Public Liability Compensation Claims

As you go about your day, you will likely visit a range of ‘public places’, whether you’re walking down the street, going to the supermarket or boarding public transport. In all these places, you have the right to feel safe and not be at risk of injury. Whoever if responsible for that area – whether that’s a person, business or organisation – should have taken the relevant steps to ensure the public’s safety.

If you’ve suffered a personal injury in a public location through no fault of your own, you may be eligible to make a claim for public liability compensation payable by the land owner. To start your claim, use our website to compare public liability solicitors today.

In What Circumstances Can I Make A Public Liability Claim?

People who have suffered injury or an accident that was not their fault when on public property may be entitled to file a public liability compensation claim. There are a number of places in which you would be eligible to claim compensation if you had an accident there. These include:

• Leisure centres
• Bus and train stations
• High streets
• Cafes, pubs and restaurants
• Schools and universities
• Hairdressers
• Therapy clinics
• Supermarkets and shops
• Public transport, e.g. on a bus, train or aeroplane

In addition to slips, trips or falls, personal injuries in public places can also be caused by animal attacks, exposure to hazardous substances and falling objects. The most popular claims include but are not limited to:

• Injuries suffered due to faulty staircases, the presence of potholes or tree roots, ice or snow left untreated and dangerous pavements
• Injuring yourself in a shop, gym or any other public place due to carelessness on the part of the land owner
• Objects that have fallen or are sticking out, representing a trip hazard
• Obstructions on motorways and pavements

In most cases, the public entity that owns the property that you were injured on will likely have a public liability insurance policy that will cover your claim. A specialist solicitor can work with you to make your claim for a payout from the defendant’s insurance.

Public liability compensation claims typically take anywhere from a few months to over a year to be processed but these all depends on a number of factors including how complex your claim is and how difficult it is to prove liability.

How Do You Make A Public Liability Claim?

The first thing you should do if you think you have a public liability claim is to contact a solicitor. With their expert knowledge, you have a better chance of winning your case and receiving the compensation you deserve.

When you make a public liability claim, your solicitor will first need to establish who is responsible, e.g. the owner of the public place and that it was through their negligence alone that you suffered an injury that you wouldn’t have otherwise suffered.

To build a strong case, they need to prove that the defendant is liable and that the incident has impacted your day to day life. it can therefore be useful to collect evidence to help your case. Things that will help your compensation case include:

• Reporting the occurrence to a staff member or owner and having them record the accident in their accident book
• Getting names, address and phone numbers of any witnesses
• Taking photographs of the location of the accident, including any injuries sustained that are visible
• Seeking medical attention which in turn aids your recovery and provides official documentation of the injuries
• Keeping all receipts for travel to medical appointments or prescription expenses handy

Fees And Compensation

Many solicitors operate on a no-win, no-fee basis meaning that you don’t have to pay if your claim is unsuccessful. in the event your solicitor does win your case, you pay a success fee, which is a set percentage of your compensation payout. This will be agreed with your solicitor beforehand and is legally capped at 25%.

The amount of compensation received upon winning a public liability compensation claim varies depending on the individual circumstances of each case. Award are based on the actual injuries suffered by the victim and the impact they have had on their everyday life. For an estimate of how much compensation you could be eligible to receive, you can use our claims calculator which follows and uses the Judicial College guidelines.

How Long Do I Have To Make A Public Liability Compensation Claim?

There are limitations for filing public liability compensation claims that need to be kept in mind. A claim must be filed within three years from the date of the accident. A longer filing period may be granted for people who have been injured in an industrial accident or those who were minors at the time of the event.