Public liability claims

What are the most common public liability accidents?

An accident in a public place really can happen to anyone. Everyday slips, trips and falls have the potential to cause common injuries such as fractures and breaks that can put you out of action and impact upon your finances and wellbeing.The most common accidents resulting in public liability claims are as follows:

• Slips, trips and falls. These commonly occur in snowy conditions or on icy surfaces.
• Supermarket accidents: Poorly signposted spillages or obstacles are often to blame in this public setting.
• Pavement accidents: Where pavements are cracked or poorly maintained then accidents are more likely to occur.
• Holiday accidents: Skiing, watersports accidents and food poisoning are common reasons for making a public liability claim after a holiday abroad.
• Sports accidents: Motorsport, gym activities, horse riding and cycling can be hazardous activities. Where negligence has resulted in an accident occurring, you may be able to make a public liability injury claim.

You shouldn't feel bad for thinking about making a public liability injury claim, that the accident might have been your fault or you don't want to make a fuss. Accidents in public places are very common, and public property owners will almost always have adequate public liability insurance in place to pay damages to claimants like you.

The list above is by no means exhaustive. If you've had a public accident in the last three years that wasn't your fault, it's highly likely that we'll be able to help you. Speak to us for free today on to assess if you have a liability claim.

What are the main causes of public liability accidents?

Whilst the circumstances and settings that can lead to an accident in public are wide ranging, the root cause of all accidents is negligence on the part of those responsible for the setting. It is for this reason that it is highly likely we will be able to help you make a public liability injury claim should you have had an accident in public.

A defective highway (pavement or road) accounts for most of the trips, slips or falls that are such a common cause of injuries in a public setting. Uneven kerbs or paving slabs, damaged pavements caused by tree roots, inadequately placed road signs and general poor maintenance are the most common causes of a public liability accident in this setting. It is the responsibility of Highways England to ensure that public pavements, walkways and roads are well maintained and safe to use. If you have taken a tumble as a result of snowy or icy conditions then you may have grounds to make a public liability claim if the surface was not sufficiently gritted, or the dangers not made clear to you through adequate signage.

Other common causes of public liability accidents include unsafe conditions in supermarkets and shopping centres (spillages, inadequate signage, lighting and falling heavy objects), negligence on public transport networks such as dangerous driving and poorly maintained safety features, or even poor standards of cleanliness at a pub or hotel that has resulted in illness. We have also helped people claim for injuries that occured on cruise ships, planes and even public beaches.

If you suspect that negligence was to blame for your accident, whether it is listed above or not, then speak to us on about making a public liability injury claim for free today or alternatively complete a call back form and one of our friendly team will call you back. You are under no obligation to start a claim when contacting us and our friendly team will offer free and impartial advice based on your unique circumstances.

Can I make a public liability claim?

If you've had an accident in a public place where a duty of care has been breached, or that wasn't your fault, then it's likely you'll be able to make a liability claim with us.

Not everybody reading this page will have suffered an injury in public themselves. Depending on the severity of the injury, the person who has been injured may be unable or unwilling to think about their future or compensation and so you may be acting on their behalf.

If that's the case then we can speak to the friends, family members or professional guardian of anybody who has had a public liability accident. You can contact us for free on .

A no win no fee claim is a risk-free way of making things right after a public liability accident. This is because if your claim isn't successful, you don't pay a penny.

Our experienced friendly advisors can advise as to whether you can make a claim, as well as explaining what the claims process involves. If we think you have a liability claim, and you're happy to proceed, we'll put you in touch with one of our expert public liability solicitors who have helped people like you get the compensation they are entitled to.

Who are public liability claims made against?

As set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the owners of public premises are required by law to keep you and other visitors safe. Whilst they must take all reasonable health and safety steps to ensure that the risk of accidents is kept to a minimum, land and property owners are also required by law to take out adequate public liability insurance. What this means is that public liability claims are made between a public liability solicitor and the defendant's insurance company. So if you were thinking of not making a claim because you were worried about the effect it might have on a small business owner, it is not them who will be paying your compensation or suffering a direct loss of earnings as a result.

Speak to us today on to find out if you are able to make a no win no fee public liability claim.

Is it compulsory for businesses to carry public liability insurance?

