SLIPS, TRIPS AND FALLS BY FAR THE MAIN CAUSE OF PUBLIC LIABILITY
According to figures released by the Injuries Board (July 2014), slips, trips and falls were by far the main cause of public liability accidents, with compensation totalling €44m awarded in 2013. Over 1,700 public liability awards were made during 2013.
The average public liability award rose year on year by almost 11% to €25,120. In addition, over a two year period, the number of awards of over €100,000 increased from 2 in 2011 to 18 in 2013. Over 40 awards were made for accidents which occurred in supermarkets, including injuries from trolleys and baskets, while almost 100 accidents occurred in leisure type facilities such as sports clubs/gyms, cinemas and hairdressers.
Patricia Byron, Chief Executive of the Injuries Board said “We can see again from the findings that slips, trips and falls remain the main cause of public liability accidents, with very few complex, high value claims. I encourage all those with responsibility for public areas to invest in basic prevention. On the basis of our claims analysis, it is clear that by simply maintaining public pathways/floor surfaces and by carefully securing loose goods, furniture etc. many of these claims could be avoided or minimized. Prevention must become the key.”
- The average award for a public liability claim was €25,120. The average award for men was €25,664, while women received an average award of €24,902
- Slips, trips and falls were the most common accident type, accounting for 67% of total public liability awards.
Basic prevention is key in reducing your liability. Contact us today and we can advise you on fixed entrance matting to increase your level of threshold safety. 01 803 50
Author
Richard Mayne