Millner and Knights public liability lawyers acting in Melbourne and throughout Victoria handle all matters according to our risk-free fees policy.
Our public liability lawyers are here to help
Millner and Knights panel of Melbourne based public liability lawyers can quickly assess your eligibility for claiming compensation if you were injured in a public place. To get things moving we recommend calling our Melbourne office on 03 8804 5769 to have your case assessed by one of our specialists.
If your case has merit, they will discuss their no win no fee terms and conditions with you and also let you know what’s achievable in terms of a payout. It’s then left up to you to decide whether or not you wish to commence legal proceedings with us or not. Please rest assured that our advice is free and impartial and we will never press you into moving forward or signing any paperwork.
Please note that strict time limits apply in the state on Victoria so it’s important to seek legal counsel as soon as practically possible to ensure you’re not affected by any statute of limitation acts.
What is public liability?
In loose terms, a public liability claim describes the legal process of recovering monetary compensation for injury or loss resulting from a business or individuals negligent act (commission) or failure to act (omission). Public liability in Melbourne and Victoria fall under the Wrongs Act of 1958.
Common types of public liability in NSW
Common types of cases handled by our public liability lawyers in Melbourne include faulty and defective products, slips and trips, sexual abuse, food poisoning, physical assaults, dog bites and injuries resulting from accidents in any of the following places including but not excluding:
- Shops, supermarkets and shopping complexes
- train and bus stations, garages, car parks, petrol stations and taxi ranks
- overseas and domestic holidays
- Fitness centres, gymnasiums, and swimming pools
- Poorly maintained roads, pavements, footpaths, and unsafe road works
- Theme parks or amusement centres
- Construction and building sites
- schools, colleges, TAFEs and universities
- bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes and pubs
- Movie theatres, gymnasiums, and outdoor sporting venues
Preparing for a public injury claim
After being injured in public it’s critical to obtain as much evidence as you can to support your case. If you haven’t already done so you should follow the steps we have listed below as soon as practically possible:
- Seek medical attention from your GP or hospital
- report the incident to the owner of the property, or in the case of commercial premises such as a shop, report it to one of their employees
- if you failed to report it at the time of the accident, report it immediately, in as much detail as possible
- ensure that the accident is logged in the company’s OH&S logs
- take names and addresses or contact details of any witnesses
- take photographic or video evidence of the accident scene
- measure any defect that caused the accident, for example, a raised curb or a damaged footpath.
Post-accident, if you require ongoing medical treatment such as physiotherapy it’s important to take note of that too.
