By Stephen Adams. Last Updated 22nd March 2022. If you have been involved in an accident in public toilets, you may be wondering whether or not you are going to be entitled to compensation. There are so many different sorts of accidents that could happen in this way. Of course, the most common is a slipping accident in a public toilet. However, you could also suffer an injury if the toilet or the bathroom has not been maintained properly.
If you are going to make a successful claim, you might need to show that the incident was not your fault and that it was caused due to a lack of maintenance, negligence or an error. Here at Public Interest Lawyers, we could provide people with all of the information they need about claiming for all sorts of accidents in a public place. Continue reading to discover more about claiming for an accident in public toilets specifically.
If you would like to speak to an advisor about potentially claiming for an accident in a public toilet, then you can contact Public Interest Lawyers by phone or online. You can reach us online by using our contact page or our 24/7 live chat service. To call us, dial 0800 408 7825.
Choose A Section
- A Guide To Claiming Compensation For Accidents In Public Toilets
- What Is An Accident In A Public Toilet?
- Public Injury Claims Calculator For Accidents In Public Toilets
- What Could I Claim For If Injured In A Public Toilet?
- What Is Public Liability And Public Liability Claims?
- Am I Eligible To Claim Compensation For An Accident In A Public Toilet?
- What Is The Occupiers Liability Act And How Does It Relate To My Claim?
- What Are Considered Adequate Toilet Facilities?
- What Steps Should Be Taken To Prevent Accidents Happening?
- Slip And Fall Accidents In A Public Toilet
- Accidents In A Supermarket Or Shop Toilet
- Accidents In Public Toilets At A Restaurant, Pub Or Bar
- Accidents In Public Toilets At Work
- What Steps Do I Need To Take To Claim For An Accident In A Public Place?
- No Win No Fee Claims For Accidents In Public Toilets
- How Do I Begin Claiming Compensation For An Accident In A Public Toilet?
- References
A Guide To Claiming Compensation For Accidents In Public Toilets
In this guide, we look to provide you with all of the details you need if you are thinking about making a claim for an accident in public toilets. We will provide you with all of the critical details about claiming, including the personal injury claims time limit. We will also provide you with information on specific types of claims, for example, claiming because you slipped in a toilet because of a wet floor or because the professional cleaning toilets in the workplace did not put up the wet floor sign.
We will also assist you by talking you through the steps that you should take when making a claim for an accident in public toilets. This includes finding a No Win No Fee solicitor. You will also find out why this comes so highly recommended. If you still have any queries by the time you get to the end of this guide on claiming for an accident in public toilets, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
What Is An Accident In Public Toilets?
An accident in public toilets relates to any type of incident that has taken place in a public toilet and was not your fault. For example, you may have slipped on public toilet flooring because the cleaner did not put up a wet floor sign. Or, you might have been cut on a poorly maintained sink.
Public Injury Claims Calculator For Accidents In Public Toilets
If you have been involved in an accident in public toilets, you may want to know how much compensation you are going to get. Compensation payouts for valid public toilet injury claims can vary a lot. The amount you may be offered if you can make a claim will depend on factors such as what injuries you are claiming for and how severe they are. If you contact Public Interest Lawyers about a potential claim you could make, they may be able to provide a compensation estimate based on the details of your case.
What Could I Claim For If Injured In A Public Toilet?
If you have had an accident in public toilets, you may be able to claim for the injuries you have sustained – both physical and psychological. Injuries are impossible to quantify, and so this amount will be awarded at the court’s discretion and based on previous public accident claims.
You may also be able to claim for any expenses you have encountered because of being injured in a public toilet. This could include the cost of treatment and your prescriptions, as well as counselling expenses, travel costs, and the cost of childcare. You may also claim for loss of earnings too. However, please note that you may be in need of proof in order to do so. So, keep a hold of all relevant documents.
What Is Public Liability And Public Liability Claims?
Public liability is a term that is used to describe the duty of care that a business or individual owes to you and the rest of the public. Businesses need to take out a public liability insurance plan so that they can compensate anyone who has been injured on their premises. Because of this, a public liability claim relates to a claim for compensation when you have been injured on the business or individual in question’s premises.
Am I Eligible To Claim Compensation For An Accident In A Public Toilet?
We don’t want your claim to be an added stress and this is why we have provided this guide, giving you all of the key information you need. The first thing you need to do is determine whether you have the basis for a successful accident in public toilets compensation claim to begin with. After all, we are sure you do not want to waste all of your time simply for your case to be unsuccessful. So, how do you know if your accident in public toilets is likely to result in compensation? You basically have to answer yes to the following three questions…
- Did the accident occur because of someone else’s negligence or error?
