A public accident claim seeks compensation if you are injured when in an area open to the public. You could have a public accident compensation claim if you suffer a personal injury on public property. 

A public accident claim is also known as a public liability claim. The public property owner has a duty of care to users, and if they breach that duty of care, causing your injury, people may make personal injury cases for compensation.

You may claim compensation for the torn ligaments in a slip on the pavement in town or the facial injury from a fall in the shopping centre. In the public liability case, you claim compensation for the injury, the effects on your life, and any financial losses, such as being unable to work or paying the medical bills. 

Ross Aldridge, personal injury solicitors in Cheltenham, can make your public accident injury claim.

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What is a public accident claim?

A workplace accident is an incident that occurs in the course of employment and causes injury or damage to property.

For an accident to be deemed worthy of compensation, it must be foreseeable and caused by someone else’s negligence.

If you’re injured at work, you may be able to file a claim for workers’ compensation.

However, if your injuries were due to your own negligence, you won’t be eligible for workers’ compensation because this kind of accident is considered self-inflicted.

Common public accident compensation claims

Common public accident compensation claims range from the fall over rubbish left outside the local café to the trip on a loose tile in the toilets and the slip on a wet floor in the pub. 

You claim the effects of the public place injury on your life today and in the future. 

Common claims for public accident injury:

A facial injury from a slip on the wet floor in a public place can leave scarring and other lasting effects, including chipped teeth. 

The bar owner, the nightclub manager, and the shopping centre or supermarket operator must keep the floor dry or cordon it off from the public. 

The floor may be wet from the weather, spillages, or plumbing problems, but the owner has a public liability responsibility for all users.

Cuts to the hands and feet from broken glass in a public area are another common public liability claim. Shattered glass from a bottle or drinking glass may be left lying around, but the property owner should clear it away as soon as possible. 

Types of claims for cuts from broken glass in a public area: 

  •       Child suffers cuts to the foot stepping on a broken bottle in the park
  •       Festival goer falls on broken glass at the music weekend
  •       Man slips in the pub and suffers facial lacerations from glass on the floor 

Ross Aldridge Solicitors can take your claim and get you compensation for the cuts suffered in a public area.

Broken bones from a stumble on the faulty escalator and associated injuries such as cuts and bruises are common claims for public accidents. 

The property owner must maintain all public areas and keep them safe for use. 

Types of claims for broken bones from a fall on the escalator: 

  •       Broken ankle due to a faulty step on the escalator
  •       Broken arm from a fall down the escalator stopping suddenly
  •       Broken ribs in a stumble from the escalator shuddering and jerking 

Your Ross Aldridge solicitor can make your personal injury claim for a public place accident on an escalator.

A crush injury when the lift doors close suddenly can happen to children especially, but any age group is vulnerable when a lift in a public space is not maintained correctly. 

Lifts in the carpark can close suddenly and catch a child’s hand, crushing the fingers. In the hotel, a faulty lift door may close on an adult, crushing the ribs and causing other injuries. 

Automatic doors at a shopping centre can catch a member of the public, causing injury to the hips and legs, and the injured person may need to spend time in hospital. 

You can make a public accident claim for the effects of the crush injury.

Injuries following a fall in the supermarket can have you off work, unable to exercise, and driving may be difficult for a time. 

The supermarket owner, through the manager, must keep the floors dry and clear of hazards and have procedures in place to prevent slips and falls on the floors. 

Types of injury from a fall in the supermarket: 

  •       Cuts and bruises from a fall over boxes left on the supermarket aisle
  •       Broken bones following a slip on a wet floor at the supermarket entrance
  •       Nerve damage in the back from falling over a display in the supermarket 

You can make a public accident claim against the supermarket owner.

The owner of the public place, be it the local council, an event management company or the landlord of the pub, has a duty of care to all users of the property. You can claim compensation if you are injured due to the property owner’s breach of their duty of care. 

Ross Aldridge Solicitors can make your No Win No Fee public accident compensation claim for the effects of the personal injury on your life.

Expert advice for all personal injury queries!

How much compensation can you claim for a public accident injury?

You can claim amounts as low as £5,000 for a public accident injury, but some claims for public liability compensation go from over £100,000 to more than £10 million, depending on the extent of your injuries. 

You are able to claim compensation for the impact of the injury on your life and the losses you suffered when injured in an accident that was not your fault. The claim seeks compensation for the physical, emotional, and financial impacts on your life and that of your dependents.

Sample public accident injury compensation payments:

  • Cuts, bruises, and contusions in a public place injury from £5,000 to £11,840
  • Severe leg injury with lasting discomfort from £17,960 to £27,760
  • Moderate head injury with associated losses from £43,060 to £90,720
  • Brain injury in a fall in a public place from £219,070 to £282,010
  • Quadriplegia due to extent of public area injury from £324,600 to £403,990

(The figures given here are for General Damages, the pain, suffering, and loss of amenity following a public place injury. In the personal injury claim you may also receive compensation for any financial losses, the Special Damages you suffer due to the accident. Figures are taken from Judicial College Guidelines 16th Edition and are accurate as of April 2023.) 

Your Ross Aldridge solicitor will explain how damages in a personal injury claim work and how to combine them for compensation and in a public liability injury claim.

What is public liability?

Public liability in England is the responsibility the owner of a public place has to the users of the space. The management company of the public area has the same responsibility as the owner if they are running the public space as a separate company. 

Public space owners must keep the area safe for all users. They must follow public liability guidelines and ensure that all aspects, from security to maintenance, are in order. 

When you own or manage a public space, there is a duty of care to the public. If the owner breaches that duty of care and an accident occurs, they could face a claim for personal liability compensation. 

Many businesses in England carry public liability insurance, but it is not compulsory under the law though public liability accidents happen daily. An injured person can claim against the public liability insurance company when they suffer a personal injury on the property. If the owner does not have insurance in place, you can still make a valid compensation claim. 

Ross Aldridge, personal injury lawyers, will talk you through the details and help you make the public liability claim for compensation.

Make your public accident injury claim today

Make your public accident injury claim today by contacting Ross Aldridge Solicitors. We have the experience of working with claimants in Cheltenham and southern England to get them compensation for accidents in public places. 

You are the one who suffered a broken leg in a slip down the escalator that stopped suddenly in the shopping centre or a neck injury in a fall in the carpark. In the claim, you may seek compensation for the injury and the effects of it on your life. 

Ross Aldridge Solicitors fight the personal injury compensation claim on a no win no fee basis. You will not pay fees or legal costs if you do not win compensation and will not be out of pocket at any stage. 

Contact Ross Aldridge Solicitors in Cheltenham to start your public accident compensation claim today.

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