Hassle-free help from the UK's best Personal Injury solicitors.
Transparent pricing, from start to finishGet the support you need, when you need itTrusted lawyers, clear expectations
Transparent pricing, from start to finishGet the support you need, when you need itTrusted lawyers, clear expectations
Amazing experience
After placing an enquiry, I received a call 20 minutes later, and then 2 hours later, I had a solicitor assigned to me. They were absolutely incredible right from the word go - amazing and very prompt with replies, answering all my questions and keeping the process moving. We finally completed today and I am so unbelievably happy. I wouldn’t hesitate to use Lawhive again in the future if needed.
Lily
First class service
I initially made an online enquiry about a tricky conveyancing matter and received an immediate call back. They understood straight away what was needed and gave me a quote that was very reasonable. It was such a pleasure to find someone who was cheerful, professional and completely reassuring as I’d been getting quite anxious about the sale of my house. The service Lawhive has provided is absolutely first class and I cannot recommend them enough.
Charles
Empathetic, professional and efficient
I am an executor, selling my mother's home. I found the assistance I received from Lawhive first rate - empathetic, professional and efficient.
Mark
Great service from Lawhive
We used Lawhive for our conveyancing needs and our solicitor was very helpful, patient and informative. She helped us with our needs with prompt responses and provided a very efficient service.
Kelvin
Great service when you need clarity and calm
Our solicitor was warm, friendly and provided crystal clear communication. A lot of conveyancers assume customers know everything about the process already, so it was really appreciated to hear each stage included in the price given.
Em
Quick and efficient
We used Lawhive for a transfer of property and conveyancing. Our solicitor was so helpful and thorough with the whole process. He responded quickly and efficiently to any questions or requests that we had and explained some of the more complicated issues regarding the process clearly.
Geri
Fantastic service and experience with Lawhive
I had the pleasure of working with Lawhive doing a transfer of equity on a property. Our solicitor’s service was amazing, she responded quickly to any questions or concerns and kept me updated throughout the process. I can strongly recommend her for any conveyancing work that you may need. Fantastic service all round.
Jane
Amazing experience
After placing an enquiry, I received a call 20 minutes later, and then 2 hours later, I had a solicitor assigned to me. They were absolutely incredible right from the word go - amazing and very prompt with replies, answering all my questions and keeping the process moving. We finally completed today and I am so unbelievably happy. I wouldn’t hesitate to use Lawhive again in the future if needed.
Lily
First class service
I initially made an online enquiry about a tricky conveyancing matter and received an immediate call back. They understood straight away what was needed and gave me a quote that was very reasonable. It was such a pleasure to find someone who was cheerful, professional and completely reassuring as I’d been getting quite anxious about the sale of my house. The service Lawhive has provided is absolutely first class and I cannot recommend them enough.
Charles
Empathetic, professional and efficient
I am an executor, selling my mother's home. I found the assistance I received from Lawhive first rate - empathetic, professional and efficient.
Mark
Great service from Lawhive
We used Lawhive for our conveyancing needs and our solicitor was very helpful, patient and informative. She helped us with our needs with prompt responses and provided a very efficient service.
Kelvin
Great service when you need clarity and calm
Our solicitor was warm, friendly and provided crystal clear communication. A lot of conveyancers assume customers know everything about the process already, so it was really appreciated to hear each stage included in the price given.
Em
Quick and efficient
We used Lawhive for a transfer of property and conveyancing. Our solicitor was so helpful and thorough with the whole process. He responded quickly and efficiently to any questions or requests that we had and explained some of the more complicated issues regarding the process clearly.
Geri
Fantastic service and experience with Lawhive
I had the pleasure of working with Lawhive doing a transfer of equity on a property. Our solicitor’s service was amazing, she responded quickly to any questions or concerns and kept me updated throughout the process. I can strongly recommend her for any conveyancing work that you may need. Fantastic service all round.
Jane
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01 overview
Having an accident in a public place can be tough both physically and emotionally. Even though the typical British response is to downplay things and solider on, you might experience complications in the aftermath like unexpected medical costs, emotional stress, and work disruptions
Of course, accidents happen, and sometimes there's no one to blame. But, if an accident wasn't your fault and was caused by someone else's negligence or mistake, you may be able to make a public liability claim.
At Lawhive, our personal injury solicitors are here to help you get the compensation you rightly deserve following an accident in public.
To discuss your claim with our team, get a free, no-obligation case assessment today.
Public liability is the responsibility of individuals or businesses overseeing public areas to keep them safe. This is called a duty of care.
If an individual or business fails in this duty, and it causes injury, you can usually claim compensation if you can prove they didn't take proper care and, as a result, you got hurt.
Many businesses have public liability insurance to compensate anyone who is injured on their premises due to their fault or negligence.
