Accidents Suffered as a Visitor
Occupiers of premises owe a duty of care to visitors. An occupier is anyone who has physical control over the premises and includes home owners, owners of business premises, shops and supermarkets and pub chains with licensed premises. Even local authorities owe a duty to take reasonable steps to avoid accidents and injuries whilst people are using public facilities such as swimming pools and car parks or just walking along the highway. Occupiers must prevent personal injury accidents by visitors through ensuring that they are reasonably safe from injury whilst on those premises.
If you suffer an accident or injury during a visit to someone else’s premises then the occupier of the premises may be liable to pay you compensation for those injuries.
In deciding whether premises were reasonably safe when someone is injured in an accident the court will take into account all the circumstances of the claim, including:
- The fact that children are less careful than adults and more like to have an accident or suffer injury,
- Whether the accident victim suffered injury by taking unnecessary risks or increased the risk to themselves, and
- Whether the injured person had been warned of any accident hazards.
If the occupier is held liable for the accident then the accident victim will be entitled to claim compensation for the personal injury as a visitor that he has suffered as a result.
We deal with a lot of accident claims arising from use of the public highway. Injury frequently occurs as a result of people tripping or slipping on footpaths and pavements. Tripping and slipping claims have become a specialist area within the field of personal injury law.
Call us now on 0808 139 1590
Or email us at lee.dawkins@sleeblackwell.co.uk
