Slip Accidents
When can you make an accident compensation claim for a
trip or a slip?
If you are walking along in a supermarket or on a pavement and suddenly are forced to fall over, the first reaction is normally acute embarrassment. You will look around to see if anyone has seen you fall, and then normally walk on as quickly as possible. However, if your trip or slip leads to a serious injury, such as a twisted ankle or even worse, fractured ankle or arm, when can you make a claim for compensation in this situation?
Who Is Responsible For The Area Where You Trip?
Depending on where the accident takes place, the following people may be responsible:-
- If in a shop, the owner of the premises;
- If on a road, path or other public highway the Local Authority; and
- If on private land, the owner of the private land (sometimes the Council).
Types Of Trip And Slip Accidents
There are many different types of accidents, but some that seem to occur far more often than others. These include:-
- People slipping on liquid or dropped fruit or vegetables in supermarkets;
- People slipping over pot holes in the road;
- People tripping over uneven flagstones;
- People tripping over tree roots protruding through the pavement.
In all of these situations, your solicitor will have to investigate how long the defect has been in place, whether any attempt has been made to repair the defect or remove the obstacle, before they can assess whether a claim for compensation can be pursued.
What Action Should You Take?
The first thing you should do is take action to secure the evidence. Although you might be embarrassed after having slipped, you will need to obtain photographs of the item you have tripped over and also details of any witnesses that saw your accident. This could be vital in proving that the accident happened exactly where you said it did and to assess whether the defect was sufficiently severe to allow you to make a compensation claim (if you trip over a pot hole, it normally needs to be one inch deeper or more to succeed although this is not always the case).
Next Steps
The next step should be to take the evidence as soon as possible to a solicitor with experience in trip and slip accident claims. They will assess the evidence, make contact with the other side and obtain supporting evidence from any witnesses.
What Can You Claim Compensation For?
You will be able to make a claim for compensation not only for the injury experienced, but also for any losses and expenses such as lost earnings due to time off work, medication expenses and prescription charges, and any damaged clothing.
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