How To Make Claims Against The Council For Personal Injury

Claims against the council for personal injury can arise when a local authority fails to take reasonable steps to keep public spaces, highways or council-owned properties safe, resulting in someone suffering an injury. Councils are responsible for maintaining many public spaces and properties under their control, and when those responsibilities are not met, serious accidents and injuries can occur. If your injury was caused by poor maintenance, unsafe conditions or a failure to address known hazards, you could be entitled to claim compensation.

A successful claim could help you recover compensation for the pain and suffering your injury has caused, as well as any financial losses you have experienced, such as lost earnings, medical expenses, travel costs and the cost of any care or support you have needed during your recovery.

At Advice, our solicitors understand the evidence needed to support claims against the council for personal injury. We can help gather and assess evidence demonstrating how the accident occurred, who may be responsible and the impact your injuries have had on your daily life. Depending on the circumstances of your case, this evidence could include photographs of the accident scene, witness contact details, council incident reports, maintenance records and medical evidence relating to your injuries.

If you would like to know whether you have a valid claim against a council, our advisors are here to help. Contact Advice today for a free initial consultation and find out how our solicitors can help you to sue a council for negligence today.

• Call us on 0161 509 2856.
• You can contact us online here.
• Or, click the live chat button in the bottom corner of the screen. 

Select A Section

1. How To Make Claims Against The Council For Personal Injury
2. Examples Of Personal Injury Claims Against The Council
3. Can I Claim Compensation From The Council For All Injuries?
4. How Much Personal Injury Compensation Can I Claim From The Council?
5. Make Claims Against The Council For Personal Injury With Advice 
6. Learn More

How To Make Claims Against The Council For Personal Injury

To make claims against the council for personal injury, injured parties will need evidence showing how the accident happened, the hazard or defect that caused injuries and why the local authority may be responsible. The stronger the evidence, the easier it is to demonstrate that the council’s negligence caused your accident.

Our solicitors have experience handling council personal injury claims and understand the types of evidence that can help establish liability and strengthen a case against a local authority. Evidence that could support your claim includes:

• Photographs of the accident scene and any hazard that caused your injury.
• CCTV footage from council-owned buildings, public spaces or nearby businesses.
• Witness contact details and witness statements.
• Medical records confirming your injuries and treatment.
• Any accident report made to the council or another relevant authority.
• Records of any complaints or reports made about the hazard before the accident.
• Photographs of your injuries.
• Correspondence with the council regarding the accident or dangerous condition.

Our solicitors can help gather the evidence needed for a personal injury claim and build the strongest possible case. Contact Advice today for a free initial eligibility check and further information on how you can prove fault. 

Examples Of Personal Injury Claims Against The Council

Personal injury claims against the council can arise in many different situations. You may be able to pursue compensation if your injury was caused by a hazard that a local authority knew about, or ought reasonably to have identified and addressed. Whether an accident happens on a pavement, in a council-owned building, in public housing or at a council-run school, the key issue is whether the council failed to keep the area reasonably safe. If you have suffered injuries because of poor maintenance, unsafe conditions or a lack of repairs, our solicitors can assess whether you have grounds to make a claim.

Pavement And Pothole Injury Claims

Pavement and pothole injury claims are among the most common types of claims against the council for personal injury. Councils are responsible for maintaining many public roads and footpaths, and you could claim compensation if poor maintenance caused your injuries. 

So you could trip on a broken pavement or kerb and hit your head, or a cyclist could hit a dangerous pothole and be thrown from their bicycle. As the Highways Act 1980 imposes a requirement to maintain all parts of a roadway for which it is responsible, a council could be held liable for injuries arising from a failure to do so. 

Slips And Falls In Council-Owned Buildings

Slips and falls account for a significant proportion of accidents in the UK. With local councils being responsible for libraries, leisure centres, council offices and other premises, it is very important that they maintain these areas.

Examples of how falls could occur include:

• Not placing wet floor signs during cleaning operations or when a leak has been identified resulting in you slipping and damaging your elbow.
• Falling from a terrace in a council-owned building due to poor maintenance. 

Playground And Park Accident Claims

Public parks and playgrounds must also be adequately maintained to protect children and their parents from harm. Neglecting play equipment, surfaces and footways can potentially lead to serious playground accidents, especially if a child falls from a height.

Council Housing Injury Claims

As a landlord, a local council must keep all social housing in a good state of repair, responding promptly to all maintenance issues once reported. Examples of how injuries could occur due to housing disrepair include:

• Electric shocks from faulty wiring or appliances.
• Burns from dangerously hot water.
• Head injuries due to falling debris, such as from broken ceilings.

School Accident Claims Against The Council

School accident claims against the council can arise where unsafe conditions lead to injury. Schools should provide a safe environment for pupils and visitors, and compensation may be available if failures in maintenance or supervision contributed to an accident. This can apply to certain council-run schools where responsibility rests with the local authority.

Examples include a pupil suffering a head injury because unsecured gym equipment fell during a PE lesson. Another example is slipping on untreated ice in a school playground and sustaining a fracture, sprain or other significant injury.

These are just some examples of situations that could lead to claims against the council for personal injury. If you have suffered an injury in any situation involving a local authority, it is worth seeking legal advice, even if your accident is not specifically mentioned in this guide. Our solicitors have experience handling a wide range of council personal injury claims and can assess whether you may have grounds to pursue compensation. Speak to one of our advisors today to discuss your accident and find out how we could help you move forward with a claim.

Can I Claim Compensation From The Council For All Injuries?

You may be able to claim compensation from the council for many different types of injuries. However, the injury must have been caused by the council’s actions or failure to maintain a safe environment, and you will need evidence showing how the accident occurred and the harm you suffered. The severity of the injury can vary significantly, from relatively minor injuries that recover within a few weeks to life-changing conditions that have a long-term impact on your day-to-day life.

