Did you know that personal injury claims increase over autumn and winter? Shorter days mean we’re navigating our journeys in low or no daylight and the change in weather means hazards like surface water, slippery leaves or icy conditions.
It’s no wonder with unsure footing, reduced visibility, and wintry conditions that slips, trips, and falls increase during this time of year. Whether you’re travelling for personal reasons or for work, take extra care on your journey and always ensure you’re wearing footwear with good grip.
We are here for you if you suffer a slip, trip or fall that wasn’t your fault. However, prevention is better than a cure, and we would prefer people aren’t injured! Here’s how you can take extra care when walking and travelling on public transport at this time of year:
Preventing slips, trips and falls
It’s helpful to think about the common causes of trips and falls before we think about how to prevent them.
Common causes of falls include:
- Reduced visibility due to shorter days
- Ice, sleet, and snow
- Autumn leaves on the ground
- Windy weather affecting balance
Preventing slips and falls with careful consideration and the right equipment is much better than getting injured and having to get treatment. Especially for elderly people where slips and falls will have a bigger impact on their overall health.
Here are some tips for slip and fall prevention:
- Ensure paths and driveways are salted
- Wear proper footwear with a good tread on the sole of the shoe for grip
- Take extra care when walking in places that are wet, leafy or icy
- Take extra care when stepping on and off public transport
Slips and falls in public places
If you’ve suffered an accident in a public space, like a library or cafe, which wasn’t your fault you may be eligible to make a claim.
Public spaces and private organisations have a duty to provide a safe environment. This housekeeping can include maintaining pavements and roads, clearing debris, maintaining lighting, and ensuring paths and roads are gritted during icy conditions.
If someone has failed in their duty to create a non-hazardous environment, and you’ve had an accident as a result, you may be eligible to make a claim. Feel free to get in contact with our team and explain the situation to us, and we’ll let you know whether you have grounds to make a claim.
Our dedicated personal injury team
If the worst should happen and you do experience a slip or fall, either in your personal life or at work, contact us today. We work hard to get our clients the compensation they deserve for their slipping or tripping accident and have a wealth of experience in this area of the law.
Most personal injury cases can be dealt with on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis. This gives you peace of mind in two respects: you don’t need to pay anything if we don’t win your case. And we only take on cases that we’re confident we can win, meaning we won’t waste your time or ours and you won’t be out of pocket.
Follow this link to our personal injury webpage for more information or call us on 01457 835597 today.
