MG Legal’s expert personal injury solicitors are known for detailed knowledge and experience of personal injury claims, with a track record for success in securing compensation of more than 99% of our clients. If you have been injured, then contact our experts here, for a no nonsense discussion about how we are going to progress your claim, on a no win no fee basis. 

The vast majority of pavement or road is the responsibility of someone to ensure it is safe for people to use when going about their daily business. Almost always, the responsible organisation will be the national or local authority, often the Highways Agency, County or Borough Council. It is also possible that the land is privately owned; however, if you are entitled to be on that pavement or road when you sustained a personal injury, you can make a claim for personal injury compensation. There are certain criteria to fulfil in order to make a claim, particularly where tripping or falling incidents are concerned and MG Legal’s specialist pavement and road personal injury solicitors can help you to make your claim and to ensure you have the maximum chance of success. 

The most common type of incident leading to personal injury is a tripping or falling incident because of a defect in the pavement or road. Most usually these are caused by potholes, raised paving stones or kerb stones or missing stones and slightly less common, tree roots and obstructions or holes which are either not meant to be there or are meant to be there but are not properly marked or guarded. Other types of incident can occur when you are driving a car or riding a motorbike or pushbike. These include damage and injury from hitting or riding into potholes, poorly positioned, damaged or obscured road signs or markings, worn or damages road surfaces and inadequate or blocked drainage leading to skidding. As with every aspect of your life, it is not possible to list all the possibilities and so, if you have suffered a personal injury that you believe was due to a defective pavement or road, get in touch with MG Legal and let our expert pavement and road personal injury solicitors tell you how you can make a claim. 

Usually, the claim will be brought by your specialist defective pavement and road personal injury solicitor under the Highways Act 1980. The organisation responsible for the maintenance of the pavement or road is legally obliged to carry out regular inspections and to repair any defects within a reasonable time frame. The frequency of the inspections depends upon the type of pavement or road; a busy city centre thoroughfare seeing thousands of people per day will require more frequent inspections than a quiet village side-street. A defect has, over time, become fairly consistently acknowledged as having certain dimensions. If it is on a pavement or footpath, if the pothole, lip or stone is more than one inch (2.5cm, or the height of a 50 pence piece) then it is considered to be a defect and it will need repairing. On a road, because it is primarily considered a place for motor vehicles, something is not considered a defect until it is over 1.6 inches deep/high (4.0 cm or two penny pieces). If the cause of the accident which led to your personal injury is above this threshold and the organisation with responsibility for maintenance cannot show they have a good, effective system of inspection and repair, you will be able to claim personal injury compensation. MG Legal’s specialist personal injury solicitors are well versed in reviewing inspection records and identifying any flaws in the system, to ensure our clients receive the compensation they deserve. 

As most people are walking when they have this type of incident, with the majority of the remainder being cyclist, the most commonly seen injuries in pavement and road claims are: 

 

Whatever the injuries you have suffered, MG Legal’s expert team will find the correct medical expert(s) to properly assess and detail your claim. Assessment of injuries is a vital part of any personal injury claim as it is the expert medical evidence which allows our personal injury solicitors to argue for the maximum award for your claim as well as evidencing any other losses such as further medical treatment, time required off work and potential future impact of the injuries. 

Subject to the Limitation Act 1980, if you have been injured as a result an incident involving a defective pavement or road, you have three years to pursue a claim for personal injury. There are exceptions, for those under 18 years old at time of the injury, in that minors have three years from their 18th birthday within which to make a personal injury claim. Time limits may differ if you are acting on behalf of someone with limited mental capacity, if you are acting as guardian or subject a lasting power of attorney. If you have any questions or queries, then please do not hesitate to contact one of MG Legal’s personal injury experts, here. 

MG Legal are specialists in personal injury, and injuries for accidents involving defective pavements and roads. We are ‘hands on’ and like to visit the incident site in person if possible, ensuring that we can put forward each client’s claim with confidence having seen the cause of it personally. Our expert solicitors accept all personal injury claims, on a no-win no fee basis, and we have a success rate for obtaining personal injury compensation for our clients, in excess of 99%.