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01 October 2018
Kate Golding from our Personal Injury team explains how, if you're out and about and you have an accident because someone has not ensured proper safety precautions are in place, you may be entitled to compensation.
The biggest reasons for suffering accidents in public are because people have either slipped on wet or slippery floors in public buildings such as supermarkets or bars, or tripped on uneven surfaces on pavements or streets.
Slipping or tripping accidents can cause various injuries, some of which can have a serious impact on your health. If you have had an accident of this nature and it wasn’t your fault, then you may be able to pursue a claim for compensation for your injuries and associated financial losses.
If you have been injured, obtaining evidence will obviously not be the first thing that springs to mind. It is however essential to support any potential claim.
In slip or trip claims, your legal representative will always need to see evidence of the slip or trip hazard as it was at the time of your accident.
If the accident was caused by a spillage in a public building, such as a supermarket, this would ideally consist of a video or a photograph. If the accident was caused by an uneven paving slab, your legal representative will need to see a photograph of the paving slab showing the depth of the defect with a measuring tape or ruler. This photograph should be taken at street level so that the precise measurement of the depth of the defect is shown correctly and again the photograph should be taken of the defect as it was at the time of your accident, i.e. before the Council has made any repair.
If there were any witnesses to your accident, and they are happy to assist, take their contact details and confirm that you will be in touch with them in due course.
Finally, it is important that you retain any receipts for prescriptions, medical aids, travel costs, etc, that you may have had to purchase, and also keep a note of care and assistance that you may have required, as these items could all form part of a claim for compensation.
If you have been injured and wish to make a claim, please contact Kate Golding on 01935 846072 or email kate.golding@battens.co.uk
