Occupiers Liability
PERSONAL INJURY SPECIALISTS
David Green:
07973 449 387
Carol Grubb:
07919 203 474
Slips, Trips & Falls – Occupiers Liability
The Occupiers Liability Act is a set of laws to ensure that you are protected from slips, trips, falls and accidents which can easily be prevented when you are out and about. This covers a range of locations as diverse as shops and offices, parks and gardens, and even quaysides and boats. By law the owner or occupier must take every reasonable step to ensure that potential hazards are either removed or made as safe as possible. Unfortunately this isn’t always the case, leading to a significant number of accidents ever year.
If you have had slipped, tripped, had or a fall or some other form of accident whilst in a public or privately owned space anywhere across the Manchester region then call us today. We are a team of specialists in Manchester dedicated to helping people claim the compensation they both need and deserve if they have suffered injuries due to the negligence of a third party.
One of the most common examples is of people slipping or tripping in shops, supermarkets and shopping centres. Quite often the floors in such places are smooth and shiny, which means that any spilled liquids quickly become a slip hazard.
With a large quantity of packaging materials such as plastic wrapping, cardboard boxes and plastic strapping there is easily the danger than an obstacle will be left on the floor. If customers are looking about them at the shelves they may well not see the hazard, and this could result in a nasty fall. In any situation where any injury is sustained because the environment was not kept clean, clear and safe then there is a very good chance that a claim for compensation can be made.
Occupiers Liability Compensation Claims
The Occupiers Liability Act makes it clear that it is not always the owner of the premises who is legally responsible, but the person or body which has control of the premises. So a business leasing a property will be legally responsible for the safety of anyone who steps onto the premises, not the legal owner of the premises.
Interestingly the 1957 Occupiers Liability Act was amended in 1984 to extend the legal protection so that it not only covered people who were legally entitled to be on the premises, but also those who may not have any right to be there. This means that even in situations where the person is actually trespassing onto the property, if they are injured or hurt they can still, under certain circumstances, make a claim for compensation.
But it isn’t just buildings such as shops, shopping centres and businesses which are responsible for ensuring a safe environment. Local authorities are responsible for a wide range of locations, from parks to quaysides and from pavements to pedestrian precincts. If the surface has been poorly maintained, and this results in someone tripping or falling then a claim for compensation can be made.
Whatever the circumstances, if you have suffered injuries as a result of a slip, trip or fall when you were on land or in premises either under the control of the local authority or a private body or organisation anywhere in Manchester then call us today to find out how much your claim could be worth.