Public Liability – Slips, Trips, and Falls

If you have been involved in a slip, trip or fall leading to an accident in a public place, you may be entitled to compensation. You can bring a claim where the accident was at least partially the fault of someone else, it occurred in the last three years and you suffered an injury as a result. We have helped many clients recover compensation for public liability accidents including those at shopping centres, in shops, in the street, abroad and at sporting events.

Thorley Stephenson personal injury solicitors are skilled in making all kinds of personal injury claims. Our expert team can help you make your public liability claim successfully. Contact us today to find out how we can help.

Who can I bring a claim against?

You can bring a claim against almost anyone who was responsible for your injury. However, it’s important to think about who is to blame for the accident. Our specialist personal injury solicitors can help you assess who to bring you claim against, an important aspect of any public liability action.

You can bring a public liability claim against anyone who has a responsibility to maintain an area open to the public. This could be a shop or shopping centre, a park or car park, public paths or roads.

It is important to note that you can bring a personal injury claim against a Local Authority where they have acted negligently in maintaining council property or have carried out repairs to council property that are unsafe.

In order to make a successful claim for compensation, you will need to be able to prove that the person you are bringing your claim against was responsible for maintaining the area in which your accident occurred, and for maintaining the actual cause of the accident. We have helped clients make claims for a variety causes of accidents including:

• Raised, dipped or cracked pavement slabs
• Missing/defective manhole covers
• Road works unclearly sectioned off exposing holes
• Debris left by council works on the road or pavement with no warning signs
• Potholes
• Broken street lights or inadequate lighting

Can I make a Claim?

Firstly, the time limit for raising a claim must be noted. You have three years from the date of your accident to bring a claim. Only in a few circumstances will this time limit not apply.

Secondly, you must be able to prove that the person you are making a claim against owed you a ‘duty of care”. Generally, in a public liability slip, trip or fall case this will mean that the person you are bringing a claim against was responsible for maintaining whatever caused your injury.

The next stage is to prove that the person you are bringing your claim against was negligent in their actions. For example, if the council failed to properly maintain a road or pavement leading to your injury, they may have acted negligently where they knew or ought to have known of the defect. Similarly, if you slip on a wet floor in a public place, they proprietor should have taken measures to prevent your accident, or instructed staff to do so.

There are certain things you can do to assist your solicitor in gathering proof of these elements of your claim, including:

• Taking photos of the defect that caused your accident
• Clear details of where the accident happened and the date and time of the accident
• Details of any reports made to the council about the defect
• Details of any witnesses to your accident or witnesses to the defect

If you have been involved in a public liability slip,trip or fall accident, contact out team today. We will be able to advise you more fully of the evidence required to make your claim and will be able to give you an indication of the likelihood of success of your case.

Why contact Thorley Stephenson Specialist Personal Injury Solicitors?

Here at Thorley Stephenson we offer a free initial interview to provide you with basic advice about bringing your claim. Our personal injury solicitors also operate on a no win, no fee basis This means you keep 100% of the compensation because we will reclaim our costs from the party who caused your injury. On the other hand, if you lose, you don't pay us a penny. Our solicitors are experienced in making personal injury claims, so having access to this kind of specialist advice can be crucial to making a successful claim. We work hard to ensure you receive a fair amount of compensation for your injury and have extensive experience in negotiating settlements. Often, negotiation is done with other lawyers and insurance companies looking to pay out as little as possible, but we will never sell you short as we understand how much this compensation means to you.

If a fair settlement can not be reached, we can take your case to court providing high-quality representation and ensuring all evidence required to successfully make your claim is presented to the court. Our advice is impartial and confidential, we will always act in your bests interests and provide you with advice tailored to your circumstances.

Our team know how much of a difference this compensation could make to your life. That’s why we will always explain the law in plain English and ensure you are kept up to date with the progress of your claim.

To Find out more about bringing a no win, no fee accident claim in Scotland  or contact us immediately to speak to our team.

Contact our Personal Injury Solicitors in Edinburgh, Scotland

Thorley Stephenson SSC aims to provide the best possible advice and representation for personal injury claims. Our accident claims solicitors provide free initial advice and can help you.

Please contact us today on 0131 341 2659 to speak to one of our solicitors.