A Guide To Claiming For An Accident In A Public Park

By Cat Stardew. Last Updated 7th June 2023. Welcome to our guide to making a personal injury claim for an accident in a public park. When we go to a public park, either for a run, a stroll, to watch the world go by or to simply enjoy being outdoors, we expect to do so without incident. However, accidents can happen.

If you’ve had an accident in a public park, you may be in some pain and need time to heal from your injuries. If the accident was not your fault but due to someone else’s dangerous behaviour or negligence, whether that be the local authorities or otherwise, then you may have grounds to claim for compensation.

Legal Helpline is a claims management company here to help. If you would like to know more about how to make a public liability claim, what sort of accidents are covered or even how much compensation you could receive, please take a look through our guide.

Alternatively, you can contact our specialist team of legal advisors today for advice and support with your case. They can even connect you to our panel of solicitors that can handle your claim on a No Win No Fee basis. For more information, please get in touch today:

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A Guide to Public Park Accident Claims

accident in a public park

accident in a public park

Public parks are great places to go and get fresh air – something which many of us are lacking as we spend an increasing amount of time indoors.

However, park visits are not without their risks. If you have been injured in an accident in a public park, you might be put off visiting again.

Many public parks are owned and operated by local authorities. Depending on how well they are maintained, public parks should present few risks to their users. However, this is not always the case and public park accident claims often ensue if someone can be held liable. If the local authority is found to be negligent in these cases, then it is only right that persons injured should be able to make public park accident claims.

This guide to making a claim for an accident in a public park will cover everything you need to know about taking legal action. This includes establishing liability, requirements for maintenance, common public park-related injuries and how much you could claim for one.

What is a Public Park Accident?

Public park accident claims can cover a great many different types of injuries. For example, you may:

  • Slip, trip or fall on uneven or broken paving
  • Sustain an injury on unsafe or damaged play equipment
  • Fall victim to a public park accident at work

In some cases, you may be able to make a claim for your accident in a public park. Claims could cover loss of earnings, medical costs and the traumatic experience itself.

The Council’s Responsibilities for Public Park Accidents

Regardless of where you are in Britain, any public park should be maintained to a safe standard by the local authority responsible for it. If they fail to do so and you are injured as a result, you could have cause to lodge a claim against the council for your personal injury.

The council in question should be covered by public liability insurance, meaning claims made against a local authority for play park injury claims or public park accident claims will be paid from this insurance policy.

The 6 Most Common Public Park Accidents

While there are many different causes of accidents in a public park, some more than others can make grounds for a claim. Here, we list the most common reasons that an accident in a public park claim could be made. If your accident is not on this list, you should not worry. Instead, simply call our team and we will be able to tell you if you have cause to make a public park accident claim.

  1. Poorly designed play equipment leading to play park accident compensation claims
  2. Inappropriate playground surfacing
  3. The age group of play equipment unsuitable for users
  4. Installation of play equipment not done correctly
  5. Poor maintenance of play equipment
  6. Poor maintenance of paths and other surfaces

Children’s Playground Accidents

As you can see, many claims for an accident in a public park cover play equipment, which means that you may be making a claim on behalf of a child injured at a public park. In fact, these are quite common, with ROSPA statistics revealing that approximately 40,000 children sustain play equipment injuries each year in the UK. Some common culprits of injury include:

  • Swings 40%
  • Climbers 23%
  • Slides 21%

If your child falls victim to this, it is important to remember that you do not have to wait until they reach adulthood to make a playground accident claim. An adult can claim on behalf of a child in many circumstances, up to 3 years after the date of the accident. Otherwise, a child can make a public park accident claim themselves once they reach adulthood.

If your child, or a child you are responsible for, is injured due to the poor design or maintenance of play equipment at a public park, you should explore your options for making a claim. As part of many public park accident claims involving a child, a parent can often claim for accidents in a public park leading to lost earnings while they have had to take time off to take care of a child while the child recovers.

Public Park Car Park Accidents – Can I Claim?

Car parks in public spaces are often operated by the local authority, which means there is a chance that if your accident was due to poor maintenance, you could have a public park car park accident claim.

