Sometimes accidents are unavoidable, no matter how careful we are. Even just going about our daily tasks and journeys can sometimes result in a problem because someone else hasn’t been careful enough or hasn’t done their job properly. Many people in the UK who have suffered slips, trips and falls claim injury compensation with great success, because they know that their accident could have been prevented if someone else had taken more care.
Injury compensation
You may think that injury compensation is only for people who have had a car accident, but you would be surprised how many people submit slips, trips and falls claim cases every day. From pensioners who have hurt themselves after tripping over a broken paving slab that the council should have fixed, to young ladies who have slipped on wet floors in shopping centres which should have had a warning sign displayed, the people who are affected by perfectly avoidable slips and trips are many and varied.
Even if you aren’t sure who was responsible for your accident, you should seek advice and see if you can make a claim. Negligence on the part of building owners, land owners and employers needs to be taken seriously, otherwise the same fate could befall another innocent victim in the future.
Your rights
You have the right to be able to pass through any public right or way, along any pavement, through any accessible building and past any type of display, event or building site without encountering any hazards. Although sometimes it is impossible for the people in charge to eliminate hazards immediately, they do have tools at their disposal to mitigate the risk to you. Councils can place warning cones over broken pavements, workmen can place a walking mat on top of trailing electrical wires and events organisers can use signs and barriers to ensure the public only walk where it is safe to do so.
If someone has failed to uphold your rights in this respect, it is now your right to pursue a claim. Many people who are victims of slips, trips and falls claim substantial amounts of compensation, which can go towards the expenses they have suffered, such as a loss of earnings through time off work, expenses of travelling to medical appointments and costs of child or animal care whilst they were incapacitated.
Making a claim
Slips, trips and falls claim cases are usually handled by specialist solicitors who don’t charge any money up front, so you can be confident that your search for legal advice will not end up costing you a packet. You can find a good number of friendly and professional specialists online, so you wont even need to make your way into town to start the process. Some solicitors like to visit their clients at home, others will be able to deal with your case over the phone. They understand that the most important thing is to get you well again, so will do their utmost to avoid inconveniencing you in the process, although they will work hard to ensure you are kept informed every step of the way.