Public Liability

Under public liability law, every business or organisation has a duty of care towards members of the public or customers on their premises or in other public areas, such as pavements, roads, car parks, swimming pools, etc.. If anyone injures themselves in any of these areas and the injury can be shown to be directly attributable to negligence on the part of the organisation concerned, the organisation is in breach of its duty of care and can be subject to a public liability claim. Although not strictly a legal requirement, most organisations have public liability insurance as protection against such eventualities.

Public liability claims often result from slips, trips or falls caused by spillages of liquids or poorly maintained flooring in supermarkets or other retail outlets, but injuries can be caused by unsafe signs, walls and other structures, falling objects and a variety of other means. As such, public liability claims can be complex, with the onus on the claimant to demonstrate that their allegations are valid under the law.

If you are injured in a public place through no fault of your own, you should, in the first instance, report the incident to the organisation concerned, so that it can be entered in their accident book. Photographs of any offending surface, structure or equipment, including measurements, as well as evidence of your injury itself, may prove useful in support of your claim and you should also keep a record of any medical expenses resulting from the accident. Most of all, however, you should consider employing a personal injury specialist to pursue your claim on your behalf.