Posted on 05 Aug 2026
What is public liability? And how can it help if you’ve been injured?
General Manager
There’s a general misunderstanding that you can only make a public liability compensation claim if you’ve been injured in a public place. It’s an understandable mistake, considering “public” is in the name, but that’s not actually the case.
A public liability claim can cover a whole range of injuries that were caused by someone else’s negligence, regardless of whether it was in a public or private place.
Essentially, if another person was at fault for your injury, you may have a public liability claim.
What can be a public liability claim?
If you’ve been injured because a business or organisation failed to keep the public area safe, this would generally fall into public liability. If you’ve been injured because of another person's negligence and it's not a motor vehicle accident or work injury, then you may be able to seek compensation via a public liability claim.
Examples of public liability claims
The best way to illustrate what can be a public liability claim is to list some examples. Below are some common examples of public liability claims:
Slips and trips on public property such as parks and footpaths
Slip and fall injuries at shopping centres and supermarkets
Council and government property
Unsafe premises (such as balconies, stairs or walking surfaces)
Physical assaults
Aviation accidents
Sporting accidents (including recreational and adventure activities)
Health and fitness injuries (such as massage or personal training).
What’s not considered a public liability claim?
If you’re injured in a motor vehicle accident, at work or during a medical procedure, that wouldn’t fall under public liability, even though the injury happened in a public place.
Why should I make a public liability claim?
Deciding to take legal action of any sort is always a very personal decision. But a common reason many people decide to seek help after an injury is because of the financial pressures they face afterwards. Many people will be unable to work, need to seek medical care and assistance after getting hurt, which can often add additional stress to an already stressful time.
Making a claim for compensation can help provide:
Payments for lost wages
Compensation for loss of future earnings
Payments for medical expenses
Compensation for pain and suffering
What should I do if I’ve been injured?
If you’ve been injured because of the fault of another, you should get legal advice as soon as possible, so you can understand what your rights are.
There are strict laws governing public liability and the compensation available. A lawyer can give you advice on what you’re entitled to, letting you know whether a compensation offer is fair or whether further negotiations are your best option.
Check if you have a public liability claim
In the first instance you can check whether you might have a claim with our Free Online Claim Check. Simply answer a few questions to understand where you stand.
Frequently asked questions
It’s actually quite rare for public liability claims to end in court. Most claims are negotiated informally through discussion or mediation between the parties. In the unlikely event that your claim does end up in court, we can provide you with the legal representation and support to see your case through and minimise your stress.
Yes, injuries that happen at work aren’t categorised as public liability because they fall into a separate class of personal injury claims known as Workers’ Compensation. Similarly, drivers on our roads owe each other and pedestrians a duty of care, but injuries on the road fall under Motor Vehicle Accident claims and are not considered public liability claims.
A public liability claim is what an injured person makes against a business, organisation or property owner when their negligence has caused injury.
Public liability insurance is the policy held by the business that covers them financially if someone makes that kind of claim against them.
We are the original No Win, No Fee* Public liability lawyers
This means that if you don’t win, you don’t pay the fees for the work we do on your case.
The contents of this blog post are considered accurate as at the date of publication. However the applicable laws may be subject to change, thereby affecting the accuracy of the article. The information contained in this blog post is of a general nature only and is not specific to anyone’s personal circumstances. Please seek legal advice before acting on any of the information contained in this post.
