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If you’ve been injured in a public or private place, even if you believe you were partially responsible, you may be entitled to compensation. Start your free claim check and we’ll take it from here.
Public liability covers a wide range of circumstances where individuals, businesses, and organisations have not taken reasonable steps to prevent a foreseeable accident.
In most public liability claims, compensation is typically paid by the insurer of the person, business, government body or organisation responsible for the incident – not the individual themselves.
The parties are usually covered by public liability insurance designed to handle these kinds of claims.
In Australia, the term duty of care refers to a legal obligation to take reasonable care to avoid causing harm to others, where the harm is reasonably foreseeable if care is not taken. For example, if you’re injured in a public park, the council has a duty of care to make sure the park is safe to use.
Public liability claims can involve both statutory insurance entitlements and common law claims for negligence.
Insurance compensation may cover immediate costs such as medical treatment or income support. However, this largely depends on whether you have taken out your own private insurance policy.
A common law claim can provide broader compensation, including damages for pain and suffering, future loss of earnings and long-term care needs if someone else’s negligence caused your injury. In most cases, if you are successful in a common law claim, the negligent party’s insurer will cover your losses and compensation.
A public liability lawyer can help assess which pathway applies to your situation and ensure you pursue the full extent of your entitlements.
Below are examples of what constitutes a common law claim:
A shopper slips on a wet floor in a supermarket and suffers a back injury.
A tenant trips on a broken step in a rental property and sustains an ankle fracture.
A child is injured at a community event due to inadequate crowd control and fencing.
A pedestrian trips on a faulty footpath and suffers a shoulder injury.
If you have a public liability claim, you may be entitled to compensation for:
Medical expenses for treatment and ongoing care
The care and help provided to you by family members and friends that you would otherwise have had to pay for.
Past loss of earnings
Loss of future wages and future ability to earn
Loss of ability to look after anyone dependant on you
Pain and suffering as well as loss of enjoyment of life caused by physical or psychological injury.
There are time limits to a public liability claim! You have three years to make a claim from the date of injury. For children or a person under disability, a time limit of six years from the date of injury applies.
We offer a No Win, No Fee arrangement to help you access the justice and care you deserve. This means that you won’t pay for our legal work if we don’t win your case.
If there are other upfront costs, we’ll let you know in advance. There are some situations where you may need to pay upfront costs for investigative reports, medical reports, or court filing fees.
What is a Public Liability claim?
If you’ve been injured in a public place such as a shopping centre, carpark or footpath and your accident was caused by someone else not taking enough care, you may be entitled to compensation through a public liability claim.
Unfortunately, many people endure the financial and physical hardships of an injury caused by someone else's negligence without seeking compensation as they feel partially responsible and can't foresee the future impact of their injury.
If you’ve been injured, it doesn’t hurt to ask. Slater and Gordon are experts in Public Liability claims and can give you straightforward advice on the best way forward in an obligation free initial appointment.
Check if you have a Public Liability claim
It doesn’t hurt to ask. Find out if you’re eligible for a public liability claim in just 3 minutes.
Injuries on private property including rental properties or Air BnBs.
Health and fitness injuries (such as massage or personal training)
Why do I need a public liability lawyer?
Public liability laws are complex, and the claims process can be overwhelming with strict deadlines, legal hurdles, paperwork, and pressure from insurers to settle quickly. That’s why getting legal advice early is so important:
Insurer offers often cover only the bare minimum and overlook entitlements like compensation for future care and treatment or pain and suffering.
Unlike work or road injuries, there is no immediate support through a no-fault statutory benefits scheme for public liability injuries.
You may unknowingly waive your rights to bring a future claim if you accept an offer from an insurer before seeking legal advice.
Without the right legal support, you could miss out on thousands in compensation. Public liability lawyers have a deep understanding of insurance policies, duty of care, and how they can impact your claim and settlement amount.
