Injury Compensation for Falling on a Loose Pavement

I want to make a claim for injury compensation for falling on a loose pavement. What do I need to do before I submit an application for assessment to the Injuries Board?

Eoin P. Campbell, LL.B., Solicitor

Editor in Chief

Eoin P. Campbell

Before you apply for an assessment of injury compensation for falling on a loose pavement, there are important procedures which need to be completed. The first and most important thing to do after a trip and fall in the street on a loose pavement is to make sure that your injuries are properly attended to. There is no substitute for visiting a hospital or doctors surgery after a slip and fall, and failing to seek prompt medical attention can affect your right to claim injury compensation for falling on a loose pavement.

It is also important to report your accident and injuries to the local authority as, while they will be notified of your claim for injury compensation for falling on a loose pavement by the Injuries Board, they must be given the chance to take action about the hazard which caused your fall. If you slipped and fell on a loose pavement, there is a strong chance that others could suffer a similar accident and steps must be taken promptly by the local authority to address the hazard. Although you can telephone the local authority and should consider doing so, you should also submit a notification of the accident in writing and keep a copy of the letter for your own records.

If you have been able to take photographs of the hazard which caused you to slip and fall, they can be used as evidence to support your claim for injury compensation for falling on a loose pavement. If not, it will be beneficial for the strength of your claim for injury compensation for falling on a loose pavement to return to the site of the street slip and fall to ensure that the hazard is properly documented. You should take photographs of the loose paving, take measurements with a ruler of the distance the paving stone moves and using the movie feature on a digital camera you can record the movement of the loose paving stone when pressure is placed on it.

The more evidence of the hazard that you can gather the better, as this will enable the preparation of the strongest possible claim for compensation for falling on a loose pavement against the local authority. You should also take photographs of your injuries if there are visible signs such as cuts and bruises, and also keep a written record of any time you are unable to complete day-to-day activities or participate in leisure and social pursuits because of your injuries. Some injuries may not become apparent until some days after an accident, and it is important these are diagnosed and added to your medical records if they are to be included in your claim for injury compensation claim for falling on a loose pavement.

After your injuries have been assessed and treatment has started, you should contact a personal injury solicitor for an evaluation of your injury compensation claim for falling on a loose pavement. There may be other procedures which will need to be completed promptly after your accident in support of your claim It is important that you do not lose the right to claim injury compensation for falling on a loose pavement, and therefore in your best interests to speak with an experienced personal injury solicitor at the first possible opportunity.