- Did the injury result in you becoming injured?
- Did the accident happen within the correct time limit?
If you cannot answer yes to all three questions above, you may struggle to make a claim. Don’t let this completely put you off, though, as there are always exceptions. Plus, if you have not seen a doctor yet, you still can in some cases.
Some people may be unsure about the time limit for starting a claim. Under the Limitation Act 1980, the standard time limit for starting a personal injury claim is three years from the day your accident occurred. The time limit can work differently under a small number of circumstances. If the accident victim is a child, then the time limit will not start for them until the day of their 18th birthday. Also, if the victim is an adult but lacks the mental capacity to claim on their own, then the time limit is frozen and will remain so unless the victim recovers sufficient mental capacity at a later date.
One thing you need to make sure you do from now onwards is keep any receipts and any proof that relates to expenses you have encountered because of the accident in public toilets. You may be able to claim for these as well. This could be anything from medical costs, to childcare expenses, to loss of income, to travel expenses.
What Is The Occupiers Liability Act And How Does It Relate To My Claim?
Another important law in this area is the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. This basically means that anyone who owns a property owes those inside it a duty of care. This means that they need to provide a safe and healthy environment for anyone who utilises their property.
What Are Considered Adequate Toilet Facilities?
According to The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, adequate washing and toilet facilities must be provided. But, what does this actually mean?
- The facilities need to have light and ventilation.
- The toilets should have toilet paper.
- there also needs to be some form of sanitary disposal bins in female toilets.
- Washing basins need to be a reasonable size.
- Washing and toilet facilities should have both hot and cold running water.
- The facilities must be easy to maintain and clean.
- Employers should arrange for separate facilities for women and men.
What Steps Should Be Taken To Prevent Accidents Happening?
There are a number of important steps that should be taken to reduce the chances of an accident in public toilets happening. This includes ensuring there is a suitable cleaning and inspection system in place. One sign that could be indicative of the operator not taking reasonable steps is if there has been a fall or a slip and there was not wet floor sign. Aside from this, checks need to be conducted on a regular basis. Cleaning signs should also be used.
Slip And Fall Accidents In A Public Toilet
Out of all of the different ways that an accident in public toilets could happen, there is no denying that a slip or fall is the most common. You may have slipped in the toilet or slipped in the bathroom because the public toilet flooring has not been cleaned properly or no appropriate warning signs were placed. This is the most common type of scenario. However, there are other ways such an accident could happen. For instance, you may have fallen because of a problem with the public toilet flooring, such as a crack.
Accidents In A Supermarket Or Shop Toilet
If the accident in public toilets you experienced happened while using a toilet in a shop or a supermarket toilet, there is a chance you may be able to make a claim provided you can prove you sustained harm after someone acted negligently. Again, it is all about showing that the company in question failed in their duty of care to you.
Accidents In Public Toilets At A Restaurant, Pub Or Bar
You may also be able to make a claim for an accident in public toilets that have happened while in a bar, restaurant, or pub. Similarly to supermarkets, you are owed a duty of care while visiting such a business. If this has been breached and you have experienced a public restroom slip and fall accident, or any other type of accident for that matter, you could be able to make a claim.
Accidents In Public Toilets At Work
If you have had the unfortunate experience of suffering a workplace accident, then you need to be armed with the necessary information regarding how to file for compensation. You need to know about your rights as well as things you should consider in order to find the right solicitor to help you win your case.
First and foremost, if you have an accident in public toilets at work you may be thinking you can’t blame the company. If you were put in harm’s way and the business in question did not abide by the workplace health and safety rules imposed in the UK, then you may be entitled to some form of compensation. After all, it is the business’ responsibility to provide a safe working place and to ensure that their staff is fully protected.
There are several rules and regulations imposed in Britain. The chief document of referral for businesses is the 1992 Workplace Regulations, which covers health, safety, and welfare. However, they are then regulations which are dedicated to certain industries, such as construction, as well as certain areas of work, such as regulations on work at a height. Nevertheless, all regulations deal with one overriding factor; a safe place and the necessary measures taken whereby employees and members of the public are not put in danger. This involves anything from a wet floor in a toilet, which had no adequate notice, to the environment not having regular risk assessments conducted, and so on and so forth.
