The effects of accidents in public places can range from minor cuts and bruises all the way up to life changing injuries. We understand that a compensation payment alone is never truly going to make up for the shock and distress of being injured in this way when simply going about your day to day life.

What compensation can do, however, is offer a form of closure by marking the neglectful way you’ve been treated, as well as making sure that the accident in a public place and the injuries it caused don’t have a negative financial impact.

Anyone responsible for a public place has a duty of care to the people in that place. If they fail to meet this duty and you suffer injuries as a result then please contact our personal injury solicitors at Beacon Law and tell us what happened.

If we think you could be entitled to compensation, we’ll work our hardest to try and make sure you get it.

How Much Compensation Can I Claim for an Accident in a Public Place?

The compensation you can claim for an accident in a public place will vary. If the accident causes only minor injuries such as small cuts and bruises the compensation could be a few thousand pounds.

If the injuries are life-changing and require permanent or on-going care and medical attention then the compensation due could be in the hundreds of thousands of pounds. If we handle your claim for an accident in a public place we’ll estimate the compensation you could receive throughout the process, keeping you fully informed if any change in circumstances changes the predicted amount.

Compensation for any accident in a public place is made up of general damages and special damages:

General Damages

The general damages portion of any compensation payment is intended to reflect the injuries involved. In particular, it will be calculated on the basis of:

• The physical and psychological pain and suffering you’ve experienced
• The specific nature and severity of your injuries
• The prognosis for any long term impact and/or recovery
• The way in which the injuries stop you pursuing things like hobbies and interests or engaging with family life

General damages are arrived at with the help of a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This publication contains tables of injury types and severity, with recommended compensation ranges for each.

Examples in the current edition include the following:

• Severe back injury with spinal cord damage – £85,470 to £151,070
• Minor permanent damage to vision in one or both eyes – £7,780 to £17,900
• Loss or damage to two front teeth – £3,710 to £6,510
• Serious jaw fracture – £15,320 to £26,010

We can use our experience of claiming compensation for accidents in a public place, combined with medical evaluation of your injuries, to estimate what we think the general damages will be. If this estimate changes at any time in the claims process we will keep you fully informed.

Special Damages

While general damages respond to the nature and severity of your injuries, special damages are intended to make sure that you aren’t left out of pocket following an accident in a public place. To ensure this, they are calculated to cover any earnings or pension provision lost because of your injuries, as well as expenses directly linked to those injuries.

Expenses covered by special damages could include the following:

• The cost of medical treatment following your accident and in the future
• The cost of any care needed because of the impact of your injuries
• An amount to factor in any time spent caring for you free of charge by friends and family
• The cost of any adaptations needed for your home and vehicle due to your injuries
• The costs of any specialised equipment needed because of your injuries, i.e. mobility aids
• The cost of any therapy or counselling you need to access as a result of your injuries
• Travel expenses for journeys to and from any medical appointments related to your injuries

Can I Claim Against the Council for an Accident in a Public Place?

Yes, you can claim against the council for an accident in a public place if you can show that they had a duty of care towards you in the place where the accident happened. In simple terms this means that they had a legal obligation to meet certain health and safety requirements in that place in order to protect the well-being of people there.

If you can show that the council failed to meet this duty of care, and that this failure led to you being injured, then you may be able to claim compensation.

Examples of claims that can be made against the council for an accident in a public place include the following:

Potholes – if you injure yourself driving or cycling over a pothole on a road the council has responsibility for you may be able to make a compensation claim. Your claim could be successful if you can show that the council was aware of the pothole and had failed to take reasonable steps to repair it.

Slips trips and falls – if you suffer a slip trip or fall in a council run building then you may be able to make a compensation claim for an accident in a public place. Examples include slipping on an unmarked wet patch on a floor or tripping over a loose step.

Parks and playgrounds – if you or your child is injured on a piece of unsafe play equipment in a park, or a hazard such as a loose railing, then you may be able to make a claim for compensation.

Pavement hazards – if you trip and injure yourself on a pavement hazard such as a loose or raised paving stone then you may be able to claim against the council.

This will apply to public spaces for which the council has responsibility.

If you’ve had an accident in a public place please contact us at Beacon Law. After a free no obligation consultation we’ll be able to explain whether your accident seems to have been caused by negligence and, if so, whether the local council or another party is responsible.

If you have the right to seek compensation we’ll explain how the process works, and no matter who is responsible, we’ll do everything we can to try and get the compensation you deserve.

The Claims Process for Accidents in Public Places

If you’ve been injured by an accident in a public place then the thought of taking legal action may seem daunting. Here at Beacon Law we strongly believe that people should be compensated when negligence leads to pain and suffering, however, so we’ll work to guide you through the process one simple step at a time.

We use our expertise and experience to build a detailed and convincing case, and our sense of empathy to support you throughout. Let us handle the stress of making a claim, while you concentrate on getting your life back on track.

Immediate action

Immediately following any accident in a public place you should take the following action:

Seek medical attention

Prompt medical treatment will alleviate your injuries, maximise the chances of recovery and create an official record of the accident.

Report your accident

If your accident happens in a public place like a shop, gym, bar or restaurant, you should report it to the management, who are likely to have an accident book that needs to be filled in. A local authority or council will have an email address to which you should send a full account of your accident.

Evidence

If you can, gather some evidence of your accident in a public place after it happens. This could include photographs of the scene and any factors linked to your injuries, and contact details of any witnesses.

Contact Beacon Law

If you think your accident in a public place was caused by negligence then get in touch with Beacon Law. If we think you have the grounds to seek compensation we’ll get straight to work putting your claim together

Statement

We’ll take a detailed statement from you setting out where, when and how the accident in a public place happened. We’ll also note the extent and details of your injuries, and the impact they have had on your life.

