Everybody is in a rush these days. Listen to anyone making their daily plans and you won’t hear anyone mentioning the word ‘go’ anymore. It’s like a memo went around. Instead, phrases like ‘go to the gym’ and ‘go to see my parents’, have been replaced by phrases like ‘whizz to bakery’, ‘nip to the grocery store’, and ‘run to the bank’.

With all this whizzing, nipping, and running going on, accidents can happen. However, just because you are injured doesn’t mean it’s all your fault. No matter where you find yourself in a public place, from the aforementioned bakeries and banks to venues such as sporting arenas, amusement parks, cinemas, restaurants, and even just simply outdoor walkways, the duty of care for your safety will rest partially with an authority of some description (be it a landlord, an events organiser, local government body, etc.).

This means that you could find yourself injured by a wide range of accidents in a public place - and if the injury genuinely wasn’t your fault, you may feel you want to be able to bring a claim for personal injury compensation.

Types of injuries in a public space

If you have been blissfully getting on with your day, unaware that you were about to be set back by a personal injury in a public place, your immediate thoughts will naturally turn to your recovery and rehabilitation.

You should be aware, however, that gathering evidence in support of your claim is made all the more of a straightforward task if you are able to instruct a solicitor as soon as possible such as harrellandharrell.com - evidence may be more difficult to gather the longer you procrastinate over whether to bring a claim.

Common types of injury in a public space include:

Potholes - usually, potholes present an annoying hazard for cars, but potholes can also cause physical injury to unsuspecting pedestrians and cyclists.

Uneven surfaces (e.g. pavement) - uneven sidewalk surfaces and missing kerb stones present a clear tripping hazard for all members of the public.
Incomplete roadworks - where the local authorities have removed a lamppost, for example, and failed to make the area safe for pedestrians, accidents can occur.
Poorly lit or poorly gritted areas - public walkways or parking lots that are not fit for purpose in terms of being reasonably safe for use present tripping or slipping hazards (this could include poorly lit areas or pavement that has not been properly gritted in icy conditions).

It’s useful to consider these as sometimes we have an injury which will cost us time and money yet we aren’t aware that someone else has been negligent. This can mean you end up being responsible for your own recovery and costs which isn’t fair on you.

If physical injuries don’t involve cuts to the skin, or if it can be helped by applying kinesiology tape, consider using them for pain relief and healing. These therapeutic tapes are useful for treating sports-related injuries as well as for sprains, shin splints even rotator cuff problems. In order for it to be effective, you need to learn proper taping techniques to get the most out of it.

As long as your needs are genuine think about how you can support yourself with your injury and if you decide to contact a solicitor what might help the process along. A solicitor will know exactly what you’re entitled to and how you can get your life back to normal as soon as possible.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.