Accidents in Homes
posted on 14 December 2011 | posted in
Uncategorised
We all know that most accidents happen in the home. However, can we claim compensation if we get injured in a home, either ours or someone else's?
The answer to this is really that it depends on the nature of the accident. If you are injured by faulty equipment then you could make a claim against the manufacturer or retailer of the equipment. If the house is not well built and causes an injury then yo could claim against the builder, if it is a new house, the council if it belongs to them or the owner. House owners tend to have some liability insurance cover within their house insurance and so they may be able to pay you that way, however it could cause bad feelings between neighbours, friends and family if you did do that.
Sometimes you have to look beyond the claim and think about those involved. If they have insurance, you may feel it doesn't matter as it is not like they are paying. But it will mean that there insurance premium will go up as a result. It could also make them feel bad towards you for doing it and you have to decide whether it is worth spoiling a relationship just to get some money. Perhaps discuss it with them first.
When a injury claim involves suing a stranger things are not so bad, but if it is someone you know, then it can make things a lot more complicated, especially if you would like to keep on having a good relationship with them afterwards. Things are likely to be less difficult if they are not actually the owners of the property but they may still not like you making a claim. It can be a very delicate matter to sort out.
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