A public accident claim* for compensation is when you are injured in a public place in an accident that was not your fault, or, in some cases, only partially your fault. You may slip and sprain your ankle in the local park, on the footpath in town or when out for a pint, and you could have a compensation claim*. 

In a public accident in Dublin, you may break your leg in a slip down wet stairs, sprain your wrist in a fall when out for a run or injure an eye when hit by a product falling off the shelf in a supermarket. 

A public accident compensation claim* will be for the effects of the personal injury on your life today and in the future. When making any personal injury claim*, you will need someone to guide you through the process, with the experience to advise you along every step of what can be a complex legal exercise.

PBN Litigation Solicitors in Dublin have the expertise, and that vital experience in public accident injury claims* to be with you throughout the process and to get you the compensation you deserve.

What is a public accident claim*?

A public accident claim* in Ireland is for compensation for an injury you suffer when in an accident that occurred in a public place. The owner of the gym, footpath, bar or sports centre has a duty of care to all users. If they breach that duty of care and you suffer an injury, you may have a public accident compensation claim*.

According to the Injuries Resolution Board, recent statistics show more than 1,400 public liability claims* annually. Of the cases they process, the average public accident claim* compensation award is €16,833, with the highest award reaching more than €190,000.

Some public accident claims* in Ireland:

  • An elderly person slips on a broken pavement
  • A child is injured in a fall on a defective escalator at the shopping centre
  • The customer is injured in a slip on a wet floor in the pub
  • Toddler falls off a broken swing in the playground injuring themselves
  • A hotel guest trips on rubble in the carpark and suffers an injury

Injuries in public place accidents in Ireland:

  • Face and hand lacerations
  • Eye and mouth injuries
  • Muscle tears
  • Broken legs and arms
  • Neck and shoulder injuries

Your solicitor can make the public accident claim* for you. You are the one who may have suffered an injury in an accident that was not your fault, and you could have a public liability compensation claim*. 

PBN Litigation Solicitors in Dublin can handle your case and advise if you have a valid public place accident claim*. 

PBN solicitors work with you to get the compensation you deserve.

We pride ourselves in taking the stress out of personal injury litigation by providing a service dedicated to the client.

Common public accident claims*

Common public accident claims* range from a broken arm when slipping on a wet floor to losing teeth in a fall over rubbish bags left outside a shop. Injuries seen in most common accidents are broken bones, chipped teeth, nerve damage, cuts and bruises and torn muscles. 

Public place injuries can happen anywhere from the local park to the local gym to the local pub. If you are injured in a public accident that was not your fault, you may have a claim* for compensation. 

Some common public accident claims* in Dublin are:

  • Broken arm in a slip on a wet supermarket floor claims
  • Torn ligaments in a fall over rubbish left outside a café claims
  • Facial cuts and bruises after a trip on an uneven footpath claims
  • Sprained wrist in an accident in the local pub claims
  • Bruised ribs in an accident when staying at a hotel claims

Broken arm in a slip on a wet supermarket floor

A broken arm in a slip on a wet supermarket floor can be painful and have you off work for some time. You may be unable to drive and may even need help doing everyday tasks. 

The supermarket has a duty of care to customers. The management must have a plan for cleaning spillages and a slippery floor on rainy days. You could have a public accident claim* if they breach that duty of care. 

When a wet floor is left untended and not clearly marked as a hazard, you may have a compensation claim* if you slip and injure yourself.

Torn ligaments in a fall over rubbish left outside a café

Torn ligaments in a fall over rubbish left outside a café can affect your life and how you look after the kids or get to work every day. You could need physiotherapy and may not be able to exercise or play sports for several months. 

The café, supermarket, private property owner or office building management should only put rubbish out on designated days and only in approved bins. Rubbish bags and other items must not be left on the footpath and be a danger to pedestrians.

You may have a claim* for compensation if you trip over rubbish left on the street and suffer injury like torn ligaments in the arms or legs.

