Did you suffer from a personal injury on private premises?

At best, such an injury will be an inconvenience. At worst, it could have a life-altering impact on you and your loved ones.

If you find yourself injured as a result of poorly maintained privately owned land or property, taking legal advice and legal action might seem a little daunting.

We understand you can feel uncomfortable taking the first step towards claiming your compensation. Especially after the distress you have already experienced from your injury.

That is why we handle each case with the greatest dedication and care, treating each of our clients with the respect and dignity they deserve.

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Making an occupiers liability claim

If you have incurred an injury or illness as a visitor to a privately owned and managed property due to a lack of care or maintenance of safety standards, you may be entitled to make an occupiers liability claim.

Owners of private property accessible to the public have a duty to keep you safe while you are visiting the premises. This is covered under the Occupiers Liability Act 1957.

The legislation is set out to help to protect people visiting private property.

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Understanding the Occupiers Liability Act 1957

Like any legal document, the Occupiers Liability Act has specific terms. When it refers to the ‘occupier’, it means the person in control of the premises. A ‘visitor’ is anyone entitled to be on the property while a ‘trespasser’ is anyone not entitled to be on the property.

The Act outlines the duty of care that an occupier owes to visitors of their ‘premises’. If the occupier has been negligent in ensuring the maintenance and safety standards, they are in breach of the Occupiers Liability Act 1957.

When we speak of ‘the premises’ belonging to the occupier in this context, it incorporates not only land and buildings but also mobile structures, so any aircraft, vehicle or vessel.

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Accidents in transit

You may also have the right to make an occupier’s liability claim if you are involved in an accident in transit. This includes situations such as flying for business, sailing for your summer holiday or driving in a rental car.

Protection of trespassers

Since the Occupiers Liability Act 1957, a revised 1984 Act was agreed which recognised that the occupier also owes a duty of care towards trespassers – those who are unlawfully on their premises.

Examples of claims our solicitors have handled

There are a number of claims which can be made following the introduction of the Occupiers Liability Act. Some examples of such claims are:

• Stairs or a ramp leading to a building that was not de-iced, causing a fall
• A supermarket failing to place a wet floor sign causing slippage and injury
• Injury caused by falling objects of poorly structured shelves
• A fall from faulty play area equipment
• A hire car malfunction causing a crash

Why you should claim compensation

From our extensive experience with occupiers liability claims we can truly understand the impact that injury and illness can have on a person, their family and their livelihood.

The physical damage doesn’t just lead to time off work and medical costs. It can manifest as emotional damage too – particularly in cases where the injury is irreversible.

Full transparency

Our transparent approach allows you to be as involved as you wish, though we will always keep you up to date with important information.

To learn more about how our team at AWH Solicitors make sure that you are awarded the compensation that you deserve, please get in touch.

Our success with occupiers’ liability claims

We have a wealth of experience supporting clients through successful occupiers liability claims. We support clients through every step of the legal journey and work hard to ensure their claim process causes as little disruption as possible.