Public Liability claims, contrary to popular belief, are not just about being injured in a public place. If you’ve been injured because another person or organisation hasn’t taken the right amount of care, then you may have a public liability claim.
One example is if you’ve been injured by a defective product, because a supplier, manufacturer or retailer has failed to provide a product that is fit for safe use or consumption.
Example of a defective product claim
Jeff was a butcher who owned his own shop. One weekend, Jeff wanted to do some work around the house, including clearing out the gutters so it wouldn’t flood during heavy rain. Jeff went to his local hardware store and bought a ladder so he could reach the roof. Unfortunately, while Jeff was on the ladder clearing out the gutter, the ladder buckled under him causing Jeff to fall to the ground.
As a result of his fall, Jeff suffered serious injuries including injuries to his head, spine, right shoulder and right foot. He was taken to hospital and had to undergo surgery, rehabilitation and was unable to work for months.
In his defective product public liability claim, Jeff sought the help of Slater and Gordon to seek compensation from the hardware store and the ladder manufacturer because they had failed to take reasonable care to ensure the ladder sold to Jeff was safe and fit for use, which in turn caused Jeff’s injuries.
As a result, Jeff was able to claim compensation for his medical costs, lost income, domestic care requirements and for his pain and suffering.
*For privacy reasons, the client’s details have been changed
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What should you do if you’ve been injured by a defective product?
If you’ve been injured as a result of a faulty product you should:
Seek medical treatment immediately and explain to the treating doctors how you were injured.
Alert the product provider of the incident and the injuries you have suffered.
Keep receipts or invoices as proof of purchase of the product.
Keep records and receipts of all your medical expenses as well as records of the dates and types of treatment you have undergone.
Keep records of any wages or income you have lost because you are unable to work due to your injury.
Take date stamped photographs of your injury.
Take date stamped photographs of the defective product that caused your injury.
Do not try to fix the defective product or provide the product to the provider to repair, you need to preserve the product for independent testing.
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.
Entitlements
Being injured doesn’t just affect your health – it could also affect your ability to work, your livelihood, and your ability to enjoy your everyday life. That’s why, if you’ve been injured because of someone else’s negligence or lack of care, you may be entitled to a range of benefits and compensation.
Such as:
Medical costs.
Lost income.
Pain and suffering.
Other care entitlements.
How we can help
With our years of experience helping clients successfully seek compensation for their injuries, you can be confident that we’ve got the experience, compassion and legal know-how to look after your case.
Making a Public Liability claim doesn’t need to be an ordeal, we’ve helped a large majority our clients settle their matters without the need to go to court. But if it's necessary we will take the fight into court for you with an experienced team to help you receive what you're entitled to.
We know that dealing with an injury can be a trying time, financially and emotionally. That's why we do everything we can to support our clients through this period. From carefully taking you through every stage of your case, to offering free social work services to clients who need it. Our social work services include counselling, negotiating with services on your behalf, referrals to support groups and community services such as housing, financial and care support and more.
We understand that a personal injury often has a devastating impact on your financial position. Therefore, having to pay legal fees should not be a barrier to you seeking compensation for someone else’s negligence. People with valid claims should be able to have access to justice. That's why we offer a No Win - No Fee* arrangement to our clients. No Win - No Fee means that if your claim is not successful, you may not need to pay our legal costs.
