Personal Injury in a Public Place: What Can You Claim On?

Accidents are an unfortunate fact of life; many things remain out of our control, and every now and then something can happen that gets in the way of you living your best life. Sometimes, accidents give way to injuries – and sometimes, those injuries can be debilitating. But what is your standing with regard to a personal injury claim if you have an accident in public?

Slips, Trips and Falls

Everyone has had the misfortune of suffering a slip or trip in public before; whether you misjudged a kerb, went over on gravel or missed a pothole completely. The injuries incurred from such falls are often incidental – a graze here, or a bruise there – but sometimes they can be a lot more serious, and present further-reaching, long term medical issues down the line which could well cost you not only time and money, but your livelihood.

Many people usually brush off a light fall or slip, but for those who fall hard, there may be some respite; in certain cases, the blame may be laid elsewhere, and you may be entitled to a personal injury claim. For example, if you trip as a result of a particularly egregious pothole in the road, the local council responsible for the upkeep of those roads could well be liable for your injury.Likewise, if you were to slip on ice where the pavement should have been gritted, whoever was responsible for said land – whether a private company, or the council – could be at fault.

A stand-out case study lies in the recent report on Brighton and Hove council, who have paid out more than £100,000 in compensation between 2018 and 2021 as a result of injuries incurred on their pavements. The bulk of claims were made in 2018, where seven payments were made totalling over £98,000.

Sporting Injuries

Sports events and activities already come with heightened risk, especially where contact sports such as rugby or boxing are concerned. Injuries are part and parcel of the competitive sporting experience, and even if you are participating in light exercise via a gym visit, you could well be exposing yourself to muscle soreness and sprains. However, sports injuries occur where safety measures should have prevented them – whether a trained umpire or referee, or faulty equipment. If you suffer a debilitating injury as a result of poor venue safety or oversight from officials, you could stand to be compensated for your injury.

Sporting events and activities can be dangerous for both participant and spectator alike; where stadium sports invite an audience, the stadium has a duty of care over its attendants; poor signage, poor crowd management and misplaced equipment could result in serious injury for a bystander, entitling them to a personal injury claim against the stadium, or the governing body responsible for whichever area caused the incident.

What is the Time Limit on Personal Injury Claims?

With any personal injury claim, you have three years from the date you realise the extent of your injury – this may be on the day of the accident, or on the diagnosis of a condition you believe directly stemmed from the day of the accident. For budding claimants under the age of 18, this three-year window begins on their 18thbirthday, regardless the passage of time since the accident.