But what happens if you are not working on a building site but walking past it and you end up injured? Can you make a claim for compensation?
Common Scenarios
There is a common duty whereby those in charge of a construction site should ensure that no one is injured as a result of their activities. We have seen cases in the past where people have been injured due to all sorts of things like:
- Slips from mud and dirt dragged out of a site on to the pavement.
- Trips from debris from the site.
- Falling objects where working at height protrudes beyond the boundaries of the site.
- Barriers around a site falling down and colliding with people.
Can you make a claim?
If you are injured because of the activity of a construction site, you may have a claim for personal injury compensation to make. If the injury was caused by something entirely preventable, we can allege that whoever is in control of the site has breached the duty of care they owe to you. In circumstances like the above, we would certainly have grounds to investigate a claim for compensation for you on a No Win, No Fee basis. We should also be able to offer you 100% of your compensation as well!
Evidence
Evidence can be very important. Don’t expect the site managers to be cooperative. Take photos where you can, and report the incident to someone senior at the site and follow the report up with the company in control as well. You should ask for an Accident Report Form to be completed and you should ask for a copy.
Act quickly as there may be CCTV to show the accident and the preceding events. This could help prove your claim. If you tripped on debris, there is nothing stopping it being cleared away; and if no accident has been reported, they could just allege that it never took place or that you need to prove it.
Insurers will not just pay out compensation – they will fight you for it. So protect your position by collecting as much evidence as possible: and call an expert Injury Law firm like us to deal with the claim.