Every single day people suffer preventable accidents that isn’t their fault and these unfortunate accidents are happening in all sorts of different situations. Many of these personal injury victims go on to make personal injury claims against a negligent party, with compensation payouts typically awarded based on total loss of earnings now and in the future, as well as their need for care and rehabilitation and any damage that may have occurred to their personal property. 

Personal injury claimants are able to file a claim up to three years from the date they first realised they had suffered an injury, so it’s well worth exploring a claim if you feel you have suffered an accident in the past three years that was not your fault.

The majority of personal injury claims are made on a no win no fee basis - a term most people have no doubt heard before. This simply means that should a victim make a claim, they will only pay fees to their legal representatives if they successfully win compensation.

So, what are some of the most common personal injury claims that are made in the UK?

Three of the most common claims are listed here below.

1. Road traffic accidents

Road traffic accidents, commonly referred to as RTA’s, account for a substantial proportion of all personal injury claims made in the UK each year. Claimants could be vehicle drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, cyclists or pedestrians, and all may be entitled to compensation if they are injured through an accident caused on the road. 

RTA’s take place for a variety of different reasons, including:

• _{Collisions from rear end crashes, lane changes, overtaking, junctions and roundabouts etc.}
• _Speeding
• _{Drink and/or drug driving}
• _{Reckless driving}
• _{Vehicles failing to indicate}
• _{Lack of awareness while reversing}
• _{Hit and run cases}

The injuries that are caused from RTA’s range from minor sprains and whiplash, to more serious injuries such as broken bones, and in the most unfortunate situations and high impact collisions they often lead to death.

2. Accidents in the workplace

Employer’s have a legal duty to offer adequate protection to their employees from harm and hazards that could occur in the workplace. Most of us should be familiar with strict health and safety protocol that our employers have in place - and if you’re not familiar, you should perhaps discuss what measures are in place with your employers to ensure you’re aware of their stance on employee health and safety. With that said, accidents in the workplace do still occur on a very regular basis. These accidents are sometimes down to the fault of the employee, such as accidents that occur through simply acting irresponsibly, but many are also preventable accidents could be blamed on the negligence of an employer.

The most common workplace accidents occur from:

• _{Slips and trips on wet floors and uneven surfaces, or from exposed cables etc.}
• _{Insufficient training being provided to employees}
• _{Manual handling injuries without the correct supportive equipment}
• _{Lack of regular and correct maintenance to machinery}
• _{Dangerous workplace practices and procedures}
• _{Exposure to dangerous chemicals and substances}

3. Accidents in public or on private property

Accidents that take place in public or on private property are known as Public Liability claims, and these most often occur through slips and trips caused by unsafe pavements, roads or flooring or through accidents that are caused from facilities that prove to be unsafe for use. The responsibility for the correct maintenance of these surfaces and facilities rest with the local council or private business, and they should be regularly reviewing the health and safety protocol across their premises.

Accidents in public places or on private property tend to occur when:

• _{Hazard signs are not property displayed, such as wet floor signs}
• _{There is poor lighting in the area}
• _{Floors are uneven or unstable, including potholes on roads}
• _{Unexpected obstacles obstruct walkways}

The majority of these accidents happen in supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, leisure facilities and on public roads or pavements.

Here at Fonseca Law, we have a dedicated team of legal experts ready to help you through the process of making a personal injury claim. So, if you feel you have a case, or would simply like to discuss your situation for our professional opinion, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. You can contact 01495 303124, e-mail enquiries@fonsecalaw.co.uk or complete our online contact form.