Mats are normally there to prevent hazards – like water accumulating from rainfall at the entrance to a supermarket for example. But mats themselves can be a severe hazard if they are not secure to the ground. If they are loose and on a tiled surface, you could step on the mat and it could easily end up slipping from under you, causing an accident
So if you are the unfortunate victim of stepping on to a mat which is not secure and it has slipped, causing you an injury, do you have the right to make a claim for personal injury compensation?
The Law
As a visitor to a public place, the Occupiers Liability Act will normally apply which puts a duty on whoever is in control of a premises to take all reasonable steps to ensure that a person is not injured in the premises. So an unsecured mat which is in obvious hazard can be seen as a breach of this Act which can leave them liable for to compensate you.
At work, there is a specific regulation that covers the condition of floors in the workplace which basically states there should be no article or substance that could cause a person to slip, trip, or fall.
So in either situation, whether you’re a visitor to a shop or an employee in an office, there are health and safety regulations that cover you.
Will you win your claim?
It’s all about proving that something could have been done to have prevented the accident. As I said earlier, a mat on certain flooring, when not secured, can be an obvious slipping hazard. Our arguments as to why they should compensate you would be centred on their failure to take reasonable steps to prevent a slipping hazard.
Mats can of course easily be secured down to the ground and in many places they are. So more can be done – which can be a key element to winning a claim.
Who pays?
Normally an insurer will pay you out for the claim. If it’s in a public place, it will normally be public liability insurers, and if it’s at work, it should be employer’s liability insurers. The law allows us lawyers to be able to recover legal fees from the other side. Due to law changes last year, we cannot recover all of the fees we used to be able to, which means that most other lawyers will want to take 25% from your payout.
But we still offer 100% compensation agreements to our clients for accidents like this, so get in touch for help and advice today on 0800 634 75 75.