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If you fell from a ladder, roof, scaffold, loading bay or platform at work in Scotland, you can claim compensation where your employer or the site controller failed to plan the work safely, provide the right equipment or protect you from the fall. Compensation ranges from £5,000 for minor fractures to £300,000+ for falls causing lasting disability, plus lost earnings and care costs. You have 3 years to claim. Scottish Claims Helpline works on a no win no fee basis — complete the short form for a free, no obligation assessment.
Fallen at Work? The Law Expects Falls to Be Prevented.
Falls from height are consistently one of the most common causes of fatal and serious injuries at work in Great Britain, according to the Health and Safety Executive. They are also among the most preventable, which is why the law sets out exactly what employers must do. Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, anyone controlling work at height must avoid it where they can; where they cannot, they must use equipment and measures that prevent a fall; and where a fall still cannot be prevented, they must minimise the distance and the consequences. The work must be properly planned, supervised and carried out by people who are trained and competent.
For accidents since 1 October 2013, claims are brought in negligence rather than directly for a breach of the regulations — but the regulations still set the standard a court expects a reasonable employer to meet, and a fall usually means that standard was not met. Every employer must also carry employers' liability insurance, so it is the insurer, not your employer personally, that pays. Scottish Claims Helpline connects you with specialist Scottish solicitors who handle these claims on a no win no fee basis.
Common Causes of Falls from Height
- Ladders used for work they are not suited to, or that were damaged, unsecured or set up on uneven ground. Ladders should only be used for low-risk, short-duration work.
- Roofs and fragile surfaces such as skylights, roof lights and cement sheets, without covers, barriers or crawling boards.
- Unprotected edges on platforms, mezzanines, loading bays and lorry trailers, with no guard rails or edge protection.
- Mobile elevating work platforms and cherry pickers used without harnesses, training or a proper rescue plan.
- Openings in floors and stairwells left uncovered on building sites.
Scaffolding Falls and Collapses
Scaffolding claims are among the most serious falls from height. Scaffolds must be designed, erected, altered and dismantled by competent people, fitted with guard rails and toe boards, and inspected by a competent person before first use and regularly afterwards — at least every seven days where someone could fall two metres or more, and after anything that could affect their stability, such as high winds. On construction sites, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 also place duties on the principal contractor to plan and coordinate safe working across every contractor on site.
Falls are not the only scaffolding risk. Tools and materials dropped from scaffolds without toe boards or netting injure workers below and members of the public passing by. If you were hit by something that fell from a scaffold, you can claim against the contractor responsible for the site even though you were not working there.
How Much Could You Receive?
Falls from height often cause multiple injuries, so compensation reflects the combined effect of every injury on your life and work.
| Injury Severity |
Typical Award |
| Minor fractures with full recovery | £5,000 – £15,000 |
| Serious fractures or crush injuries | £15,000 – £80,000 |
| Falls from height — lasting disability | £80,000 – £300,000+ |
| Spinal cord injury or amputation | £150,000 – £500,000+ |
Based on the Judicial College Guidelines as applied in Scotland. Solatium (pain, suffering and loss of amenity) only — special damages are additional.
That's not all. The figures above cover the injury itself. Your claim also includes special damages: lost earnings now and in the future if you cannot return to the same work, care provided by family, rehabilitation and physiotherapy, travel to appointments, and adaptations to your home or vehicle. In serious fall cases these losses are often worth more than the injury award itself, and interim payments can be sought while the claim is ongoing.
Who Can Claim?
Employees can claim against their employer. Agency workers, subcontractors and many self-employed tradespeople can also claim — against the principal contractor, the site occupier or whoever controlled the work, because the duty to manage work at height falls on whoever controls it, not only on the direct employer. Members of the public injured by falling objects can claim too. Serious falls are usually reportable to the HSE under RIDDOR, and the accident book entry, the RIDDOR report and the risk assessment for the job are key evidence. For other building site accidents, see construction accident claims, and for the most serious outcomes, spinal injury and brain injury claims.
Fall from Height Claims — Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if your employer or whoever controlled the work failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the fall — for example by not providing guard rails, suitable access equipment, harnesses, training or supervision. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 set the standard employers are expected to meet, and falls are usually a sign that it was not met.
The contractor who erected the scaffold, the employer whose workers use it and, on construction sites, the principal contractor under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Scaffolds must be erected by competent people, fitted with guard rails and toe boards, and inspected before first use and at least every seven days where a fall of two metres or more is possible.
Yes, in many cases. The duty to manage work at height falls on whoever controls the work, so agency workers, subcontractors and self-employed tradespeople can often claim against the principal contractor, the site occupier or the business that directed the work.
Yes. Contractors must prevent tools and materials falling from scaffolds, for example with toe boards, brick guards and netting. Workers below and members of the public passing by can claim against the contractor responsible for the site.
Compensation ranges from around £5,000 for minor fractures with a full recovery to £300,000 or more for falls causing lasting disability, and higher for spinal cord injuries. Lost earnings, care and rehabilitation costs are added on top and are often the largest part of a serious claim.
You have 3 years from the date of the fall to claim under the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973. Evidence such as the accident book, RIDDOR report and witness accounts is easiest to secure early, so it is best to start promptly.
How Do I Start My Claim?
Contact Scottish Claims Helpline for a free, no obligation assessment. We will review how the fall happened and who controlled the work, and connect you with a specialist Scottish solicitor who handles workplace injury claims on a no win no fee basis. It takes 2 minutes and you pay nothing unless your claim succeeds.
About this page: Written by
David Gildea, Claims Manager and qualified Scottish paralegal at Scottish Claims Helpline. Last reviewed: September 2026. Scottish Claims Helpline is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (
FRN 830381).