Examples of injuries that could form the basis of a council compensation claim include:

• Head injuries and brain damage.
• Shoulder injuries.
• Broken bones and fractures.
• Hand and wrist injuries.
• Hip injuries.
• Knee injuries.
• Ankle and foot injuries.
• Soft tissue damage.
• Facial injuries.
• Burns and scalds.
• Electric shock injuries.
• Spinal injuries.
• Psychological injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The amount of compensation available will depend on the nature of your injuries, how severe they are, the treatment required and the impact they have had on your daily life, ability to work and overall wellbeing. Speak to our advisors or read our next section to find out how value is placed on injuries. 

How Much Personal Injury Compensation Can I Claim From The Council?

You could claim thousands in personal injury compensation from the council, if not more, in the most serious cases. This compensation is generally divided into two categories:

• General damages for the pain, suffering and loss of quality of life caused by your injuries.
• Special damages for financial losses and expenses, such as lost earnings, medical expenses, travel costs, care costs and other accident-related losses.

When valuing general damages, legal professionals often refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This publication contains guideline compensation brackets for a wide range of injuries and is used by our solicitors and other legal professionals to help them value claims. These figures are intended as a guide only, as every claim is assessed on its own facts and circumstances. A relevant selection of JCG brackets has been provided below.

Compensation Amounts

Please note that the first figure was not taken from the JCG.

• Multiple Very Serious Injuries with Financial Losses for lost earnings, medical expenses and support – Up to £500,000+
• Brain Injury – Moderate (i) – £198,320 to £289,420 – Injuries involving significant intellectual impairment and no prospect of employment.
• Bowel Injury – Severe – £58,910 to £92,130 – Severe abdominal injuries causing impaired function and often requiring a temporary colostomy.
• Kidney Injury – Loss of One Kidney – £40,650 to £59,290 – Cases involving the loss of one kidney with no damage to the remaining kidney.
• Back Injury – Moderate (i) – £36,680 to £51,230 – Injuries causing persistent pain, reduced mobility and a risk of future complications.
• Neck Injury – Moderate (i) – £33,020 to £50,850 – Fractures or serious soft tissue injuries causing impaired function and ongoing symptoms.
• Ankle Injury – Moderate – £18,150 to £35,130 – Fractures or ligament injuries causing ongoing difficulty with walking or standing.
• Knee Injury – Moderate (i) – £19,610 to £34,600 – Injuries involving torn cartilage, dislocation or minor long-term instability.
• Foot Injury – Moderate – £18,150 to £33,020 – Injuries causing continuing symptoms and a risk of future osteoarthritis.
• Shoulder Injury – Serious – £16,870 to £25,370 – Injuries resulting in restricted movement, weakness and ongoing pain.

Will Claims Against The Council For Personal Injury Cover Special Damages?

Yes, claims against the council for personal injury can include special damages, which are payments for financial losses resulting from your injuries. Special damages payments cover both past and future losses, so they are often much higher than those for the injuries themselves.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to claim for:

• Loss of earnings, including loss of future earnings. 
• Medical expenses.
• Rehabilitation and treatment costs.
• Travel expenses.
• Care and assistance costs.
• Home adaptations.
• Mobility aids and equipment.
• Additional childcare costs.

To recover special damages, it is important to keep evidence such as receipts, invoices, wage slips and bank statements. Our solicitors can help calculate your losses and ensure all eligible expenses are included within your claim.

You can learn more about claiming in your own circumstances and how special damages payments may affect your claim by talking to our advisors today.

Make Claims Against The Council For Personal Injury With Advice

By choosing Advice for any claims against the council for personal injury, you are choosing to work with some highly experienced and knowledgeable legal professionals who take the time to really understand the ins and outs of your particular case. We understand the personal injury claims process can seem slightly daunting, which is why the solicitors at Advice offer end-to-end support to all eligible claimants

Why Claim Against The Council With Our Expert Solicitors

Here are just some of the services and support measures our solicitors can offer you throughout the claims process:

• Making sure you get the necessary medical care, rehabilitation and other support you need to cope with and recover from your injuries.
• Communicating with the council’s solicitors and keeping you informed of the claim’s progress.
• Determining a fair compensation figure that reflects the severity of your injuries and the impacts they have had.
• Gathering supporting evidence such as requesting CCTV from council-controlled spaces, arranging site photographs and interviewing witnesses.
• Negotiating with the council on your behalf to reach a fair settlement. 

No Win No Fee Personal Injury Claims Against The Council

Our solicitors work to clear No Win No Fee terms, offering all eligible claimants representation under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). A CFA protects the claimant from having to pay any solicitor service fees at the start of or during the claims process. Since the CFA is a No Win No Fee contract, you won’t be charged any service fee if the claim is lost either.

In the event your claim against the council is won, your solicitor will take a success fee from your compensation. As The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 limits this fee to 25%, most of the compensation will be yours to keep. 

Contact Advice Today

You can reach our specialist advisory team via any of the contact details given here:

• Call us on 0161 509 2856.
• You can contact us online here.
• Or, click the live chat button in the bottom corner of the screen. 

Learn More

View some of our other personal injury claims guides:

• Read our guidance on leisure centre accident claims here.
• Learn all you need to know about claiming personal injury compensation in a variety of circumstances.
• Find out how many personal injury claims go to court and how Advice can support you throughout the trial.

These external resources have further information, which we hope is useful to you:

• Read the health and safety basics for leisure activities from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
• See the top tips for making a complaint to a local authority from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
• The NHS 111 service provides non-emergency advice, guidance and answers to your questions.

Thank you for reading our guide on how to make claims against the council for personal injuries.