Facial cuts and bruises after a trip on an uneven footpath

Any facial cuts and bruises after a trip on an uneven footpath can be unsightly and embarrassing. You may suffer a lot of pain and even have scarring for life when injuring yourself in any public accident. 

The local council or landowner has a duty of care to users accessing their property. They must maintain the footpaths and keep them safe for members of the public. 

When the landowner does not maintain the footpath open to the public, it could be a breach of their duty of care. You may have a public accident claim* if you injure yourself due to their breach of duty of care.

Sprained wrist in an accident in the local pub

A sprained wrist in an accident in the local pub can happen if the pub owner does not maintain the bar to an acceptable standard. As a premises open to the public, the bar owner has a duty of care to keep it safe for anyone on the property. 

The constantly leaking toilet can make the bathroom floor wet, an uneven carpet can be a trip hazard and faulty furniture can collapse and cause injury. 

If you slip and sprain your wrist due to negligence by the landlord in maintaining the property, you could have a public accident claim* for compensation.

Bruised ribs in an accident when staying at a hotel

You may suffer bruised ribs in an accident when staying at a hotel by tripping over cables at a wedding reception, falling in the hotel carpark or slipping on the wet floor in the hotel spa. 

Bruised ribs will take time to heal, and you could have difficulty dressing, exercising and getting to work. You may need to cut your holiday short and spend time in the hospital. The hotel may have breached the duty of care to you, causing your accident. 

If your life is affected by an accident when staying at a hotel, you may have a public accident compensation claim*.

Compensation for a public accident claim*

Compensation for a public accident claim in Ireland can range from the low €1,000s for cuts and bruises after a fall at the gym to awards of more than €100,000 for injuries from a fall for which you may need full-time personal care for life and be unable to go back to work. 

There is not one fixed compensation award for any public accident claim*, and your solicitor can only give you an idea of what is possible when you suffer an injury in a public place. 

Every compensation claim* is different. You may tear ligaments in the ankle but it could affect your ability to drive, care for an elderly parent or be able to get back to full fitness. In every public accident claim* you seek damages for the effect of the injury on you today and your future life. 

PBN Litigation Solicitors can explain how the process works and how your public accident compensation claim* will be a combination of two types of damages.

What are damages in a public accident compensation claim*?

Damages in a public accident compensation claim* are a combination of:

  • General Damages for the public accident
  • Special Damages for the public accident

The two types of damages consider the effects of the public accident on your life today and the effects in the future.

General Damages in a Public Accident Claim*

General Damages in public place accident claims* are for compensation for the pain and suffering you experience due to the injury when you slip on a wet floor in the supermarket or fall on a broken pavement while running in the local park. 

For example, you may be able to claim* General Damages for the pain from the torn ligaments in your ankle after falling over rubbish outside a cafe or from the dislocated shoulder when you slip on the wet bathroom floor in the pub. 

General Damages may be claimed in any personal injury case where the injuries cause pain and inconvenience and affect your ability to exercise, drive, play sports and other activities. 

Special Damages in a Public Accident Claim*

Special Damages in a public accident claim* are for the financial effects on your life due to the injury, such as when you are unable to work after a fall down the broken steps at the sports grounds. You could be off work for a time or be unable to return to similar work with the same salary. 

With Special Damages you claim* for: 

  • The loss of earnings
  • Care costs today and in the future
  • Out-of-pocket expenses such as travel, medical appointments, further treatment

Special Damages are for the financial effects of a loss of income when recovering from injuries sustained in a public accident or if you can only take lesser-paid employment in the future. 

You claim* Special Damages to offset the financial costs of the personal injury, so you will not be out of pocket due to the actions of others.  

Each person in a public place accident claim* is different from another one. The financial effects may be heavier on you than on someone in a similar situation. If you have children, you may need to claim for their care while you recover from the public accident injury. 

You may claim* for what is needed to maintain a similar quality of life as before the personal injury.  

Your PBN Litigation solicitor can guide you on what to expect in compensation and how to make your claim* for injury in a public accident.

