Public Liability Accident Claims*

You may be entitled to compensation if you have been involved in an accident in a public place which was not your fault.

Information about Public Place / Public Liability Accident Claims

The most common accident in public places that we have come across is where the accident is caused by slipping or tripping over an object or an accident by virtue of the fact that the object is defective or broken. An example of the latter would be falling over a broken step or kerb in a public place.

Every individual or body who allows access to the public to a particular property owes a duty of care to individuals entering the property. If they breach that duty of care towards the public and an accident occurs as a result of the breach, then the public are entitled to claim compensation for any injuries sustained.

What to do when you have an accident in a public place?

  • Gather evidence of the hazard and scene of the accident by taking photographs as soon as possible
  • Take details of any witnesses to the accident and contact details for those witnesses
  • Report the accident to management or the owners of the place where the accident took place immediately
  • Seek medical attention as soon as possible after the accident

Get the compensation you deserve for your Personal Injury

Sinnott Solicitors are located in Dublin & Cork, we have an expert team of personal injury solicitors to help you with your personal injury claim.

How to start a public liability accident claim

The next step is to prepare your case for lodging with the Injuries Board. Your solicitor will identify the correct defendant and will take all necessary preliminary steps to get you case up and running.

Your solicitor will write letters to claim to the Defendant and seek the CCTV footage of the incident if applicable.

If you have been involved in an accident in a public place and you wish to take a public liability claim, Sinnott Solicitors Dublin and Cork will be in a position to assist you to take your claim and to help you to achieve the maximum compensation available.

Sinnott Solicitors Dublin and Cork have complied an ultimate guide to the Injuries Board and Injury Court Claims Process which you can assess by clicking on this link https://sinnott.ie/part-2-statute-of-limitations/

Recent Statistics on Public Liability Accident Claims

A recent statistic released by the Injuries Board stated that over 2,000 public liability awards were made in 2014 totaling €53,000,000 in compensation.

That figure is up from a figure of €44,000,000 in 2013.

Interestingly, seven out of ten claims involve women and slips trips and falls were the most common accidents.

Also in 2014 the Injuries Board noted that public liability accidents reached their peak in the summer months and in particular the month of July. It was also noted that Saturday is the most common day for a public liability accident to occur.

OUR CLIENT MARTIN’S CASE: GAA PITCH ACCIDENT CLAIM / FALL INTO DEEP HOLE

Martin was training with his local GAA team in the month of February. The pitch was poorly lit when the Manager told the team to run four laps of the pitch. A number of very deep holes had been dug around the pitch to accommodate new flood lights which the club were about to erect on the pitch.

The holes were dug by construction workers and no protective covering, barriers or warnings were in existence around the holes which measured 4ft x 3ft in size.

As Martin was running around the pitch in poor winter evening light he ran into the hole which was approximately 7ft deep. He injured his knee, hip and ankle rather badly.

His knee eventually necessitated surgery. As this public liability accident happened completely unexpectedly and Martin fell in to a dark hole without warning he suffered from nightmares and sleepless nights and claustrophobic after the accident. Part of Martin’s personal injuries claim was for the post-traumatic stress that he suffered after falling in to the hole.

We settled Martin’s claim for the sum of €68,500 together with his special damages and out of pocket expenditure in the sum of €3,219. In addition to the award we managed to secure the payment of Martin’s costs from the Insurance Company for the Defendant, the local GAA Club. Martin’s legal costs were paid in full and the compensation represented an excellent result for Martin.

Get the compensation you deserve for your Personal Injury

Sinnott Solicitors are located in Dublin & Cork, we have an expert team of personal injury solicitors to help you with your personal injury claim.