Have you recently suffered an injury? Where you in a place that is the responsibility of the local authority, e.g. a public park, road or pavement when you had your injury? If you were, and there was something in the area that caused you to injure yourself, you could be entitled to financial compensation from the local council. Kerr Brown is a leading provider of legal advice for individuals seeking financial compensation from the local council where it has failed to protect the safety of those in a public place it is responsible for.
How will I know if my injury was the local council’s fault
Many people suffer an accident on council property and are completely unaware that they may well be able to claim against the local authority. This is often because most people do not think to consider who has responsibility for maintaining public spaces.
No matter where you are, whether it is in your local community or in the city centre, there will be areas which your local council is under a legal obligation to make safe for people to use. This tends to include public parks and play areas, as well as pavements and roads. Furthermore, it is also important to remember that the local authority tends to have responsibility for maintaining lighting and signage in these areas, and ensuring that lamp posts, street lights and road signs are stable and unlikely to fall and injure members of the public.
How do I raise an accident claim against the council? The Procedure in Scotland
As is the case for most accidents, it is vital that you document the circumstances: what you were doing; who you were with; and what happened to cause you injury. It is also incredibly helpful to have taken pictures of the area where you suffered your injury and to maintain a record of any medical attention that you sought as a result of the accident.
Most local authorities tend to have internal procedures for dealing with complaints of injuries suffered on their property. In the first instance, it is wise to approach the local authority and provide them with copies of the documents mentioned above, detailing your accident. The local authority will normally then conduct a review of your situation and determine, for itself, whether or not it has breached its obligation to maintain the area in question to a reasonable condition. It is wise to approach the local council in the first instance where you have been injured on its property. Any failure on your part to make use of internal procedures could have a negative impact on your personal injury claim you make at a later point in time: the courts, in determining the validity of your claim, tend to take a dim view of any failure to resolve the matter without their involvement. Our claims solicitors can help you approach the local council in the first instance, and carry out any necessary negotiations to ensure your rights are respected and your best interests protected.
If the council decides that your claim does not merit any compensation, or if you are concerned that any award offered does not reflect the gravity of your injuries, our specialist personal injury solicitors can help you raise a claim against them. It is very important that you only deal with a solicitor who is experienced in handling personal injury claims. The rules for raising a compensation claim are rigidly observed by the courts, and can be difficult to understand without the guidance of an experienced legal adviser.
Contact our Solicitors in Glasgow About Your Local Authority Claim
At Kerr Brown, we work closely with our clients to secure the compensation they deserve when local councils have violated their obligations to keep members of the public safe. Our compensation lawyers regularly engage in negotiations with council representatives on our clients’ behalf, and will be able to conduct litigation in the courts if the situation demands it. Our role is to protect our clients’ interests, and to act as their trusted adviser. Our friendly team of specialist personal injury solicitors will be able to handle all aspects of your claim, and will work with you to secure the best outcome possible. To learn more about how our team can help, contact us now on 01412214880 or via our online contact form.