Understand your rights to compensation.
If you’ve been injured in a public or privately accessible place like a shopping centre, footpath, park or rental property, you could be entitled to compensation.
These types of accidents often happen when someone else fails to take reasonable care. Whether you slipped, tripped or were hurt due to unsafe conditions, it’s important to understand your rights and what to do next.
When these accidents happen, the physical pain is often just the beginning. You may also be dealing with lost wages, medical bills, or longer-term impacts on your health and mobility.
Understanding your legal options early can make all the difference when it comes to seeking fair compensation. Contact us if you would like to learn more about your rights.
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What to do if you’re injured in a public place
If you’ve suffered an injury in a public place, there are a few important steps you should take straight away. These actions can help protect your health and give you the best chance of making a successful public liability claim later on.
1. Seek medical treatment
Your health is the priority. Visit your GP, local clinic or hospital and keep records of all treatment, medical reports and medical expenses.
2. Report the incident
Notify the property owner, store manager, council, or whoever is responsible for the space where your injury occurred. Ask for written confirmation or an incident report.
3. Record details
Take photos or videos of the accident scene, note what caused your injury, and collect witness names and contact details if possible.
4. Keep your receipts
Hold on to anything related to medical costs, lost income, or other expenses caused by your injury.
5. Check if you’re eligible to claim
Our team can help you understand whether someone else’s negligence caused your injury and if you’re entitled to injury in public place compensation. Try our free claim check or get in touch with our public liability lawyers for a no-obligation chat.
It’s also important to act quickly. Your public liability compensation claim may be unsuccessful if you don’t start the process within Queensland’s strict time limits. Ideally, you should seek legal advice as soon as possible after sustaining an injury. If you are still unsure whether your pain and suffering is worth a claim, you can call, chat or email us to confirm.
What are common accidents in public places?
Accidents in public places can happen quickly and unexpectedly. If you’ve been injured in a public or privately accessible place, and the accident occurred because someone failed to take reasonable care, you may be able to make a public liability claim.
Here are some of the most common types of accidents our personal injury lawyers see:
Slips, Trips and Falls in Public Spaces
This is one of the most common causes of public liability compensation claims. You might slip on a wet supermarket floor with no warning signs, trip over loose flooring at a shopping centre, or fall on an uneven public footpath. These injuries fall under public liability law when the property owner or occupier has failed to maintain a safe environment.
Injuries in Public Parks or Recreational Areas
If playground equipment is poorly maintained, footpaths are cracked, or signage is missing, serious injuries can occur. Local councils and other authorities have a duty to ensure public parks and facilities are safe for use.
Accidents in Rental Properties or Private Residences
Not all public liability claims involve outdoor spaces. You might be injured in a rental property due to faulty fittings, unsafe stairs, or long-reported maintenance issues that were never addressed. Property owners and landlords may be held responsible if their negligence caused your injury.
Hazards in Businesses and Public Venues
From hair salons and gyms to cinemas and car parks, businesses must take reasonable steps to prevent harm. If you’ve suffered a physical injury in a public place due to broken equipment, poor lighting, or unsafe conditions, you could have a valid claim for compensation.
If you’re unsure whether your accident qualifies for compensation, our experienced lawyers can assess your situation. Try our free 30 second compensation claim check to find out where you stand.
Do I Have a Valid Public Liability Claim?
Not every accident in a public place will lead to compensation. However, if your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may have grounds to make a public liability claim.
You could have a valid claim if:
- The accident occurred in a public or privately accessible place
- A person, business, or authority failed to take reasonable care to prevent the risk of harm
- That failure led directly to your injury
- You experienced physical, emotional, or financial consequences as a result
If you’re unsure whether your situation qualifies, our experienced public liability lawyers can help. You can contact our Brisbane or Gold Coast offices today for clear, obligation-free advice.
What Can Public Place Injury Compensation Cover?
Compensation is designed to help your physical, emotional, and financial recovery from the impact of your injury. If your claim is successful, your compensation may cover:
- Medical expenses and treatment costs
- Rehabilitation or ongoing care needs
- Lost income or wages
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress or psychological harm
- Future expenses related to your injury
Every case is different, and the amount you may receive depends on the severity of your injuries, how your life has been affected, and the circumstances of the accident. Our legal team can help you understand what a fair compensation outcome might look like for you.