From a slip, trip, or fall in the town centre, or an accident on the road, businesses, councils, and local authorities have what is known as a ‘duty of care’ to members of the public that use the facilities that they own and operate.
There have been 53,403 public liability compensation claims in 2023 alone, these only account for those reported to the Compensation Recovery Unit, and the value of these was £5.915 million.
The owners of public spaces have a legal responsibility to ensure that public spaces are safe to use and that any identified risk is mitigated. So, if you’re involved in an accident that could or should have been prevented you could claim compensation.
A public liability claim is a compensation claim someone can make if they were injured in a public space at no fault of their own.
So, if you were injured because a third party did not do enough to make you safe, they can be considered negligent under the law and you may be able to make a claim.
You may be able to claim if you were injured in one of the following places:
Personal injury lawyers and legal firms often focus on slips, trips, and falls as these are the most common forms of public injury.
Living Streets, a UK charity for everyday walking, reports that slips, trips, and falls could cost the British taxpayer as much as half a billion each year. The charity was given funding from the Department for Transport to investigate further, and surveying local authorities they found that:
This form of accident disproportionally affects older people and leads to worse consequences for them. However, they can affect people from all age groups.
Common forms of public injury include:
The injuries sustained from public accidents can vary.
Some of the most common accidents reported are:
If you were injured and it was not your fault you may be able to make a personal injury claim for your accident that took place in a public space.
You’ll need to provide evidence that:
You can still claim public liability compensation if you were partly responsible for the accident, as long as the owner of the space was also partly responsible for your accident taking place. The amount you could receive in this instance would be determined by the degree to which the other party was to blame for your accident.
It may be that the person who was injured is a loved one and is unwilling or unable to talk about the accident. Our solicitors can speak to loved ones, friends, and relatives and a claim can be made on behalf of the injured person when they are prevented from making a claim themselves.
Yes, as with other personal injury compensation claims you will typically have three years in which to bring a public liability claim against a third party.
What this means is that you have three years from the date of your accident to make a claim. Or, when injuries don’t immediately result, three years from the date your injuries were diagnosed by a medical professional.
If you were under 18 at the time of the injury you will have to wait till you turn 18 to make a claim, and you will have until the day you turn 21 to do so. Otherwise, any parent, guardian, or responsible adult can claim on your behalf before then.
Other exceptions to the public liability accident timeline may apply, including if you or the claimant does not have the mental capacity to do so. In legal terms, mental capacity relates to the ability to understand what is happening and when. What constitutes as lacking mental capacity is set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
This will depend on the extent and circumstances of your injury and what you claim for.
There are two categories of damages for personal injuries:
However, the Judicial College guidelines lay out the general damages payments for some of the most common injuries experienced from public accidents:
| Injury | Compensation bracket |
| Head injury | £2,070 - £379,100 |
| Facial injury | £1,600 - £42,730 |
| Permanent back injury | £11,730 - £85,470 |
The amount of compensation you will get will depend on the circumstances of your case.
Our expert public liability injury solicitors will be able to advise you about how much you could claim after you explain to them how your injury happened and they review any evidence that you can submit.
When you have been injured in a public space and want to claim against the responsible person or parties, the claim will usually be made against the person who occupies or controls the building or location where your accident happened.
If your accident happened on a road, for example, you may be able to lodge a claim against the local council or Highways England, if you were injured on a motorway.
In other cases, you could claim against:
Most businesses have public liability insurance to cover personal liability claims that are raised against them. So, if your claim is successful, it will likely be paid by the third party’s insurance company.
However, even if the owner of the place where you were injured doesn't have public liability insurance, you can still make a claim. In these cases, the owner would be liable to pay any compensation awards.
You will need to provide evidence that the injury was caused by the negligence of the owner or occupier of the public space you were injured in.
Common evidence includes:
Typically, public liability accidents are operated on a no-win, no-fee basis. This means you won’t incur financial risks and undue expenses when making a claim.
At Lawhive, our personal injury solicitors can provide support with your claim on a no-win, no-fee basis if there's a good chance of success. However, if your claim is unsuccessful, you won't have to pay for your legal costs.
It’s difficult to give a clear timeline without knowing more information. This is what a solicitor will attempt to establish once you have supplied them with all the information and evidence about your accident that you have.
On average, claims take from a few months up to a year to complete, however depending on the complexity of your case and how difficult negligence is to prove, it could take shorter or longer.
Our expert public liability lawyers can help you claim the compensation you deserve so you can move past your accident.
We know serious public accidents can have a significant impact on your finances, sometimes preventing you from working, and that your mental health can be badly affected.
If you feel ready to talk and make a claim, contact us today and arrange a free case assessment to determine the strength of your case, how much you could claim, and how long it will take.
With straightforward pricing - so you know exactly what to expect at every step.
