The law of negligence is complex and the number of places in which the public can suffer injuries is vast. Therefore, Parliament passed the Act to clarify matters such as:

• Who owes a duty of care?
• What constitutes a breach of duty?
• What constitutes a foreseeable risk of harm?

Under the Act, an occupier is liable if someone is injured on their property and they:

• Were aware of a danger or hazard on the premises and did not take reasonable measures to minimise the risk of harm;
• They should have been aware of the risk or danger through undertaking reasonable inspection and maintenance of the property;
• The danger or hazard poses a foreseeable risk of harm to others.

Common accidents that occur in public places include:

• Slips and trips, for example in a shop, supermarket or on an icy pavement.
• Falls from a height.
• Being hit by a moving vehicle.
• Being struck by a falling object.
• Accidents on holiday.
• Sport accidents (as a participant or spectator).

If you are unsure whether you have a personal injury claim following an accident in a public place, call us and we will swiftly establish whether you have a valid claim.

Although the Act distinguishes between lawful visitors and trespassers, occupiers still owe a duty of care to those who enter their property without permission. The duty owed to trespassers is less than that which is owed to lawful visitors, namely to take reasonable steps to identify and mitigate hazards that could foreseeably cause harm. However, an occupier may still be liable if a trespasser was injured by something on the property designed to cause deliberate harm or posed an unreasonable risk.

If we can take on your case, we can offer a No Win, No Fee agreement. This means you will not have to pay any money upfront for your legal fees. You will have to pay expenses related to your case. These are known as disbursements and include things such as court or expert report fees. Disbursements can be covered by an insurance product called After the Event Insurance. After the Event Insurance can also cover any Court Order to pay the other side’s costs if you lose your claim.

If you win your case, the other side is likely to be ordered to pay most of your legal costs and our legal fees. We will take a success fee in recognition of taking on the risk of your claim, and the percentage will be agreed in advance. The most important thing is you do not have to take on any risk because if you lose your claim, you will not pay any legal fees, and the disbursements will be covered by insurance.

You can be completely confident that there are no hidden costs. As an SRA regulated law firm, we have a legal duty to be fully transparent with you regarding how much you will pay.

Let us advise and represent you on your accident in a public place personal injury claim. You can trust that we will always be on your side, protecting your best interests, and working tirelessly to get you the compensation you need.

Contact us on 0333 123 1331 or fill in our contact form and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.