Every land owner and business owner has a responsibility to their customers and the general public that their environment will be safe and hazard-free. As long as you are on the property legally or it is a public space, any injuries that you suffer could be the basis for a public liability claim.
This is a growing part of the Australian legal system with many people still unaware that this is a possibility. However, with the right evidence and legal team, you have the ability to claim back medical expenses and lost wages among other payments.
What could constitute a public liability claim?
As with the ambiguity of its name, the scope for a public liability claim is quite wide. Whether you have slipped in a pool of water at a supermarket and twisted your ankle, broken a foot over loose gravel on the footpath or suffered a head injury after a fall at a pub, you could be eligible for public liability compensation.
In essence, if a land owner, council, business owner or local authority has neglected their duty of care to you in a public space, they are potentially liable. Of course, you'll need evidence to back up your claim and ensure you weren't at fault for the accident.
What type of information could help your claim?
At Gerard Malouf & Partners, we offer both free over-the-phone advice and face-to-face consultation calls with potential clients. During these discussions, it is important that you have a sufficient amount of information about your case to pass onto us. This helps us to determine the validity of your case with accuracy and ensure you have the best chance of success, if the claim moves forward.
As such, the following types of information could help boost your claim.
- Medical reports citing what injuries you suffered, what treatment you were provided with and what treatment you need in the coming weeks, months or years.
- Evidence taken from the accident site – photographs, witness statements, land owner details etc.
- Financial records which highlight a loss of income or outstanding medical bills.
- Detailed report of the incident from your perspective.
In our experience, it is not necessary to have all the above information for a successful claim, but it can certainly help. This means that it's important to get in contact with an experienced compensation lawyer as quickly as possible to iron out the details of the case.
For more information about launching a public liability claim, contact our expert legal team today.