Contact PBN solicitors today for all your personal injury compensation needs.

Injuries Resolution Board

The Government introduced the Injuries Resolution Board, to simplify and standardise personal injury claims* in Ireland. The IRB works with you, the injured party and with the negligent party to get you the compensation you may deserve.

Your public accident injury is also a personal injury. You can use the Injuries Resolution Board when making a claim*, and your personal injury solicitor will advise you through the process.

A personal injury solicitor can be your representative with the IRB. The personal injury solicitor will have the experience of working with the IRB and can advise you on every aspect, from filling out forms to knowing what your public accident claim* may be worth.

All personal injury claims*, except medical negligence, must go through the Injuries Resolution Board. The IRB will then work with all sides to resolve your personal injury claim*.

If the negligent party refuses to accept your public accident claim*, or you are unhappy with the compensation offered by the hotel or local council, the Injuries Resolution Board may recommend taking the action to the courts.

Your personal injury solicitor will be ready to take legal action and be your representative when in court.

PBN Litigation Solicitors can handle your Personal Injury claim* and, if necessary, take further action by going to the courts for your public accident injury compensation claim*.

Who is eligible for compensation in a public accident injury claim* in Ireland?

You may be eligible for compensation when injured in a public accident that was not your fault or only partially your fault in Ireland. 

You are the injured party, and if the negligence of the property owner may be the cause of your injury, you can claim* for the effects of the public accident on your life today and in the future. 

The financial dependents of a loved one injured in a public can make a claim* for compensation in the case of their death or mental or physical incapacity to make the claim*.  

If your spouse or adult dependent suffers a severe public accident injury, such as a fall through a faulty window or when shelving collapses in the supermarket, you may be able to claim* on their behalf for the cost of personal care for life, adaptations to the home, medical expenses and for ongoing medical treatments and therapy.  

PBN Litigation Solicitors can help with the claims* process from day one. We can advise you who is eligible for compensation and be with you when making the public accident compensation claim*.

How to make a public accident claim* in Ireland

There are a few steps to follow when you make a public accident claim* in Ireland. 

Making a public claim* may seem daunting, especially if you are severely injured and focusing on recovery. 

You may be worried about taking on a hotel owner, the city council or large property developer, but with the help of a personal injury solicitor, you can navigate your way through what could be a complex process.  

The steps to follow when making a public accident claim* in Ireland are:

You should engage a personal injury solicitor as soon as possible to further your public accident claim*. The team at PBN Litigation Solicitors can advise on your case and how it could proceed. 

With our no-obligation consultation, we can meet with you in confidence and advise you on the strengths of your case. 

To investigate your case, we will request an initial medical report from your doctor to outline the injuries you sustained in the public accident in the pub, local park or on the street.  

Updated reports with a final prognosis from your doctors will be taken up before your case is settled.  

We will help investigate your case by taking witness statements or by making Data Access requests for CCTV footage/personnel files. 

Submission of the public accident injury claim* to the Injuries Resolution Board will follow. Upon receipt of your medical report from your doctor, we may submit the claim* to the IRB.

The IRB will contact the negligent party and their insurers. The negligent party has 90 days to confirm to the IRB as to whether they will consent to the IRB assessing the claim or decline to permit the IRB to assess the case.

If they agree to permit the board to assess the claim, the IRB has nine months to do so. The IRB can also extend this period if they wish to do so by a number of months.

Within the nine-month period, you will be sent for an independent assessment by an independent injuries board doctor.

The PIAB will issue a Letter of Assessment to you and to the negligent party. In the letter, they will outline what compensation is due to you for the personal injury.

If you and the negligent party agree to the Letter of Assessment, the IRB issues an Order to Pay, where the negligent party must pay the compensation payment to you by a specific date.

Unfortunately, you may need to go to court if the negligent party denies responsibility for the public accident injury or the two sides cannot agree on an acceptable level of compensation.

Going to court may be the final step in resolving your public accident injury case. Your solicitor will take over the running of your case from the PIAB when court becomes the only option.  

