Public Liability
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. 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. In the event the injury was caused while working for your employer, a claim may also be able to be filed against the employer.
There are a number of claims that fall under the category of public liability compensation. The most popular claims include but are not limited to:
Injuries suffered due to faulty staircases, the presence of pot holes 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
Objects that have fallen or sticking out
Obstructions on motorways and pavements
Part of winning a claim for public liability compensation is proving that someone else bears the responsibility for your injury. 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, addresses, and phone numbers of any witnesses
Take photographs of the location of the accident including any injuries sustained that are visible
Always seek medical attention which in turn aids your recovery and provides official documentation of the injuries
A wet floor sign and mop on a white background[/caption]
In the event part of the compensation you will be seeking is for traveling expenses or prescription expenses, be sure to keep all receipts for these expenses handy.
There are limitations for filing public liability compensation claims that need to be kept in mind. First of all, 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.
The amount of compensation received upon winning a public liability compensation claim varies depending on the individual circumstances of each case. There is no such thing as standard compensation in regards to these cases. Awards are based on the actual injury incurred by the victim and other related factors.
It is possible that victims could receive an interim payment as part of their compensation. This will not mean the claim is settled, but will provide the victim temporary financial relief related to a particular aspect of the claim until a full settlement is reached. Many public liability compensation claims are settled prior to even going to court. In rare cases, court proceedings may be required, which usually happens when the actual liability for the injury is disputed.