How the Public Liability Claim Process Works
If you decide to move forward with a claim, here’s a general overview of what the process looks like. Our legal team will guide you through each step, keeping things as simple and stress-free as possible.
1. We start by reviewing your situation
We’ll listen to what happened, look at the details of your accident, and help you understand whether you have a valid public liability compensation claim. This can begin with a free claim check or contact us for quick conversation.
2. We gather evidence to support your claim
This may include medical reports, witness statements, incident records, and photos of the accident scene. You don’t need everything right away — our lawyers will help you collect the necessary evidence.
3. We handle the legal process on your behalf
We’ll lodge the claim, deal with the insurance company, and represent your interests throughout the process. Our goal is to secure a fair outcome without unnecessary delays.
4. You receive your compensation
If your claim is successful, you’ll receive your “injury in a public place compensation”. This will cover medical expenses, lost income, and other impacts. We’ll explain what your settlement includes and ensure all legal fees are clear and transparent.
How much does it cost to claim for a public place accident?
We operate on a no win, no fee basis. This means you have full access to our years of experience without the stress of upfront legal costs. You can redirect your energy to recovering while we focus on your personal injury claim. If the settlement is successful, we calculate the legal costs using the 50/50 rule.
Injured in public place claims - FAQs
You don’t need a witness to lodge a compensation claim, but it does help to gather other types of evidence. This can include photos of the accident scene, incident reports, CCTV footage, and medical records that document your injuries. A successful public liability claim often depends on the strength of the supporting evidence, not just eyewitness accounts.
Strict time limits apply to public liability claims in Queensland. In most cases, you have three years from the date of the accident to begin legal proceedings, but certain claims (especially those involving minors or government entities) may have shorter deadlines. Learn more time limits for QLD compensation claims here.
Getting legal representation early helps ensure key evidence is preserved and your claim is lodged in time. If you’re unsure how much time you have left, speak to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
It depends on how the accident happened. If your injury was caused by the use or operation of a vehicle, it may fall under Queensland’s Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance scheme rather than public liability law.
However, if your injury occurred due to unsafe conditions in a public or private place (such as poor lighting in a car park), you may still be eligible to claim under public liability. Our car accident compensation page explains the difference and how to work out which type of claim applies to your situation.
The legal process is similar, but the party responsible for your injury will differ. If your injury occurred on public property (like a park or footpath), the responsible party may be a local council or government body. If you were injured on private property (like a rental home or business), the property owner or occupier may be liable. In both cases, public liability insurance is often in place to cover these types of claims.
Yes. Slipping accidents in retail settings are one of the most common types of public liability claims. If the store failed to clean up a spill or display warning signs, and you were injured as a result, you may have a valid claim. Compensation for injury in a public place can help cover medical costs, time off work, and pain and suffering.
In most cases, no. The majority of public liability claims in Queensland are settled out of court through negotiation with the insurance company. Your lawyer will aim to resolve the matter efficiently and fairly without the stress of court proceedings. Only a small percentage of claims proceed to trial, and this usually happens when liability is disputed or the compensation offer is too low.
A public liability claim usually relates to injuries sustained in a public or private place, such as a park, shopping centre, or rental property. A product liability claim, on the other hand, involves being injured by a faulty or unsafe product, such as electrical equipment, food, or furniture. In both cases, you may be able to seek compensation if someone else’s negligence caused your injury.
Yes. If your injury was caused by an issue the landlord failed to fix, such as broken stairs or faulty wiring, you may be entitled to claim compensation. This is known as a rental property injury claim. Property owners are required to maintain a safe living environment and may be covered under public liability insurance.
Our public liability lawyers can guide you through the legal system, from gathering evidence and dealing with the insurance company to negotiating a settlement. We provide clear legal options, represent you throughout the legal journey, and aim to reduce stress while helping you claim for medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses.
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With The Personal Injury Lawyers, your public place accident claim is in great hands
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