Medical

We’ll arrange an independent medical assessment of your injuries with an expert of our choice. This will create a detailed record of how you’ve been injured and the likelihood of recovery.

Evidence

We’ll set about bringing together the evidence for your claim, which is listed in detail in the section below

Contact

We will get in touch with the other party to inform them that you intend to claim compensation for your injuries. We will set out the evidence for your claim, and why we think it is valid, with reference to the many other successful claims we have made following accidents in public places.

We always aim to deal with compensation claims as quickly as possible and at this stage the other party will often admit liability and make an offer of compensation

Negotiation

Following an admission of liability we will negotiate to get the compensation you deserve. We know how much should be paid for the kind of injuries you might have received, as well as understanding the expenses that can be claimed for, and we never settle for anything less than 100% of the compensation you are entitled to.

Court

In rare cases the other party won’t admit liability or refuses to offer a fair amount of compensation. If this happens the claim will be settled in court, and the Beacon Law team will be at your side to represent you throughout.

Do I need a solicitor for an accident claim in a public place?

There is no legal obligation to work with a solicitor when making a claim for an accident in a public place, but going it alone would be extremely risky. The laws covering negligence and accidents in a public place can be complex, and the team at Beacon Law are equipped with a combined total of more than 200 years’ experience of dealing with complicated compensation claims of this kind.

We understand exactly what constitutes negligence in a public place, the identity of the responsible body in any given location and how to set about proving that your injuries were caused by their negligence. We also know precisely what kind of expenses can be claimed for and the evidence needed to back up those claims.

We’ve got a strong track record of fighting claims following accidents in public places, and know how to track down evidence of negligence in the form of things like witness statements, police reports, medical records and CCTV footage. We’re used to dealing with the kind of insurance companies that handle claims of this kind, and our expertise in dispute resolution means that we can usually gain an admission of negligence without having to go to court.

We do all of this on a no win no fee basis, meaning you don’t have to pay anything while we fight your claim. We’ll take a fee if we win your claim, but it will never be more than 25% of the compensation awarded, and we never settle for anything less than the maximum amount you are entitled to.

If the claim is unsuccessful, on the other hand, the costs involved will be covered by After the Event (ATE) insurance we take out at the start of the process. All of this means that you can claim following an accident in a public place without worrying about costs and knowing that you’ll keep the majority of any compensation awarded.

The final reason to work with Beacon Law is that we’re a family run firm and we treat every client as a person dealing with a difficult situation, and not just a case number. That means empathetic treatment, support, one to one advice and clear, jargon-free communication, from your first call to the end of the claims process.

What is the time limit for making a public place injury claim?

There are strict time limits in place for making a compensation claim following an accident in a public place. In almost all cases you have to claim within 3 years of the accident happening, or you won’t be able to seek compensation.

The rare exceptions to this 3 year limit include the following:

• Your injuries meant that you were ‘mentally incapacitated’ during this 3 year period. The 3 years will then be dated from the time at which you regain your mental capacities.
• You were under 18 years of age when the accident in a public place happened. In cases like this the 3 year limit runs from the date of your 18th.

Although 3 years may sound like plenty of time to make a claim, we always recommend claiming compensation as soon as possible following an accident in a public place, as the circumstances and the impact will be fresh in your mind and the minds of any witnesses.

What evidence do I need for a public place accident claim

When we work on a claim for compensation following an accident in a public place we pull together as much evidence as possible. The more detail we are able to present to the other party, the more likely they are to admit liability and make a fair offer of compensation.

The evidence for your claim will include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Your own statement and an independent medical report
• Any other relevant medical records, such as the treatment you received immediately following your accident in a public place and any treatment, tests or medication required since
• Official reports of the accident, such as records of any police or ambulance attendance and your own reporting of events to the relevant bodies
• Statements gathered from anyone who witnessed your accident
• Any photographs taken immediately after the accident, or since, in order to establish the environment in which the accident happened
• Any available CCTV footage of the accident, as many public places have CCTV coverage
• Anything which shows that the other party should have been aware of the risk of an accident. This could include previous entries in an accident book, complaints made to an establishment, or reports sent to a council.
• We will also encourage you to keep a personal diary of your recovery from your injuries, recording the impact the injuries have on your life as and when it happens
• Any evidence of lost earnings such as wage slips and bank statements from before and after the accident
• Evidence of expenses directly caused by your injuries, such as receipts, invoices and bills
• A record of care provided free of charge by friends and family, as this time is factored into the special damages paid

What constitutes an accident in a public place?

In simple terms, an accident in a public place is any accident which happens in an area which the general public can access. Examples of public places include the following:

• Supermarkets and other retail outlets
• Open spaces such as parks, pavements, footpaths and walkways
• Car parks
• Restaurants
• Gyms
• Venues such as pubs, clubs and bars
• Sporting venues

The party responsible for the public place in which an accident happens will vary, from a local council in many cases to the private management of an establishment such as a shopping mall. The accidents in a public place which we deal with at Beacon Law include the following:

• Being hit by badly stacked or stored objects which fall in a shop or supermarket
• Slipping on a spill in a pub or bar which hasn’t been cordoned off
• Tripping on debris left on the floor of a supermarket
• Falling over a dangerous step in a club or restaurant
• Tripping on a pothole in a footpath or the road surface of a car park
• Being hit by a supermarket worker moving trolleys or stock
• Being injured by faulty equipment in a gym
• Having hot food or drink spilled on you in a restaurant
• A collapsing chair or table in a pub, bar or restaurant

It might not be immediately clear to you how an organisation has been negligent when you injure yourself in a public place, or even who is directly responsible for safety in that place.

One of the first things we’ll do when you contact us at Beacon Law is establish exactly who would have had the duty of care in your circumstances, and the way in which they have been negligent.