Slip, Trip and Fall Public Park Accidents – Do I Have a Claim?

Often, claims for an accident in a public park involve a slip, trip or fall. If the incident was not your fault and the local authorities’ negligence was responsible for it, you could make a claim against them.

However, trip, slip or fall incidents in public parks are not always the fault of someone else. If, for example, you tripped on your shoelaces while jogging, you would not even think of making a claim for compensation.

On the other hand, if you trip on an object blocking a walkway unnecessarily or are injured as a result of poor maintenance, the public park’s local authority could be at fault. If so, you could be able to make public park accident claims.

To prove liability for a slip, trip or fall, one of the following conditions must be met:

  • The local authority knew about the hazard and did not do anything about it
  • The local authority created the hazard
  • The local authority should have known that the hazard existed by taking regular maintenance checks and updates

As you can see, the third option is the most difficult to prove. However, it is also the most common subject of public park accident claims. Whichever reason you suffered a slip, trip or fall in a public park, why not speak to our experts today? We will be able to advise you whether you might have a claim and how to sue the council for negligence that caused your injury.

Public Park Accident at Work Claims

If you work for the local authority, your employer, just like any other, must provide you will the relevant training to do your job safely, along with providing a safe place for you to work and the correct equipment required to do your job safely.

If for some reason this is not the case, then you would more than likely have a public park accident at work claim. Claiming against an employer can understandably be a little daunting. However, it is important to understand that you will not put your job at risk by making a claim against the local authority that has employed you. Your employer is not legally allowed to discriminate against you for taking action, and you will more than likely be making the workplace a safer place to be by making your employer aware of what’s happened and

The Health and Safety at work Regulations from 1999 state that your employer has a duty to make sure you are safe at work. This responsibility means that the employer in question should:

  • Regularly risk assess you at work, to ensure that any risk of injury is minimised
  • Train you to safely carry out your duties
  • Provide you with protective equipment where required to do your job safely

If the employer does not succeed in their duty to you to keep you safe at work, and an accident or injury ensues, then you have the right to pursue a personal injury claim for your accident in a public park.

What to do if you are injured in a public park accident?

While you might not initially think about making a compensation claim for an accident in a public park immediately after it occurs, the more evidence you have to support your claim, the more likely it will be to be successful. Evidence can be gathered in many different forms and can include:

Photographs – Wherever in the park your public park accident has taken place, make sure you get a few pictures of the scene wherever possible. In addition to this, it would be good to get someone to photograph any and all injuries you may have sustained because of the accident to help prove public park accident claims.

Witnesses – While we would never ask you to get a witness statement yourself, it is a good idea to speak to anyone who saw what happened when you had your accident. You should take down their contact details so that your solicitor can take a statement from them at a later date if it is required.

A reminder – As the human memory fades over time, it would be a good idea to note down all of the events that surround your accident. Doing so soon afterwards will ensure you have all the details, in case you forget some at a later date.

How to begin a public park accident compensation claim

If you have valid cause to claim and have already discussed your accident and injury with us, we can take your claim forward for you immediately. If not, simply call us and we will be delighted to help you.

Usually, any claim through us starts with a consultation which is similar to a fact-finding session. Our experts will ask questions about what has happened to you, and you will also be able to take this time to ask us anything you would like to learn about how the process works. After this session is over, we will be able to let you know if you have cause for a claim.

We will talk through with you the no win no fee details of your public park accident claims at this point, and you will be able to ask us anything about how this works in order that you feel completely comfortable with how it operates.

Usually, although not every claim is the same, you will then need to go to an appointment with an independent doctor, who will report on your condition and injuries as part of the medical evidence that will accompany your claim. We will happily arrange this at a time and location to suit you. In most cases, we can find a medical expert not too far from where you live.

What can I claim for after a public park accident?

When you have been in a public park accident that has caused you any kind of injury, the likelihood is that it will not have just caused you inconvenience, but pain and injury too. You may also have lost out on some of your income, particularly if you have had to take a lot of time off to get better. In extreme circumstances, you might not be able to return to your regular role, or return to work at all. All this is taken into account when calculating the type and amount of compensation for public park accident claims, which are usually broken down into the following types of award when suing the council after a fall or due to poorly maintained play equipment.

