Claim Against the Council for Injury in a Public Place

Preparing an accident claim against the council

If you have a claim against the Council as a result of tripping or slipping on the public highway then you may be entitled to make a public liability claim.

To help you make a claim as a result of a pavement fall, your accident must have been caused by a pothole which is at least an inch deep on the pavement. If your accident was caused by a paving stone sticking up above the rest of the path by about 1 inch or more then please click on the link to see how to take photographs of the scene of your accident.

See: How to Take Photographs of the Scene of Your Accident

To assist us in preparing your claim against the local authority you should:

Write down names and addresses of witnesses to your accident. If you do not have any witnesses to your accident but the defect is outside a particular house number it may be worth contacting that person to enquire as to how long the defect has been present prior to your accident and whether they have previously made a complaint.
Send us potographs of the defect which you allege caused your accident showing clear measurements on the photographs as the photographs may ultimately be used as evidence. Please sign and date the back of the photographs.
Keep all receipts for any out of pocket expenses you have incurred as a result of your injuries.

If the police have been involved please provide us with details of your incident number in order that we can make the relevant enquiries with them.