Personal injury advice from
Thompsons Solicitors
Injuries Caused by Dangerous Accommodation
If you or a member of your family has suffered a personal injury because of housing disrepair or a hazard in your accommodation, you may be entitled to compensation.
At The Legal Line our personal injury lawyers have a wealth of experience in recovering compensation for victims of accidents caused by dangerous accommodation and we can provide you with expert advice. Contact us on 0800 0328511, or by completing a claim enquiry form online.
Accidents in the Home
Injuries Caused by Dangerous Accommodation
Landlord Negligence
Housing Disrepair Injury Claims
Personal Injury Compensation
Expert Legal Advice
Accidents in the Home
Accidents in the home are a leading cause of personal injury in both adults and children. In most cases accidents at home are simply unfortunate mishaps that could not be prevented, however some accidents are caused by negligence and could be avoided.
Anyone responsible for the maintenance of a property (usually the owner, landlord, housing association or council) should ensure that it is in a safe condition for residents and visitors.
Contractors who carry out work at people’s homes also have to complete their work to a safe standard and make residents aware of any hazards whilst the work is in progress.
If you suffer a personal injury because of a hazard in your home, and that hazard was present because of someone else’s negligence, a compensation claim may be possible. This would also apply if you were involved in an accident whilst visiting someone else’s home.
Injuries Caused by Dangerous Accommodation
Some of the more common accidents and injuries that can be caused by unsafe accommodation include:
• Falls – for example due to tripping accidents on damaged flooring.
• Carbon monoxide poisoning – carbon monoxide poisoning is often caused by badly installed or maintained heaters or boilers.
• Slips – often caused by leaking pipes or appliances.
• Respiratory illnesses – such as asthma, which can be caused by damp or mould.
• Fires – burn injuries can be caused by fires originating from faulty wiring or appliances.
• Electric Shocks – electric shocks can also occur if wiring or appliances are sub-standard.
• Injuries caused by falling objects – such as tiles falling from a badly maintained roof or a door falling from a faulty kitchen cupboard.
• Lacerations – nasty wounds can be caused by dangerously sharp objects, for example damaged and poorly constructed fixtures or protruding nails.
Landlord Negligence
Both private landlords and housing authorities have a duty to ensure that the accommodation and facilities supplied for their tenants are safe and fit for purpose.
Measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of personal injury to residents include:
• Buildings must be structurally sound.
• Wiring and plumbing must be safely installed and maintained.
• Appliances supplied to tenants must be up to current safety standards and in safe working order.
• Flooring, floor coverings and outdoor spaces (such as driveways and yards) should be well maintained and free from tripping hazards. A landlord will generally not be liable, however, until the tenant has reported an internal hazard or defect to him and he has failed to repair it within a reasonable time.
• Problems such as water damage, damp or mould must be addressed within a reasonable time if they occur and have been reported to the landlord.
If your landlord fails to provide you with safe accommodation and you are injured as a result, you could be in a position to pursue an injury claim.
The same would apply to accommodation provided by an employer, for example if you work offshore, you live at your workplace, or you work overnight shifts and are provided with living quarters.
Housing Disrepair Injury Claims
In any case for a personal injury caused by housing disrepair, it is important to keep a record of as much information and evidence as possible. This could include photographs, records of correspondence and calls between you and your landlord, receipts, details of medical treatment and a record of any injury-related expenses.
It is important to seek legal advice if you feel that you may be entitled to make a personal injury claim. Your solicitor will be able to advise you on the best way to pursue your claim. In every case, medical evidence will be required, and it is necessary to show that the person you are making a claim against owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty of care (were negligent), and that the injury you sustained was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of that negligence.
Your lawyer will be able to collate all of the evidence and advise you on the best way in which to pursue your claim.
Personal Injury Compensation
There are two elements to a compensation award. The first, called general damages, is for the pain and suffering you have gone through and any loss of amenity (perhaps an inability to wash your car, look after your garden, walk the dog). The award for loss of amenity can be for a short period after an accident or for ever if that is what the medical evidence supports.
The second element of a compensation award, for your losses and expenses, is known as special damages and aims to put you back in a position financially as if the accident had never occurred. It is important to keep receipts for any expenditure you have related to the accident so that these can be reclaimed.
In serious cases, where a person may no longer be able to continue their employment, this can be taken into account. Costs for care, equipment, transport and housing modifications can also be factored into the calculations.
If a person is fatally injured, a dependent relative such as a widow and children may be able to claim a statutory sum for their bereavement and funeral expenses, but also sums for the loss of income and contribution to the household in the form of future losses
Expert Legal Advice
If you or a member of your family has suffered a personal injury due to an accident caused by housing disrepair or landlord negligence, you may be entitled to pursue an injury claim.
Contact us on 0800 0328511, or by completing a claim enquiry form online, for cost-free, confidential accident claim advice.
For details of some of the claims we have fought and won for victims of accidents caused by dangerous accommodation, and articles about issues relating to this, visit our personal injury news and client stories sections or follow the links below:
Compensation for Accident on Private Property
Personal Injury Caused by Hole on Council Property
Housing Charity Calls for Measures to Tackle Dangerous Rental Properties
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