If you sustain injury from slipping or tripping in a public place, you can claim compensation if your fall is the fault of another, for example, tripping over a raised pavement or slipping on a wet surface in a supermarket.

Usually, if you fall on the highway, which is any road, path or route of any type over which the public have a right to travel, it will be the responsibility of the Local Authority to maintain it. Their duty is generally limited to keeping the fabric of the highway in good repair, rather than removing dangers from its surface. There is a limited exception in relation to ice and snow on the pavements and roads, although in very cold weather it is impossible for councils to keep all highways free from such hazards at all times and it is thus not easy to pursue such claims successfully, but we have the expertise to assist you in attempting to do so.

Generally, it is necessary to establish the highway was in a dangerous condition. Minor irregularities in the surface will not be sufficient. A "rule of thumb" is that the council will probably be held responsible if the difference in the level of the highway is more than one inch. Even then however, the authority may well attempt to defend the claim by trying to show that they had, and implemented, a suitable system of inspection. This is a very common defence which we are experienced in dealing with.

You may trip at work. Your employer or fellow employee, for whose careless actions your employer is responsible, may have caused your fall. Your accident may have happened in a public place such as a shop or restaurant. The owner and / or the occupier of the premises owes you a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent you from being exposed to hazards that might cause you injury. So, if you fall as a result of a poor system of cleaning or inspection you may well have a claim.

We can recover for you:

• Compensation for your injuries.
• Past and future loss of earnings.
• Aids and appliances.
• Travel expenses and medical costs.

If appropriate we can deal with your claim on a no win no fee basis so as to ensure that you receive 100% of your compensation.

The length of your claim will be determined mainly by two factors. Firstly, how promptly the defendant admits liability and secondly the severity of your injuries. The general rule is that the more serious the injury the longer the claim takes to settle because it is not until your medical expert can give a final forecast as to when you will make a full recovery (or what your continuing disability will be in the event of you not being able to recover fully) that we can finally evaluate accurately what your claim is worth. This does not mean however, that you have to wait until the end of your claim for all your compensation. Once the other party has admitted responsibility or the court has decided on this issue in your favour, we can obtain payments on account of the final award for you.