work for a while and not earning."

Mr Robert Johnson,62 from Lincolnshire was awarded £6,000 after a fall in the company car park:

"It was winter and I was leaving from work at the factory. I had parked in the staff car park and when I went to get in the car I slipped on a sheet of ice. They are meant to grit the ground, but they hadn't bothered and I broke my fibula and tibia in my lower leg. The way that I fell meant that I twisted my ankle too and I've still got a problem with that.

I was off work for 12 weeks, which was awful because the company started to pay me on a lower rate. I lost out on £1,400 and they couldn't care less. I was watching TV and saw an ad for National Accident Helpline. I remembered it because it's an easy telephone number to remember and I got in touch with them right away. A local solicitor got in contact and he was very good. We turned the first offer down and then they offered £6,000, which more than compensated for my loss of earnings.

I'm glad I called National Accident Helpline - and I'd do the same again.

I think it's terrible the government may change how you can claim. I probably wouldn't have been able to claim without No Win No Fee because if I added the cost of paying towards a solicitor to my loss of earnings, I'd be out of pocket."

Diane Richardson from Corby was awarded £1,500 after a fall at work:

"There was a fire drill at work and I was the first person out of the building.  Unfortunately, some bikes had been left along the exit and I fell and damaged the ligaments and tendons in my ankle. I had to take four weeks off work and needed physiotherapy, but it's still not totally back to normal.

I'd seen National Accident Helpline on tv and looked them up online. When I called the gentleman was very nice and  said he'd get me a solicitor in my area. The solicitor was ever so good and kept me very well informed - if I had any problems I could ring him straight away. I'd never done anything like this before and I can't complain about anything.

After about 18 months I received a pay out of £1,500 and would definitely recommend claiming. I had no problems with work and they've cleared the fire exits which should help other people avoid injuring themselves like I did. They have a better health and safety practice now.

I'd award National Accident Helpline 5/5 for the complete process.