Introduction to Pub Accident Compensation
Pub accident compensation claims are frequently either settled quickly and quietly because of the potential damage that can be done to a publican´s trade if he is seen to be at fault for an injury that has been sustained or prolonged and difficult when the consumption of alcohol has blurred the memories of possible witnesses. In order to ensure that you receive a satisfactory conclusion to a pub accident claim for compensation in both scenarios, it is in your best interests to engage the services of an experienced Irish solicitor.
It is not only customers of a pub who can sustain an injury in a pub accident. Staff behind the counter and in the kitchens also encounter plenty of hazards which can cause them to be hurt in a pub accident and, again, where the pub accident injury is due to the negligence of the pub manager or owner, they are equally entitled to make a pub accident compensation claim.
Typical Pub Accident Injuries
In an environment in which the focus is often the consumption of alcohol, the potential for a pub accident is vast. It is not uncommon to spill a drink on the way back to your table from the bar, particularly if the pub is busy, and consequently easy for somebody to slip on the spillage and sustain an injury. In pubs in which food is served, the same risks of injury apply if any food spillage is not cleared away quickly and, at times when the pub trade is declining due to the ban on smoking, furnishings are not being replaced so often and could collapse under your weight.
These types of physical accidents can result in broken bones, torn ligaments and neurological injuries if you hit your head during a fall, but there is also the risk of food poisoning and criminal injury if you are involved in a fracas. A pub owner or manager has a responsibility to provide a safe environment for you to enjoy your evening out, and where he fails to do so and you sustain an injury as a result, you are entitled to make a claim for pub accident compensation.
What to do after a Pub Accident Injury
Irrespective of the nature of your injury, your first priority after a pub accident should be that of your health. It is inevitable that there will be witnesses to your accident – quite possibly who you know well and will support your pub accident compensation claim – so ask them if possible to take photographs of the scene of the accident while you seek professional medical attention at the accident and emergency department of the local hospital. Please note that any first aid that is applied at the pub will not be recorded on your medical notes and you need a qualified doctor to verify your injury when you submit an application for assessment of your claim for pub accident compensation to the Injuries Board Ireland.
In the event that a food poisoning injury develops several days after eating contaminated food at the pub, you should inform your local environmental health office who will carry out an investigation to confirm the source of the food poisoning. This is an essential step if you want to make a claim for pub accident compensation due to food poisoning, as is helping the police with their investigation if you have been injured in a pub due to criminal injury. In the latter instance, it is recommended to have a pub accident compensation solicitor in attendance during any police interviews.
Pub Accident Compensation Solicitors
A pub accident compensation solicitor is a personal injury solicitor who has experience of dealing with injuries that are sustained in pub accidents and handling pub accident compensation claims on your behalf. A pub accident claim for compensation is usually settled by the publican´s public liability insurance company, who may often make an approach to your soon after your injury with an offer of pub accident compensation. Even though your claim for pub accident compensation may still be being assessed by the Injuries Board Ireland, you can accept an offer of pub accident compensation from an insurance company – but should only do so once it has been checked by a pub accident compensation solicitor.
An experienced pub accident compensation solicitor will know exactly how much your specific type of injury is “worth” and combine that with the other elements that make up a pub accident compensation claim – potential loss of earnings, out of pocket expenses, possible post traumatic stress disorder and other psychological injury. It is the solicitor´s job to prepare the strongest possible pub accident claim on your behalf and negotiate a fair and adequate pub accident compensation settlement if an offer is forthcoming.
Therefore, if you have been injured in a pub accident for which you were not wholly to blame, or work in a pub in which you have sustained an injury due to the negligence of your employer, you should speak directly with an experienced Irish pub accident compensation solicitor, discuss the circumstances surrounding your pub accident and establish whether you have a pub accident compensation claim is worth your while to pursue.