If you’ve suffered an injury from an accident in a public place, you may be interested in claiming compensation. Injuries sustained in accidents in public can have a negative impact on your quality of life.
Accident in a public place guide
This guide will explain the circumstances that could entitle you to claim. It will also answer questions like, “what is personal injury compensation?” and “what is a public injury?”.
If you’d like to know more, you can get in touch with one of our friendly and knowledgeable advisors. They’re available 24/7, offer free legal advice and can tell you quickly and simply if you’re able to claim for a personal injury. Furthermore, they can also put you through to a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel to work on your claim. However, please note that, upon calling us, you are under no obligation to use our services to claim compensation.
Contact us using the details below:
- Call us using the phone number above
- Write to us via our website
- Use the Live Chat window on the right-hand side of your screen
Please read on to learn more about claiming for a personal injury in a public place.
Select a Section
What Is An Accident In A Public Place?
Every owner or controller of public space has a duty of care to anyone using it. In Great Britain, this duty of care is outlined in the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957.
This duty of care means that the person in control of the space (the “occupier”) needs to take steps to ensure that the space is safe to be used for the intended purpose. They should do this by reducing or removing hazards wherever possible.
If one cannot be removed or reduced (for example, a step that poses a trip hazard) then this should be signposted. Occupiers should also consider that children will be less careful than adults with relation to personal safety.
To make an accident in a public place claim, you need to prove that your injury was caused by the owner of the public space breaching the duty of care they owe you. If you’re able to prove that the breach of duty was the primary cause of the injury, you could receive compensation because of their negligence.
To learn more about claiming for a public place accident, please contact our advisors for free legal advice using the details above.
Criteria To Claim A Personal Injury Claim
As mentioned above, you need to prove that negligence from the owner or controller of the public space was the primary cause of your injury. You may be wondering what could help claim compensation for an injury caused by a fall in a public place.
Evidence is vital when making a claim. This is because you need to show a causal link between the third party’s negligent actions and your injury.
If there is an accident book on the premises, you should fill this out with details of how the incident happened. This could be used as evidence, as well as:
- CCTV footage
- Witness statements
- Medical reports
- Photographs of your injury and the scene of the accident
Additionally, different types of accidents can lead to different payout amounts. This is because the compensation you could receive for an accident in a public place depends on many factors, including:
- The severity of the injury
- If you’ve suffered multiple injuries
- The length of the recovery time
- The nature of the accident
- Whether there is permanent damage
It’s also important that you are claiming within the time limit. The Limitation Act 1980 states that there is generally a three-year time limit to starting a claim. However, there are some exceptions that apply; please get in touch to find out whether these apply to your circumstances.
Where Could An Accident In A Public Place Take Place?
You may be wondering, “what are the types of accidents that could lead to a claim?” This section aims to provide you with more insight into when claims for accidents in public places could be made.
One kind of accident you could be involved in is a slip, trip or fall. Examples of slip, trip or fall accidents caused by third-party negligence include:
- Slipping on a wet floor due to no warning signs being present.
- Falling down a flight of stairs because of a faulty handrail.
- Tripping over an exposed wire.
You could also be involved in another kind of accident in a public place. For example, you could be hit by a falling or moving object when an unsecured shelf fell onto you. Alternatively, you could sustain a burn injury if you leaned against a hot surface in a takeaway that was not signposted.
Public place accident claims can be made after an accident caused by negligence in any public place. This includes shops, restaurants, bars, libraries and parks amongst other places.
How To Claim Public Liability Compensation
There are two potential heads of claim when claiming compensation for an accident in a public place. General damages relate to the psychological and physical damage caused by the incident, as well as your general decline in your quality of life. Moreover, special damages relate to the financial losses caused by the injury.
Therefore, under special damages, you may be able to claim for:
- Loss of earnings
- Loss of future earnings
- Travel costs
- Adjustments to your home caused by the injury. For example, being injured in a public place could lead to you needing a care bed.
- Private healthcare costs
- Costs of requiring a nurse
However, please remember that you will need evidence to prove the value of the financial losses. This could come in the form of receipts, invoices and bank statements.
