Accidents In Public Places

Accidents in Public Places

If you have been injured as a result of tripping or slipping you may be entitled to compensation.

Accidents like this can happen in the street, in shops, at work or on any other premises. The owner of those premises has a legal duty to ensure that you are safe when you are walking on their premises and if they neglect their responsibility and cause you to trip or slip you may be able to claim compensation. Examples of such accidents are trips being caused by an uneven paving slab in the street, at work by trailing cables across the office or factory floor or in a shop by a spillage on the floor.

The owners of the premises where your accident happens will usually have an insurance policy. If your accident happens in the street the local Council will have an insurance policy. You can use this to claim compensation for your injury and also any financial losses that you have incurred as a result of the accident, such as a loss of earnings while you are unable to work due to the injuries sustained, or travel expenses incurred whilst attending your GP, physiotherapist or hospital.

If you trip in the street it is important to measure the defect and take photographs showing a ruler against the defect, as the area could be repaired quickly if you report your accident to the Council. There is a general rule that the defect must be one inch or more in height (if on a pavement), for the Council to take responsibility for it. The Council has a duty to regularly inspect pavements and pedestrian areas for defects and as part of your claim we would ask to see those inspection records. This is to establish whether the Council was aware of the defect that caused your accident at the time it occurred, since we need to prove that the Council is at fault for your accident.

If you slip or trip on private premises, e.g. a shop, make sure you report your accident at the time and get it recorded in their accident book, if they have one. This is to provide evidence of the fact that your accident happened on their premises.

If anyone helps you after your accident, ask them for their name and address because they may be able to assist you with your claim.

For more information or for free advice phone Elizabeth Lawrenson direct dial on 0116 212 1147, or fill in the form below.

Slip/Trip and Fall Form

Personal Details

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From time to time Lawson-West may wish to contact you with special offers or other information that may be of interest to you. Please indicate whether or not you are happy to receive such communication from Lawson-West.

Please select:

Accident Details

A)

dd/mm/yyyy

B) Do you have, or are you still able to obtain, photographs of the defect that caused you to slip or trip?

Please select:

C) Did the defect measure more than one inch?

Please select:

D) If you slipped or tripped on a pavement or road, was it:

E) Did you report the accident to the council, or anyone else?

Please select:

dd/mm/yyyy

F) Did anyone else witness the accident?

Please select:

G) What time was the accident?

H) Had you been drinking?

Please select:

I) Were you running?

Please select:

J) When did you go to your GP/Hospital?:

Please ensure that you have completed all the required fields (marked with *) and then click submit to send the form.