Slips, Trips and Falls

If you have an accident or suffer a personal injury whilst on public property, which was not your fault, then you may be entitled to make a personal injury compensation claim.

The person or company owning or maintaining the public area should have taken out a public liability insurance policy to compensate members of the public for any injury they sustain whilst on the property caused by their negligence. Common examples of how injuries can occur are:

  • Wet floors
  • Uneven flooring
  • Cracked or uneven pavements
  • Unexpected obstacles
  • Inadequate lighting
  • Ice or snow in areas that should have been cleared

The most common injuries sustained following slips and trips include back injuries, ankle and knee injuries, head injuries, and also wrist injuries.

Your local council is responsible for keeping pavements, steps and walkways safe. Meanwhile, businesses such as shops, supermarkets and restaurants must take reasonable steps to prevent slips and trips by cleaning up spillages as quickly as possible, always signposting wet floors and keeping aisles or walkways clear.

Employers must comply with health and safety law to prevent staff suffering a slip or trip at work. This means gathering electrical cables safely, signposting wet floors, making sure stairways are well lit and keeping walkways clear from obstructions.

What happens if the local Council or supermarket refuses to admit liability?

Very often the property owner such as the supermarket store or the Council will deny liability because they want to make it as difficult as possible for you to get the compensation you deserve. Most people cannot afford to challenge this for fear of incurring legal costs if they lose. At P R Hanna Solicitors, we have helped thousands of people get the compensation they deserve.  We can now recommend competitive insurance cover to ensure you’re not liable for any legal costs so that you get the maximum compensation you are entitled to.  We can then progress your claim in a way that suits you best and you only pay the premium for the insurance cover if you are successful and out of the compensation you win. This evens up the level playing field and allows you genuine access to justice.

Funding your injury claim

Don’t be put off bringing a Personal Injury claim in Northern Ireland because you can’t afford to take the risk of losing and having to pay the legal costs of the other side. P R Hanna Solicitors can recommend your claim, that has reasonable prospects of success, to DASlawAssist, a leading Insurance company in the UK, to provide you with After the Event Insurance (ATE) cover. This cover can also be made available to cover other disputes such as contractual and commercial matters. Ring us and ask to speak to a Partner for further details.