Guidelines from the Judicial College can help give you an idea of the value of the general damages you could receive from an accident in a public place. They look at previous payouts, comparing them to the nature and severity of the relevant injuries to build compensation brackets. You can see the figures that they’ve provided below.
| Injury Type | Severity | Compensation Amount | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychiatric Damage Generally | Moderate | £5,500 to £17,900 | Injuries in this bracket will cause problems associated with the injured person's ability to cope with life, work and education as well as potentially having a negative impact on their relationships with family and friends. However, the prognosis will be good because of a marked improvement by trial. |
| Neck | Severe | £42,680 to £52,540 | This bracket is for injuries such as dislocations, fractures or severe soft tissue injuries leading to a permanent and significant disability. |
| Neck | Moderate | £12,900 to £23,460 | Cases in this bracket include severe disc lesions that cause issues such as serious movement limitation, recurring or permanent pain or discomfort or stiffness. |
| Back | Severe | £85,470 to £151,070 | Injuries in this bracket cause damage to the nerve roots and spinal cord causing very serious consequences that are normally not found in back injury cases. Consequences include severe disability and pain, incomplete paralysis and a significantly impaired bladder. |
| Shoulder | Serious | £11,980 to £18,020 | This bracket includes injuries like shoulder dislocation and lower brachial plexus damage causing shoulder and neck pain, aching in the elbow and weakness of grip. |
| Injuries to the Pelvis and Hip | Moderate | £11,820 to £24,950 | Cases in this bracket can lead to surgery, like a hip replacement, being required. |
| Elbow | Less Severe | £14,690 to £30,050 | Injuries in this bracket cause functional impairment but don't cause any significant disability or require any major surgery. |
| Leg | Very Serious | £51,460 to £85,600 | Injuries in this bracket cause permanent mobility issues with the constant need for crutches or walking aids. This could include injuries like multiple fractures that take years to heal, needing extensive treatment. |
| Leg | Moderate | £26,050 to £36,790 | This bracket includes multiple or complicated fractures or severe crush injuries, usually to a single limb. |
| Knee | Moderate | Up to £12,900 | This bracket includes injuries like dislocations or a torn meniscus or cartilage but are less serious, involving shorter acceleration periods than more complex injuries of this nature. |
Please remember that these figures are only an indication of what you could receive. Any claim will be based on individual circumstances, and there are many different factors that can affect how much compensation you could receive.
Benefits Of No Win No Fee Agreements
You may want to know the benefits of funding legal representation using a No Win No Fee agreement. This means that:
- You won’t be asked to pay your solicitor’s legal fees either upfront or during the claims process.
- You’ll only pay your solicitor’s legal fees once you’ve been awarded compensation, and there is nothing to pay your lawyer if your claim is unsuccessful. This means that when claiming for a personal injury in a public place, the solicitor would only take your case if they feel like you have a reasonably good chance of success.
- A small, legally capped portion will be taken as a success fee in the event that you’re awarded compensation.
If you feel that this kind of agreement could be beneficial to you, why not speak with one of our advisors today? You could be connected with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel to represent you for your claim.
Call Us To Discuss Claiming Compensation For An Accident In A Public Place
Don’t just rely on a personal injury claims calculator to see what you could receive. Our advisors can answer any questions you have about different types of accidents. They’re available 24/7, offer legal advice that is completely free and can tell if you’re eligible to claim in just one phone call.
Furthermore, they can also put you through to our panel of No Win No Fee solicitors. Their years of experience could result in you receiving compensation. However, please remember that, upon contacting us, you are under no obligation to use our services. Contact us for free at a time that suits you using the details below.
- Call us using the phone number above
- Contact us through our website
- Use the Live Chat window on the right-hand side of your screen
Further Resources
Please use the links below to learn more about accidents in public place claims.
If you’ve broken a bone and would like medical guidance, please refer to the NHS website.
The Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) retrieves benefit money from claimants once they’ve made a successful claim. These statistics show how often they need to work on public liability cases.
The NHS also provides guidance if you suffer ankle pain caused by an accident.
Below, you can find links to some of our other public liability claims guides:
- Public Liability Claims
- Can I Get Compensation After An Accident In A Supermarket?
- Personal Injury Claims Against The Local Council
- Accident In A Shop – How To Make A Claim
- To learn more about making a public liability claim against your council, head here. You can find details on payouts and how our panel of No Win No Fee solicitors can help.
If you need to know more about claiming for an accident in a public place, please refer to our advisors for free legal advice using the details above.