In a word, no, public liability insurance is not compulsory. Indeed, the only compulsory cover is employers' liability insurance, which protects the staff that a business employs rather than the general public. Having said this, any responsible business will include it as part of their broader business insurance policies. Whether a business is covered by public liability insurance or not will not affect your ability to claim - our highly regarded public liability lawyers will in this scenario deal directly with the defendant's legal team and seek damages from them instead of an insurance company. They will undertake litigation on your behalf and take the legal strain off your shoulders, so you don't have to worry.

What will happen if I make a public liability injury claim?

The thought of making a public liability claim can be a daunting one. Many people are worried about how to pay for a claim, going to court and what happens if their claim is unsuccessful. One thing we can promise you is free, impartial and thorough advice from a helpful trained member of our public liability claims team. They'll explain in simple terms what will happen should you decide to proceed with your claim, and you are under no obligation to do so if you don't feel comfortable. We operate on a no win no fee basis, meaning no upfront costs and nothing to pay if you lose.The amount you pay will be agreed between you and your solicitor before you start the claim, meaning there's no surprises should your liability claim be successful.

Having given our friendly team a free call on , if you wish to proceed with making a claim, they will put you in touch with one of our approved public liability solicitors. They will take care of all legal matters related to the claims process for you - all you need to do is to provide as much information to them as possible when asked for it.

We've helped millions of people hurt in accidents in public get the compensation they deserve and are rated excellent by our customers on Trustpilot. And be sure to visit our claims process page to understand exactly what will happen should you choose to make a public liability compensation claim.

Is there a time limit on making a public liability claim?

Broadly speaking, if you are over the age of 18, you have three years from the time of your accident to make a liability claim. If you were under 18 when an accident happened, a parent, guardian or other officially responsible adult can make a claim on your behalf as a ‘litigation friend' at any time up to your 18th birthday. When you reach 18, you then have three years until your 21st birthday to make the claim yourself as a legal adult.

Exceptions to this time limit may apply, for example if the claimant lacks the mental or physical capacity to do it themselves. Your public liability lawyers will be able to explain the details if they affect you. Find out more about the Mental Capacity Act 2005. This government page outlines what classes as lacking the mental capacity.

We understand that you might be putting off making a claim as you're a little apprehensive about the whole process involved. Don't be - everybody has a right to compensation if injured in an accident that wasn't their fault. Use our claim online tool to find out if you can make an to get an indication of the amount of compensation you could receive. Alternatively call for free to speak to one of our friendly advisors.

How much public liability compensation could I receive?

We have created a useful compensation calculator that provides you with an estimated amount that you could receive should you go ahead with a public liability compensation claim. The calculation process covers six steps, each one asking you a question about yourself or the public accident. Being as accurate as possible with your answers will enable us to give you the most realistic figure at the end of the process. You'll be asked to evaluate the severity of your injury(s), how much of an impact it's had on your earnings, expenses you've had to cover and so on. The calculator is a quick and easy way to decide if you'd like to make a liability claim, and can be combined with a free call to our team on .

The amount that you will seek from the party at fault will vary from case to case and will be agreed upon between yourself and your public liability solicitor. Having worked for nearly 30 years across a huge variety of public accidents, our trained team has a good idea as to the amount you will be able to make a claim for.

General damages refer to the amount paid out for pain, suffering and loss of amenity. They encompass the injury itself and the impact it has had on your daily life. Special damages may be awarded on top of this for any loss of earnings, medical bills or modifications to your home that may have been needed as a result of your injury. The Judicial College Guildelines sets out  general damages payments with some common injuries resulting from public accidents falling into the following ranges:

Reassuringly, our no win no fee claims process means that in the unlikely event of your public liability claim not being successful, you won't pay a penny. Speak to us today about your specific injury and we'll give you an idea of how much you could claim, for free.

Can I claim on behalf of someone else?

We sometimes speak to friends or family members of those who have been injured in public and are more than happy to do so. It may be that there's a language barrier to overcome and the friend or family member of the injured individual can communicate more effectively with us. 

A pre-existing condition might affect somebody's decision making so you would rather make a claim on their behalf - we understand this and encourage you to give us a call. Parents or legal guardians are asked to make a claim on behalf of a person under the age of 18.

It is our responsibility to help in any way that we can, so if your friend or family member is unable or unwilling to speak to us about their public liability claim then we can help and advise you instead. Where possible, it is beneficial if we can speak briefly with the injured party just to confirm that you have their consent to speak with us and move ahead with a claim on their behalf.

Find out more about making a public liability compensation claim on somebody else's behalf or call to speak to one of our friendly advisors.