Have you been injured in public? A claim for an accident that has occured on property open to the public is known as a public liability claim. If you have a slip, trip or fall on a public road or pavement, or in a building such as a shop, you may be entitled to make a public liability claim. The same would apply for other types of accidents caused by public property left in a dangerous condition, such as cuts caused by sharp protruding objects or injuries caused by falling debris.

The compensation claim would be made against the person or organisation responsible for the property. They should have public liability insurance to cover any injuries they have caused to members of the public.

If you have been injured in a public place, it is helpful to your claim if you can gather certain information. Witness details and photographs are particularly useful.  These should show the problem clearly and, if at all possible, should show an exact measurement of its height/depth. You should also keep details of any medical treatment and receipts for any injury related expenses that you may incur.

For accidents inside a building, such as a shop or leisure centre, try to ensure that the staff are informed and the incident is recorded in any accident book.

In any personal injury claim it is necessary to show that the person you are making a claim against owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty of care (were negligent), and that the injury you sustained was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of that negligence.