It is possible to claim compensation for an injury caused by slips, trips and falls in a public place.

To find out what you could be entitled to contact a solicitor at Imperium Law on 0800 633 5730.

The most common causes of falls outside are badly maintained roads and pathways.

Uneven surfaces such as raised paving stones and potholes cause frequent accidents, and injuries include broken ankles and fractured wrists.

Since the introduction of the 1980 Highways Act local authorities have a responsibility to maintain all roadways and roads.

Regular inspections should be made and any faults reported should be repaired.

If your local authority has failed to repair a defect and you have been injured, you are entitled to make a claim for your pain, suffering, loss of earnings and medical care.

Payouts vary according to the circumstances of the case such as the extent of your injury.

What counts as a pothole and can you claim?

A pothole is a hollow in a pavement, walkway or road which occurs because of weather conditions where water enters cracks in the concrete or tarmac causing erosion.

Councils regularly inspect their roads and any defects are noted by an inspector who advises whether the pothole is:

• category 1 – large and requires immediate repair

• category 2 – smaller and can be repaired as part of routine maintenance.

If the inspector notes the pothole as extremely large then it should be repaired as soon as possible.

If a defect is reported but not repaired then you have a case to make a claim if you were injured in a fall or trip.

Claim case study: compensation after falling down a pothole.

Cheshire pensioner Mrs J suffered a fracture to her wrist after falling down a pothole at a set of traffic lights.

Mrs J decided to claim compensation because:

     a) she hadn’t seen the defect in the road.

     b) her accident had caused severe pain and had disrupted her previously active life.

Investigation into her case showed she had a valid claim for compensation. However the local authority disputed her claim saying she was at fault for not noticing the road defect.

Further investigation revealed that she was not the only pedestrian to suffer injury, several others had also fallen down the pothole.

In light of the evidence the local authority agreed to settle her claim and she was awarded £13,000 compensation.

If you have suffered injury because of an uneven road surface or pothole, call our injury team.

We can review your claim, advise if you have a case to answer and give you an indication of what other similar claims have paid out.

To discuss making an injury claim against a local authority call us on 0800 633 5730, alternatively fill in our callback form and we’ll be in touch at the time you request.