Understanding a Public Liability Compensation Claim

Posted on: 26 March 2018

When you've been injured on the job, in a car accident, or while on someone else's property, you want to speak to an attorney right away, as you may be entitled to compensation for medical costs, and may also qualify for long-term benefits, if your injuries are serious and you cannot return to work. To ensure you know your rights if you've been injured on someone else's property, note a few commonly asked questions about public liability compensation claims, so you know when to speak to an attorney and if you have the potential for filing such a claim.

What is a public liability claim?

Public liability claims are for injuries or property damage suffered when you've been acting as a member of the general public, as you should be protected from injury or property damage when you go shopping, go to the bank, visit a restaurant or pub or do anything else that a member of the general public would do. If you're not on the job or are hurt in a car accident, but are in public when an injury or damage to your property occurs, you would then be able to potentially file a public liability claim.

What does a public liability claim cover?

Businesses that open their doors to the public need to provide a safe environment that is free from risks of injury and property damage. This means that a business can mop their floors while their doors are open but must warn customers of those slippery floors. They also need to ensure that inventory doesn't fall or spill onto someone, causing injury, and that a parking lot is in good condition so that customers don't suffer damage to their cars by using that lot. A compensation lawyer can note if any injury or property damage you've suffered while conducting business on someone else's property is reason to file a liability claim.

What if a person doesn't want to sue business owners?

If you've been injured on someone else's property, you might hesitate to sue the business owners; however, note that business owners are usually required to have liability insurance, just like an employer is required to have workers compensation insurance. In turn, you would typically be making a claim against a business owner's insurance policy, so they wouldn't necessarily be paying that claim out of their own pocket. A liability attorney at firms like Bell Lawyers can tell you how this would work in your case, so you shouldn't hesitate to file that claim out of fear of hurting someone's profits or business in any way.

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