There are two common types of accidents that can occur with manholes! (1) The manhole cover is completely missing leaving a big hole in the middle of the pavement and (2) the cover is faulty and falls through when weight is put onto it.
In both of these situations you are entitled to claim for compensation, as of course these types of accidents can cause serious injuries!
So how do you go about making a claim? Pursuing a claim for these accidents are usually against the local council or alternatively against a private company (Such as Gas or Electric) and therefore evidence is always going to be helpful at the beginning of the claim to ensure things can run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. When I say evidence I primarily mean photographs. Although, I understand, that this may not be the first thing on your mind after a nasty fall… Photographs are key evidence to prove that the cover was completely missing or faulty.
These claims can be difficult in that the council can only be expected by law to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of the area. For example: if the council can show that the area was inspected a week before your accident and now the cover is missing, it may be considered that the council has done all that is expected of them. This is because the council simply cannot be expected to check every bit of their land every day to ensure nothing has gone wrong- it is simply not possible.
Therefore another key bit of evidence (if possible) may be witness information regarding how long the manhole has been defective. I appreciate that this may be difficult as it may not be an area that you visit very often and therefore you do not know anyone. However, if anybody comes to you to help and says something in passing such as “Oh, that’s been missing for months!” it may be a good idea to jot their name and number down!
Here at the Injury Lawyers we have extensive experience in dealing with manhole accidents and therefore although they can be difficult know how to ensure your claim is run correctly to achieve the best result. We can also arrange private medical care to get you back on the road to recovery, as often the injuries caused in these accidents can primarily be to the lower half of the body.
So if you have been involved in a manhole accident don’t hesitate to contact us– we can take your details and get the case going the very same day.
