What is a Accidents in Public Claim?
Public liability claims cover injuries in shops, restaurants, public footpaths, sports venues, hotels, and any place open to the public. The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1995 sets out the duties owed to visitors, recreational users, and trespassers in Ireland. Claims typically involve slips and trips, falling objects, defective surfaces, and failures to warn of known hazards.
Am I Entitled to Claim?
You can claim if the occupier or business knew or should have known about a hazard and failed to deal with it in a reasonable way. The hazard does not need to be unusual: even a wet floor in a supermarket can found a claim if there was no warning and no recent inspection. The two-year limitation applies, though council claims have specific statutory notice requirements.
Step-by-Step Process
Report on the Day
Complete the occupier’s accident book or report form. Keep a copy.
Photograph Everything
The hazard, the location, and your injuries. This evidence is often irreplaceable later.
Medical Care
Attend A&E or your GP. Document all symptoms, including delayed-onset pain.
Witnesses
Get names and numbers of anyone who saw the incident or the hazard beforehand.
Contact Keans
Free consultation. We request CCTV preservation within days of instruction.
Claim Resolution
Through IRB for most cases. Council claims require specific statutory notice.
Evidence That Strengthens Your Claim
The stronger the evidence, the more straightforward the claim. Where possible, gather the following:
- Photos of the hazard, surface, or defect that caused the accident
- The incident report you filed with staff at the location
- Names and contact details of any witnesses
- CCTV footage request made in writing within days of the accident
- Weather records if weather was a factor
- Medical records from A&E, your GP, and follow-up specialists
- Receipts for any out-of-pocket costs including damaged clothing
Compensation Ranges
Based on the Judicial Council’s Personal Injury Guidelines 2021. Awards may also include special damages for lost earnings, medical costs, and future care needs. Exact value depends on your specific injury.
Frequently Asked Questions
Maybe. The presence of a sign is evidence the occupier knew about the hazard. The legal question is whether it was reasonably placed, visible, and adequate. A sign behind a stack of boxes or added after the spill may not discharge the duty.
Usually the local authority for public footpaths, but sometimes the adjoining shopkeeper where they have made changes to the surface. We identify the correct respondent and serve statutory notice where needed.
We formally request CCTV, till receipts, and other records showing you were a customer. Most public liability denials of attendance collapse quickly when we demand documented evidence.
The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1995 reduces but does not eliminate duties to trespassers. The occupier must not act recklessly or set deliberate traps. Cases involving trespassers are harder but not impossible. We assess carefully at consultation.
Two years from the date of the accident or the date you first became aware of the injury. Miss it and your claim is statute barred, so contact a solicitor early.
No. The initial consultation at Keans is free. For personal injury cases we discuss all fees in writing before work begins. In contentious business, Irish law prevents solicitors from calculating fees as a percentage of your award or settlement.
Specific Claim Types
Explore the specific claim type most relevant to your situation.
Supermarket Accident Claims
Slips on spillages, falls from stock, and trolley injuries.
Read more →Slip and Fall Claims
Wet floors, uneven surfaces, and seasonal hazards.
Read more →Council Footpath Claims
Trips on defective paving managed by the local authority.
Read more →Pub and Bar Accidents
Injuries at licensed premises, including staff-caused incidents.
Read more →