Sustained an injury as a result of an accident on public property? You might be entitled to compensation, but how likely you are to win or the amount you could claim may vary depending on other involved factors, including the insurance the business has.
Public places are classed as any place that members of the public have access to, whether owned by a business or by a public body. Read on to find out more about personal injury claims that occurred on public property, as well as how long these claims can take and how much compensation you may be eligible for.
Can I make a claim for an accident that occurred on public property?
You can make a claim for an accident that occurred on public property, however the fault must lie with the property owner (such as a business, council or public body). If you’re unsure of where the fault lies, a personal injury lawyer will be able to offer advice and advise you on whether you have a strong case or not.
Accidents on public property can occur for a variety of reasons, including trips and falls due to uneven surfaces and defects or wet or slippery floors and injury from exposed electrical works or unsafe furnishings.
Examples of public land or properties include:
- Shops
- Supermarkets
- Public highways
- Public car parks
- Leisure facilities
- Recreational areas
- Schools/educational premises
Businesses, property owners or the public body responsible for the property have a duty of care to protect their visitors from injury by making the area safe for the public. So whether your child has had an accident at school, you’ve suffered a sports injury on public property or you were bitten by a dog in a park, you may be entitled to compensation.
Personal injury claims, including those that take place on public property, can take anywhere from three months to 12 months to finalise. The time may depend on the complexity of the case, as well as the evidence you’re able to provide.
How to make a claim for accidents on public property
Firstly, you should report the incident to the property owner. In the case of public property, this is likely to be a business, public body or local authority. In some cases, it may be an individual, such as a restaurant owner, but for most public spaces, it will be their management team.
They will likely ask for more information, including when the incident occurred, exactly what happened and who else was involved. An investigation will be started on their end to determine the cause of your accident.
If you are able to, take photographs of any injuries you sustained, as well as pictures of the accident scene. This could assist your complaint and may help you should you choose to make a claim.
Once you have reported the incident, you can choose whether you want to start a personal injury claim. To begin with, use a comparison site like Compare Compensation Claims to find the right solicitor for you. We can supply you with a list of our top-rated personal injury lawyers, leaving you free to hand select the appropriate person to handle your case. Simply fill in our claims form to kick start the process.
Compensation and fees for public property accidents
The compensation you may be entitled to depends on the severity of the injuries sustained from the accident and how much they have impacted your life. For example, you will likely receive more compensation if your injuries have resulted in an inability to work for an indefinite period of time than if your injuries meant you took a couple of weeks off work.
For this reason, you should keep a note of any expenses you have incurred as a result of your injury. This could include medical appointments you’ve paid for that aren’t covered by the NHS (such as specialist scans or treatments) and travel costs to these appointments. You may also wish to calculate the amount of money you’ve lost if you’ve been unable to work.
For personal injury claims associated with trips, slips and falls, for instance, you could claim up to £13,740.
Should you win your claim, you will need to pay your solicitor what is known as a success fee. This is a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation, and can legally be up to 25%. Most solicitors operate on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis, so you don’t pay anything if your claim is unsuccessful and you receive no compensation.
What’s the time limit for making a public property accident claim?
You have up to three years from the date of the incident or the date your associated injuries were diagnosed to make a claim. For children (those under 18) a claim can be made at any time, even if the incident happened five years ago, for example. As soon as they turn 18, they have three years from their birthday to make the claim.
Find a reliable solicitor for your claim today
If you have been injured as a result of an accident in a public place, you could be entitled to compensation. Use our search service to find and compare solicitors that specialise in accidents on public property to assist you with your compensation claim.
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