Accidents In a Public Place

If you have suffered an injury as a result of a public accident you may be entitled to make a public liability claim for compensation.

Accidents in places such as shops, roads, parks and other public spaces shouldn’t happen, but unfortunately those responsible for these spaces – such as the local council – sometimes fall short and fail to keep people safe. For example, if you have sustained an injury from slipping on a wet floor, tripping on an uneven pavement, or any other accident that has resulted in injury, you may be able to make a public liability claim for compensation.

Our team of personal injury solicitors in Kent deal with many hundreds of accident claims each year. We are able to provide free, no obligation initial advice about your injury claim.

No-Win-No-Fee

We recognise that many people may find it difficult to fund a personal injury claim. We are able to explore and give advice on funding any compensation claim on a No-Win-No-Fee basis, where you should only have to contribute towards your legal fees if and when you receive compensation.

Under our No-Win-No-Fee agreement, you pay nothing if you lose. For more information about No-Win-No-Fee/Conditional Fee Arrangements, please visit our Legal Costs in Personal Injury and Medical Negligence Claims page.

Get in touch for a free initial consultation

If you have suffered an accident in a public place in the last 3 years call us now to speak to one of our specialist accident lawyers in Kent or fill in our online enquiry form and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.

Personal injury FAQs

Read our Personal Injury FAQs, which addresses questions such as:

• Am I eligible to make a personal injury claim?
• How is my injury claim pursued?
• How long will my personal injury claim take?
• How much compensation will I receive from my injury claim?

We can help you claim compensation for accidents in a public place

Businesses and public authorities such as the council have a duty to keep you safe when you are in spaces they own, manage, and/or maintain. If a business or public authority fails to fulfil their duty of care and you sustain an injury (both physical and psychological) as a result, you could be entitled to claim compensation.

We help hundreds of clients every year claim compensation for injury suffered in public places and our experience includes claims for:

• Injuries in shops or supermarkets
• Accidents sustained by children, including injuries at school
• Accidents on roads and pavements
• Negligent beauty treatment
• Dog bites
• Accidents in parks and on public footpaths
• Slips, trips and falls
• Horse riding injuries
• Sports injuries
• Injuries caused by scaffolding or on/near building sites
• Accidents in gyms or leisure centres
• Injuries sustained while trespassing

Time limits for making a public accident compensation claim

It is important to contact us as soon as possible after your injury because there are strict time limits about when you can make a claim.

For personal injury claims, the standard time limit is 3 years from the date of injury. After 3 years, if you have not already started your claim, the court may not allow you to because you are “time-barred”.

The exception to this is if you did not know you were injured at the point the accident happened, for example, if you experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that only materialised later on. In these cases, you have 3 years from the date of knowledge of the injury.

Other exceptions to the 3-year rule include:

• Children – there is no time limit up until the child’s 18^th birthday. Children cannot start legal proceedings themselves so a parent or guardian is usually responsible for bringing the claim. After the child turns 18, they have 3 years to bring a claim themselves
• Adults lacking mental capacity – if an adult does not have mental capacity, for example, because of severe learning difficulties, there is no time limit. Where the adult lacked capacity before having the accident, the 3-year clock will only start ticking if and when they regain mental capacity
• Family of deceased people – if you are making a claim on behalf of someone who has died as a result of an accident in a public place, the 3-year time period starts from the date of death, not the date of the accident

Why choose our personal injury solicitors in Orpington, Kent?

Our personal injury team is led by David Greenhalgh, a personal injury lawyer with over 20 years’ experience specialising in accident claims in the Orpington, Bromley and wider Kent area. David has been a member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel since its inception in 1994.

We are members of various organisations that support people who have had accidents resulting in injuries (from minor to life-changing), including the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA).

We offer flexible fee arrangements so every individual can access expert legal help, regardless of personal circumstance. Our funding options include:

• Free initial consultation – no obligation. No strings attached. We offer free initial advice to new personal injury clients
• No-Win-No-Fee (Conditional Fee Arrangements) – you do not pay any of our fees up front. Then, you will only need to pay legal fees if you win compensation.
• Legal expenses insurance – you may have this cover with your home insurance or car insurance. Depending on the terms of your policy, it may cover some or all of your legal fees

Get in touch to set up your free initial consultation

If you have suffered an accident in a public place in the last 3 years call us now to speak to one of our specialist accident lawyers in Kent or fill in our online enquiry form and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.