All in all, as long as the accident you have suffered has been through no fault of your own, then you may want to look into filing an accident at work claim. Your employer should have taken out Employer’s Public Liability Insurance – this is a must. Therefore, they should be covered for these sorts of unfortunate occurrences.
When it comes to seeking work accident compensation, you may need to find a reputable and high-quality personal injury solicitor to help you win your claim. They should be able to give you further information regarding your accident specifically; the certain rules and regulations whereby the company was at fault. Moreover, they should then present you with information on how they aim to move forward and how they are going to ensure that you win your case.
Many people may deter from seeking work accident compensation because they fear that they could lose their job. This is not something you should fret about. As mentioned, your employer should have insurance in place to cover the costs. Plus, if they were to fire you because you made a claim, this may actually be unfair dismissal, meaning you could have grounds for further legal action.
What Steps Do I Need To Take To Claim For An Accident In A Public Place?
When it comes to making a claim for an accident in public toilets, your fate may largely lie in the hands of your solicitor. Nevertheless, you still have a role to play. If you follow the tips provided in this section, you will give yourself the chance of getting the full amount of compensation you deserve.
- See a doctor – There is only one place to begin and this is with seeing a medical professional. This is a step a lot of people may bypass when they have suffered a minor injury, as they may feel they would rather cope with it themselves. However, if you do this you might damage your chances of getting compensation. The medical report is often an imperative piece of evidence that needs to be used when determining how much money you could receive. If you have not seen a doctor yet, don’t panic – you may be able to see one still.
- Write down everything that happened – It is often a good idea to sit down and make a note of everything that occurred during the public toilet accident. This may help if forget any vital details about the accident in public toilets later down the line.
- Report the incident – In some instances, it can be necessary to report the incident. For example, if you have been involved in a workplace accident you would need to report it to your employer and/or safety representative. By law, all employers must have an accident book and they will need to record the incident in this.
- Keep proof of expenses – It is vital to make sure you keep proof of expenses in order to claim for these. This can be anything from travel costs, to treatment expenses, to loss of income. You may not be able to claim for these costs as special damages if you don’t have proof.
- Contact an experienced law firm – This is something that we can help you with. We can recommend you an experienced and reputable law company that can help you to secure compensation for an accident in public toilets.
No Win No Fee Claims For Accidents In Public Toilets
We advise you to choose a No Win No Fee solicitor. By doing this, you are only going to need to pay legal fees if your case is a success. This ensures that monetary risk is diminished by a considerable degree. You would be confident that you will not experience the dreaded outcome of spending huge sums of money only for the solicitor to then lose your case. This also gives you a good chance of a successful case because the solicitor is impacted by the outcome.
How Do I Begin Claiming Compensation For An Accident In Public Toilets?
If you have the misfortune of suffering an injury because of an accident in public toilets and it was not your fault, you may be eligible for compensation. Nevertheless, in order to make your case as strong as possible when you have been Injured in a public place and help you get the compensation you deserve, you need to provide your personal injury lawyer with some key details and information. Keep on reading to find out more…
It is vital to know what your personal injury solicitor needs from you so you can give them the tools they need to have the best of chance when it comes to making sure your case for an accident in public toilets is a success. Firstly, you will need to provide the basics regarding what happened, i.e. how, when and where it happened. In addition to this, to claim for a public toilet injury you may find it easier if you have received medical attention as a result of the incident. Therefore, details regarding your diagnosis and your treatment may need to be given too. If there were any witnesses of the accident it’s wise for you to get their details and pass them on to your solicitor as well.
Aside from the points that have already been mentioned, there are additional things that could add to the value of your public liability claim. It is a good idea to keep track of the expenses you have experienced because of your toilet-related injuries. This not only includes medical expenses, but this also includes any loss of earnings you may have experienced due to the inability to work. If you can find any other documents that are relevant to your public injury claim then it is a good idea for you to give them to your solicitor.
Once you have gathered all of the information you require, the next thing you may wish to do is find the right solicitor. Luckily, this is what we can assist you with. We can help to recommend you a No Win No Fee lawyer to help you have a good chance of a successful personal injury claim. Not only do you have the added benefit of no start-up fees and no payment if your case is not a winning one, but you can also be sure you will gain from the highest quality service.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you need more information. We have also gathered some recommendation links that you may find helpful too:
References
HSE information on toilets – What HSE says about toilets.
Accidents – where could they happen – Our guide to places accidents could happen in public.
Council Accidents – Our guide to council accident claims.
Public Toilets – Government website on public toilets