Trips and falls on pavements can be very painful and cause serious and sometimes lasting injuries. If you or a loved one has been injured due to an uneven or unsafe pavement, speak to our specialist solicitors today about making a pavement trip claim.
Suffering from a trip or a fall on a public pavement can be incredibly painful, and often leaves people feeling distressed and vulnerable. Your local council is responsible for ensuring the pavements and footpaths in your area are well-maintained and safe to use.
Where this is not the case, and you are injured because of the council’s negligence, you could be entitled to make a pavement accident claim.
What are my local council’s responsibilities for pavements?
As with any other public area or council-owned estate, your local council is responsible for maintaining pavements and footpaths so that they are safe to use by the general public. However, this can be a huge undertaking, and things like construction work, bad weather and heavy footfall can all contribute to the degradation of public pavements.
Unfortunately, this means it is quite common for pavements to be left in unsafe and hazardous conditions, leaving people at risk of serious injury. When accidents do happen, and negligence is to blame, you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
What are the main causes of pavement falls?
There are many ways in which pavements and footpaths can be damaged, from poor general maintenance to the effect of bad weather or negligent repaving after construction work. At its worst, severe damage - such as broken paving stones or deep potholes - can present a significant risk of injury.
Some of the most common causes of pavement falls include:
Poorly maintained pavement or footpaths
Incorrectly restored pavements after construction work
Poorly laid paving stones
Uneven or broken kerbs or paving stones
Damaged pavements or footpaths
What are the most common injuries caused in pavement accidents?
For many people, a fall or a trip causes only minor injuries. However, there is always a risk that a pavement accident causes more severe harm, which can significantly impact a person’s quality of life.
Some of the most common injuries caused by pavement accidents include:
Soft tissue damage, such as cuts and bruises
Sprains in the ankles or wrists
Broken and fractured bones
Ligament or nerve damage
Spinal injuries
Head and brain injuries
What evidence do I need to provide to make a pavement trip claim?
It will need to be established that someone else’s negligence was at least in part to blame for your injuries. This should include evidence of how you sustained your injury, how severe your injury is or was, and who was to blame for your accident.
When you begin your claim, your solicitor will start by taking a detailed account of what has happened and how it occurred. From there, they will draw together the necessary evidence to support your case, which could include:
Medical records to showcase the extent of your injuries and the impact they have had on your day-to-day life, including any test results
Witness statements detailing how the accident occurred, or the suffering caused by your injuries
Photographic evidence of the injury
Video evidence, such as CCTV, that could have captured the accident taking place
Overall, Slater and Gordon provided a very good service to me. From the first phone call through to the last correspondence they were so helpful and understanding towards me. Always listened to me and acted on my wishes. Would definitely use them again!
Client testimonial (Personal Injury)
Excellent staff! As well as keeping me well informed at all times on my claim, the communication was first class. Staff should be commended on their work commitments and service to public.
Client testimonial (Personal Injury)
I would like to say a big thank you to you and your team for an outstanding job, and I will be advising everybody to use you. Once again, thank you.
Client testimonial (Personal Injury)
It can seem overwhelming to make a compensation claim, particularly if you are still recovering from your injury. However, it doesn’t need to be a headache; our expert team of personal injury solicitors are here to ensure your claim runs as smoothly as possible, without any fuss.
To start your pavement trip claim, simply give us a call on 0330 041 5869 or get in touch online and we can arrange a time to sit down and discuss your case. Our friendly solicitors will listen to the details of your case and explain clearly the process that we’ll follow to pursue compensation.
If we think you’ve got a claim, we will start collecting the evidence we need. This may involve arranging an examination by an independent medical expert to determine the extent of your injuries and how quickly you may fully recover.
Throughout the process, we’ll keep you fully up to date, and will continue to work tirelessly to achieve the best result for you and your family.
To discuss how we can help you claim the compensation you deserve, call us now on 0330 041 5869 or request a call back at a time that suits you.
Why should I choose Slater and Gordon?
It can be incredibly distressing to suffer an injury in a public place, and many people are left feeling vulnerable and wondering what to do next. In such difficult circumstances, it is essential that you have the support of a reliable, skilled solicitor you can trust.
We know that moving forward involves more than just legal advice and compensation, which is why we work closely with medical professionals to determine the impact of your injuries long-term and identify any additional support and rehabilitation you may need.
We’re no win no fee specialists, meaning there’s no financial risk when making a claim for an accident at work or in a public place.
Talk to the experts
We have teams of legal experts who specialise in representing those who’ve suffered injuries as a result of accidents at work and in public places.
Tailored advice
As specialists in accidents at work and public places, we'll ensure your case is dealt with swiftly, whilst ensuring you receive the maximum compensation.
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We’re a reputable National law firm with expert lawyers in local areas across England, Scotland and Wales.
Speak to one of our personal injury solicitors today
How much compensation could I receive for a pavement trip claim?
How much your claim might be worth depends largely on how serious your injuries are and how long a full recovery might be expected to take. However, in addition to damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity, most claims include a sum to cover any loss of earnings as well as the cost of any medical treatment, physiotherapy or other necessary rehabilitation.
Is there a time limit for making a pavement accident claim?
There is a time limit of three years from the date of any accident for you to start a compensation claim, though you can be allowed longer if you are claiming on behalf of a child or someone with mental impairment.
You should also bear in mind that most injury compensation claims will require evidence to be presented, so you will need to make sure you have photographs, witness statements and medical evidence available to support your claim, even if the accident occurred up to three years ago.
How long does it take to make a pavement accident claim?
It can be difficult to say from the outset how long a claim may take, as there are several different factors that can influence how long the claims process takes. For example, one of the most significant factors will be how quickly the other side (i.e. the council) admits responsibility for your accident. Only once this has been established can we begin to negotiate the amount of compensation owed.
Our solicitors always work hard to ensure the claims process runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible and will keep you fully informed of the progress we are making. To discuss your case in more detail, and learn how much compensation you could be owed, speak to a member of our team today.
Overall, Slater and Gordon provided a very good service to me. From the first phone call through to the last correspondence they were so helpful and understanding towards me. Always listened to me and acted on my wishes. Would definitely use them again! Client testimonial (Personal Injury)
Excellent staff! As well as keeping me well informed at all times on my claim, the communication was first class. Staff should be commended on their work commitments and service to public. Client testimonial (Personal Injury)
I would like to say a big thank you to you and your team for an outstanding job, and I will be advising everybody to use you. Once again, thank you. Client testimonial (Personal Injury)