Public Places Accident Claims
What is Public Liability?
Public Liability is the law that governs the responsibility of individuals or organisations to keep other individuals safe while on their property. A public liability claim can be made if an injury is caused to a person while on their premises as a result of their negligence.
The law also covers safety while in a public place and claims can be made for injuries while in parks, supermarkets, hotels, bars, on the street and in a wide range of indoor and outdoor settings.
What Causes Accidents in Public Places?
Accidents in a public place can be caused by a wide range of instances where those responsible have been negligent in their approach to public safety. Common causes of accidents in public places include but are not limited to:
Trips or falls over loose paving
Dog bites in a public place
Injury in a gym due to faulty equipment or lack of basic instruction
Injury in a supermarket due to poorly stacked produce
Slips on wet floors in hotels, bars, supermarkets and any indoor public place
Injury in the workplace
What Are The Most Common Accidents in A Public Place?
Public place accidents cover a wide spectrum as we have seen but some injuries are more common than others. Among the most common accidents in public places are trips, slips and falls and these can be traced to a range of different causes. A loose paving stone or a wet supermarket floor are among the many reasons why the injured party has suffered an accident of this kind.
Broken bones, muscle and ligament injuries are among the common issues while similar injuries can often be sustained in the workplace. Obstructions in public walkways, falling equipment and badly maintained office and factory infrastructure can all contribute to accidents while at work.
What to Do After An Accident In A Public Place?
Once an accident has occurred, the injured party should report the incident to the Injuries Board. This is a requirement by law in Ireland and it must be adhered to. Once reported, the next step involves appointing a solicitor who will bring your completed case to the Injuries Board.
How Do You Report an Accident in A Public Place?
With that explicit requirement in mind, it’s now time to contact a solicitor to make that initial approach to the Injuries Board. While anyone can carry this action out, it’s important that the solicitor in question is fully conversant in the exact procedure and that they have extensive experience of dealing with accidents that have occurred in public places.
Remember, when it comes to reporting accidents in public places, it is vital that the board is contacted and you should get in touch via your appointed solicitor as soon as possible. Once that initial action has been taken, the claims process can now start to proceed.
How to Make a Claim for A Public Place Accident?
Following the initial report, a full claim has now to be made to the Injuries Board. If you’ve suffered an accident in a public place, a solicitor should be contacted to follow up with the enquiry. Full information will be required in order to assess whether there has been negligence that has caused that accident and the subsequent injuries.
A qualified solicitor will have experience of the process and can therefore deal with the claim in the shortest possible space of time. The procedure begins with accessing and collating medical reports that outline the injuries sustained so contact will be made with the relevant doctors and hospitals.
Any additional documentation, including possible eye witness reports will also be accessed and collected along with the medical evidence. Once everything is in place, the claim will be prepared and submitted in full to the Injuries Board.
How Long After an Accident in A Public Place Can You Claim?
Exact time limits relating to accidents in public places are laid out in the statute of limitations. In short, the claimant has up to two years from the date of knowledge to submit a full claim. The date of knowledge does not necessarily refer to the actual moment the incident occurred. Additional factors include the point when the claimant knew that the injuries were significant and that negligence was involved.
If the two year limit is exceeded, this can affect the case and make it less likely to be successful.
What is The Average Payout for A Public Place Accident?
The average payout for public place injuries will depend on a number of factors. Naturally, the severity of the injury will have a significant bearing on the outcome and additional criteria such as personal circumstances will also need to be considered.
Cost of hospital bills and the length that the injuries manifest are also relevant. Once we have details of your claim, we will be able to assess the specific case and provide more accurate figures in regards to the potential payout.