I was injured tripping over books in an office and I want to claim personal injury compensation. How much am I likely to receive for breaking two teeth when I fell?
Eoin P. Campbell, LL.B., Solicitor
Editor in Chief
A claim for being injured tripping over books in an office will only be possible if you can establish that you sustained your injury tripping over a hazard and your employer was negligent for allowing the hazard to remain in the office for an unacceptable time period. If books were left lying on the floor, or were stacked in a walkway or thoroughfare, and represented an unacceptable risk of tripping, you should be able to claim for being injured tripping over books in an office. However it is recommended that you speak with a personal injury solicitor about making such a claim. Establishing that your injuries were the result of employer negligence must be proven, and obtaining evidence to substantiate an office trip injury claim may not be straightforward.
It is the Injuries Board which will determine how much compensation for being injured tripping over books in an office is applicable in your case. The Injuries Board will base the decision on the injuries which are described on your assessment form and the evidence provided by your doctor or dentist, with reference to the office trip injury compensation amounts stated in the Book of Quantum. The broken tooth injury compensation range stated in the Book of Quantum is €6,000 to €11,100 per tooth. However there are many factors which can affect how much compensation you receive, such as your age and sex; visible facial injuries such as broken teeth and cuts and bruising see higher compensation figures being awarded to women due to the premium placed on female physical appearance.
When you claim for being injured tripping over books in an office you will also be able to include a claim for any financial loss which has resulted from the accident and injury. Financial loss, both past and future, can be claimed as Special Damages. Due to the nature of your injuries it is likely that you will have incurred considerable expenses for dental treatment and this can be included in your claim. If your injuries have resulted in any loss of income, you can also add this to your assessment form, provided your expenses and loss of earnings can be justified with receipts and past payslips.
Since you are also entitled to claim legal expenses as Special Damages, it should be to your advantage to allow a personal injury solicitor to prepare and pursue your claim for being injured tripping over books in an office. This will help you to ensure that you recover your full entitlement to compensation for being injured tripping over books in an office and that your office trip injury claim proceeds as smoothly as possible.