Feedback from our clients
Until I found myself in the position of seeking help to resolve issues relating to an accident that really should never had happened . I really hadn't ever thought about the " how does this happen " aspect . The value of having representation from a team as supportive and knowledgeable as Oliver Robertson at Slater and Gordon was absolutely amazing I really can't thank Oliver enough for his commitment to helping me . He believed in me and I believe he always did his upmost to not only reach a resolution but also to act with empathy and professionalism at all times . The support team also did a truly wonderful job. Thank you
jennifer Sidgwick
Liat, Sarah and team from Melbourne office, have been an amazing and supportive team, assisting me to achieve an outcome that I am very pleased with. Not only accommodating my distance to specialist appointments, but also happy to work with my last minute rescheduled appointments due to illness.
Highly recommend Liat, Sarah and team for the best outcome for you!
Tammy Anderson
Oliver and Rachael got me a settlement that was far beyond what I imagined in absolute best case scenario. It was a few months ago and I still can’t believe it. Their work was incredible and I’m so grateful for what they did. Highly recommend, felt safe and heard through the entire process, and like someone was fighting for me. Thank you so much, Oliver and Rachael.
Angela Smith
My experiences with Tahnee have been amazing. She has guided and supported me seamlessly from the very beginning. I have always been notified of updates and kept abreast of developments. Her professionalism and her expertise was evident with my positive outcome. I can highly recommend Tahnee and Slater and Gordon, Newcastle.
Anne McDonald
As a retired senior citizen, my health is paramount, so when I was injured in a fall I put my trust in S&G to resolve my injury claim. This was resolved in an efficient, effective and seamless way.
I owe a debt of gratitude to lawyer Kate Calocouras who, from the 'get go', sought to get the best deal for me. I was most impressed in her keeping me in the loop at every turn and in particular her ability to translate legalise into plain speak. I commend her for her personal reassurances in achieving an equitable settlement.
Martin Pall
I recently had the pleasure of working with Breanna from Slater and Gordon and I can't recommend Breanna highly enough. From start to finish, Breanna’s professionalism and dedication were evident in every interaction.
What stood out most was Breanna’s meticulous attention to detail. She took the time to thoroughly understand the nuances of my case, ensuring that no aspect was overlooked. This level of diligence was incredibly reassuring and made me feel confident that my interests were being well-protected.
Breanna’s communication skills were equally impressive. She kept me informed every step of the way, explaining complex legal terms in a clear and accessible manner. I never felt left in the dark or unsure about the process, which greatly alleviated the stress often associated with legal matters.
Moreover, Breanna demonstrated genuine empathy throughout the process. She was not only a skilled legal professional but also a compassionate advocate who understood the personal impact of the case. Her supportive approach made a challenging situation much more manageable.
If you're looking for a solicitor who combines thoroughness, clear communication, and empathy, Breanna is an exceptional choice. Her expertise and client-centred approach truly set Breanna and Slater and Gordon apart.
Claudio Stella
Google Reviews
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How we can help
With one of the largest networks of public liability lawyers in the country, we bring together some of the most experienced legal minds in the field.
In-home or in-hospital appointments
We understand that there may be circumstances where you may not be able to travel. We have offices nationwide and we’ll make sure we can get to you.
Free social work services
We understand that seeking compensation is only one aspect of your journey after a life-changing accident. We know you need support, and we help provide it where you need it.
In your obligation free initial appointment, your lawyer will learn more about your accident from you and then give you the advice you need to choose the best way forward.
Once you choose Slater and Gordon, we’ll begin working to gather evidence on your accident to prepare your claim. This may include photos, reports, statements from witnesses and a family member or friend, proof of loss of income, and if needed we’ll arrange any medical examinations to assess your injury.
We’ll organise an examination by an independent medical professional for the purposes of establishing your entitlement to pain and suffering or loss of enjoyment of life damages, as well as the cost of future treatment and any income impacted.
The vast majority of compensation cases are settled through negotiation between Slater and Gordon lawyers acting on your behalf, and lawyers acting on behalf of an insurance company. Our priority is always to get the best outcome for you, and we’ll guide and advise you every step of the way. If your case goes to court, you can be confident of your legal representation including a specialist barrister when it’s required.
We are the original No Win, No Fee* lawyers. This means that if you don’t win you don’t pay the fees for the work we do on your case.
As Australia’s largest personal injury law firm we can provide some of the most experienced lawyers and legal support staff to take care of your claim from start to finish – so you can focus on your recovery.
