Public Liability is something that is relevant in a lot of claims, but not many people are aware of what it is, and what it can mean. In this blog we hope to give you an understanding of what exactly public liability is, and whether it is something that involves your particular claim, or whether you could make a public liability claim.
The Definition
Generally speaking, public liability is where a member of the public suffers an injury in a public place that is privately owned, e.g. a supermarket or restaurant, as examples. Anywhere a member of the public may go that is privately owned could involve public liability. The owners normally only face a public liability claim if it is found that they did not uphold their duty of care for the member of the public in question
Duty of Care
If it is found that the owners themselves didn’t take the necessary steps to help avoid an injury on their property – e.g. failing to put up a wet floor sign when something has been spilled in a supermarket – the owners may be in breach of their duty of care as they have not taken reasonable steps to help avoid this accident. A simplified explanation of what we mean by Duty of Care is ‘the standard one would expect to be treated whilst one is in the care of another.’
Why is Public Liability a good thing?
Public liability is a good thing because it puts the onus on the premises owners to look after your safety as best they can. This means that they can be held responsible if you suffer an injury as a result of their premises being unsafe. This means that owners want to make their premises safer for you and it also means that, if you do suffer an injury as a result of the owners not taking the proper precautions, you are not on your own and you may be able to make a claim against them to help pay for any costs and losses you suffer as a result of them not looking out for your safety.
Overall, the idea of public liability is there to avoid unnecessary accidents and injuries.
Should I claim?
If you have had an injury as a result of a premises owner disregarding your safety then you should definitely make a claim in my opinion. This could range from not having wet floor signs put up when appropriate to not maintaining traffic routes and floors. You may be entitled to compensation if it is not your fault that the injury happened. At The Injury Lawyers we are specialise in injury claims and can fight for your case until you have the compensation you deserve.
For any further queries or if you wish to discuss your claim give The Injury Layers a call on 0800 634 7575 now and we will be more than happy to talk you through any questions you may have and get your claim on the right track.
