Falls from Height
Scaffold collapses, falls through fragile roofs or skylights, falls from ladders, unprotected open edges and falls from MEWPs. Work at Height Regulations 2005 require collective protection first, personal fall protection last.
A construction injury claim allows injured workers to recover compensation from employers, principal contractors, subcontractors or site owners where CDM 2015 or health and safety duties were breached.
Construction workers face some of the highest injury risks of any workforce in Great Britain. Falls from height, scaffold collapses, plant and machinery collisions, being struck by falling objects, faulty equipment and trench accidents all cause serious and life-changing injuries. According to the HSE, falls from height remain the leading cause of fatal injury to construction workers.
At Hannah Gold Solicitors your claim is handled by a senior solicitor from the outset, not passed to junior staff. We charge a 20% success fee, not the 25% many firms deduct. Over 15 years we have recovered over £21 million for clients across England and Wales.
£21 million recovered · 15 years specialist practice
£21M+
Recovered for clients
15 yrs
Workplace injury experience
20%
Success fee, not 25%
100%
No Win No Fee
Construction sites involve multiple parties, and identifying who bears legal responsibility is one of the most important and complex aspects of any claim. Liability may rest with one party or several simultaneously. For the broader framework see our accidents at work solicitors page.
“Working at height is the single biggest cause of construction fatalities, Work at Height Regulations 2005 govern the duty framework.
The six accident types below make up the overwhelming majority of construction injury claims we handle.
Accident types
Scaffold collapses, falls through fragile roofs or skylights, falls from ladders, unprotected open edges and falls from MEWPs. Work at Height Regulations 2005 require collective protection first, personal fall protection last.
Liability typically extends to scaffold contractor (design/erection), principal contractor (inspection/management) and employer (permitting defective equipment). Scaffold inspection records are time-critical evidence.
Leading cause of serious head injury on sites. CDM 2015 and the Work at Height Regulations 2005 require exclusion zones, protective fans and netting, and secured tools at height.
Excavator, dumper, telehandler collisions with pedestrian workers cause crush injuries, amputations, spinal damage and fatalities. Turns on segregation, traffic-management plans, operator competence and equipment maintenance.
Trench collapses cause crush injuries, asphyxiation and fatality. Excavations must be shored, battered back or otherwise made safe, liability is usually clear where these steps are missed.
Contact with live overhead power lines, buried services and un-isolated installations causes electrocution, burns and cardiac injury. Site surveys before groundworks are mandatory.
“Provision of PPE is a last-resort control under WAHR 2005, collective protection and safe systems come first.
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) impose distinct duties on every party involved in a construction project. Where any duty-holder breaches those duties and an injury results, they can be pursued.
Judicial College Guidelines (18th ed.) general-damages brackets for injuries commonly sustained on construction sites. Financial losses (income, future earnings, care, rehabilitation, prosthetics, medical expenses, adapted housing) are assessed separately and often exceed the injury award in serious cases.
| Injury | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Severe back or spinal injury | £51,230 – £212,670 | Disc lesions or fractures through to spinal cord and nerve root damage |
| Wrist injury (fracture to significant disability) | £4,670 – £79,080 | From minor undisplaced fractures up to complete loss of function |
| Serious leg fracture (multiple/complications) | £36,680 – £72,440 | Complicated or multiple fractures, severe crushing, compound fractures |
| Severe leg injury (amputation risk) | £72,440 – £179,560 | Most serious short of amputation; below-knee amputation £129,440 – £175,690 |
| Loss of one hand or serious crush injury | £127,050 – £144,860 | Total or effective loss of one hand; varies by residual function |
| Moderate traumatic brain injury | £56,890 – £289,420 | Three sub-bands by cognitive deficit, dependence and epilepsy risk |
| Severe traumatic brain injury | £289,420 – £533,720 | Moderately severe through to very severe brain damage |
| PTSD (moderate) | £10,810 – £30,580 | Largely recovered with some continuing non-grossly-disabling effects |
| PTSD (severe) | £79,080 – £133,000 | Permanent effects preventing work or functioning at pre-trauma level |
For a full breakdown of brackets see our UK compensation payouts guide. For catastrophic construction injuries, spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injury, amputation, see our serious injury claims page, where settlements including lifetime care costs run well into seven figures.
“Interim payments are applied for early where injuries are catastrophic, rehabilitation should not wait on the final settlement.
Over 15 years we have handled construction claims involving falls from height, scaffold collapses, plant collisions, trench failures and electrical accidents. Cases have run against principal contractors, subcontractors, scaffold erectors and site owners simultaneously under CDM 2015 duty-holder liability, where multiple parties share responsibility for the same injury.
We have recovered compensation for construction workers who have suffered spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, multiple fractures and PTSD. Many of these cases involve long-term care costs, future earnings loss and rehabilitation needs that form the majority of the settlement value. Where injuries are catastrophic, we apply for interim payments to fund early rehabilitation while the claim progresses, and we do not advise settling any claim until the full extent of long-term loss has been evidenced.
See what percentage do solicitors take for how our fee compares.
“Construction Phase Plans, scaffold inspection records and plant maintenance logs are decisive evidence, instruct a solicitor early so preservation letters go out.
Free case review. No Win No Fee with a 20% success fee. Speak to a senior solicitor today.
£21 million recovered · Established 2011
No Win No Fee means you pay nothing upfront and nothing at all if your claim does not succeed. If you win, a success fee is deducted from your compensation. On most personal injury claims we charge 20%, lower than the 25% maximum many firms apply; some lower-value Official Injury Claim portal cases are charged at a different rate, which we always explain clearly before you sign.
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