Your solicitor will issue the court proceedings and advise you along every step of what can be a difficult process for the family.  

Court proceedings can be protracted, and you will need experience and expertise on your side when in the courtroom.  

In some cases, a claim* is settled on the steps of the court when the negligent party meets the person who suffered the personal injury. 

Who is liable for a public accident claim*?

The owner of the property where you had your accident is liable for your public accident claim*. A property owner may be the local authority, such as the city council, a government body, such as the OPW or a local business or landlord. 

In Ireland, a property owner is responsible for the building, land, footpath or business premises they own, which is open to the public. The term ‘public liability’ refers to the duty of care the property owner has to anyone who uses their premises. Public liability claims are for injuries suffered while on property open to the public.

The property may be a footpath, carpark, shopping centre or the local pub, but the property owner will have a duty of care to keep the property safe for all who use it. If they do not maintain it correctly, such as not repairing the footpath or leaving a wet floor untended, it could breach their duty of care to the public. 

If you are injured in an accident in a public place due to a breach of duty of care by the owner, you may have a public liability claim*.

What is public liability insurance?

Public liability insurance in Ireland is an insurance policy taken out by a property owner to cover compensation for accidents to members of the public on their premises. 

If you are injured in an accident that was not wholly your fault while on property open to the public, you may be able to claim* against the owner’s public liability insurance. 

Public liability insurance is mandatory in Ireland for business owners. They must have it in place to pay public liability accident claims* for those injured while on their property. Public liability insurance can also cover claims* for damage to personal property, for example, if a car is damaged while parked on hotel property. 

A property or business owner may say they cannot afford to meet your public liability accident claim* but they should have public liability insurance in place to cover all valid claims*. 

At PBN Litigation Solicitors, our experience will guide you when making a compensation claim* for any injury or damage suffered on property open to the public.

Will you have to go to court with your claim*?

You may have to go to court, but it is unlikely for a public accident claim in Ireland. Your solicitor will handle your claim* and aim to keep it out of court. The property owner may threaten you with court but most cases are settled long before a judge might get involved. 

Cases that do go to court are usually settled quickly and often before the legal proceedings even begin. The negligent party may hope you will drop the case, but PBN Litigation Solicitors will be by your side and guide you through the ups and downs along the way. 

PBN Litigation Solicitors has the experience to take your public accident claim* to court and keep it out of court unless necessary.

How long do you have to make a claim*?

You have two years, less one day, to make a claim* for a public accident in Ireland. If you are outside the time limit, you are very unlikely to be able to make a claim*. 

In a public accident claim* in Ireland, you must have all the paperwork in place and filed within the time limit. Your solicitor can help with the claim* process and give you a checklist for what is needed to file the compensation claim*. 

You may make a claim* outside of the two-year limit only if the date of knowledge of injury allows it. The date of knowledge is the date you became aware the injury was due to an accident in public. If you develop a pain in your back that medical reports might be able to pin back to the public accident, your two-year limit to claim* may begin on the day of diagnosis. 

The sooner you begin the public accident claim* process, the better it will be for the case. It is better to write an accident report while it is fresh in your memory and while CCTV and other evidence are still available. 

PBN Litigation Solicitors can look at the details of your claim* and get started on a valid claim* within the time limits.

Make a public accident claim* today

Start your Public Accident Injury claim* today by contacting PBN Litigation Solicitors.

If you have suffered an injury while staying at a hotel, out walking the dogs or when watching the local team, then PBN Litigation Solicitors have the experience and expertise to manage your compensation claim*.

You, the client, are the one injured and in recovery. The last thing you should have to worry about is dealing with the IRB, the property owner or the courts when recovering from your public accident injury.

PBN Litigation Solicitors can take on your case and work with you to get the compensation you deserve.

We pride ourselves in taking the stress out of personal injury litigation by providing a service dedicated to the client.

Contact PBN Litigation Solicitors today for all your public accident compensation needs.