Care award – If you have suffered severe injuries, you may have required some assistance with daily tasks around the home. If so, it is likely that someone will have had to care for you. This person will be able to lodge a care claim.

Earning Loss – Earning a regular wage is vital for the smooth running of most households, and when this earning is interrupted, it can cause big problems for your finances. If someone else has caused the accident in a public park that you have been in, and you have lost some of your income because of it, you should be able to launch a public park accident claims for loss of earnings, both for what you have actually lost and what you are likely to miss out on before you return to work as normal.

Medical and Travel Expenses – When you have to travel to medical appointments, or other appointments because of your claim, you will have paid out to travel, whether it is the use of your own car and petrol or the use of public transport. These costs should be recoverable in a successful claim. In addition, prescription and other medical costs could be submitted as part of public park accident claims.

Damages (general) – You are likely to have suffered at least some pain and inconvenience due to your accident, and the amount you are awarded for this is called general damages. Someone will assess the medical evidence and make a decision on how much you should receive because of this.

Whether the expenses you have incurred are relatively small or rather large, it is important you keep as much of a record as possible in order that this evidence can be submitted as part of your claim.

How much can I claim for a public park accident?

In terms of the common payouts given for public park accident claims, council compensation payouts vary wildly, depending on the type of accident, the severity of the initial injury/injuries and the prognosis for future recovery.

Therefore, the answer to ‘how much can I claim for a public park accident?’ is not an easy one. This is why no company should promise in advance a particular amount of money that you will receive for public park accident claims.

It is true, however, that certain types of public park injury claims are often subject to common payment brackets. In the below chart, how much can be typically awarded in certain circumstances is shown. As we can not cover every injury that it is possible to receive in a public park, this is just a snapshot of what could be claimed for in public park injury claims. Therefore, if your injury is not listed, it does not mean you will not have a claim.

Alternatively, please call our experts, who will be able to furnish you will further information as to the typical amounts awarded for your specific accident in a public park.

Injury requiring compensationCommon payment bracketNotes
Shoulder injuries – Minor£4,350 to £7,890A few months’ recovery will see the lower amounts awarded, where ongoing issues that last for over a few months may see the higher payments.
Shoulder injuries – Moderate£7,890 to £12,770Injuries that lead to frozen shoulders or reduce movement in the area for a while will be in this bracket. Often, symptom will be ongoing for around 2 years.
Shoulder injuries – Serious£12,770 to £19,200Injury to the brachial plexus of the claimant or dislocation will usually be taken as serious and payment amounts will be in this bracket.
Shoulder injuries – Severe£19,200 to £48,030A certain level of permanent disability will see the higher payout amounts here. Often severe damage to the claimant’s brachial plexus will also be included.
Back injuries – Minor£7,890 to £12,510Recovery time, degree of initial injury and the prognosis for recovery will be considered before the award amount is calculated.
Back injuries - Moderate£27,760 to £38,780Often residual disability will be present, as well as damage to nerves and discs.
Back injuries – Severe£91,090 to £160,980Nerve root and spinal cause damage often sees this type of payout. Pain will be severe and often ongoing. There will also be some disability that is seen to be permanent.

No Win No Fee Public park accident claims

A No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel could represent your claim for an injury in a public park under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This contract typically means you can access their services without paying any upfront or ongoing fees. Also, if your claim fails, you won’t be charged for any work they have completed on your case.

Following the completion of a successful claim, you will pay a success fee from your compensation. However, this is deducted as a legally capped percentage.

A solicitor from our panel could help you gather evidence to support your claim, explain any areas of that claims process that are unfamiliar, and value your claim.

Our advisors can tell you if you have a valid public park accident compensation claim through a free consultation. If your claim meets the required criteria, they may connect you with a solicitor from our panel. Get in touch today to learn more.

Why choose us as your claims service for Public Park accident claims?

It can be hard to see through the marketing material to get through to the what makes a public park accident claims service better than others, but we believe what makes us a great company to work with is the fact that we will always put our clients before everything we do.

We know that the only reason you would be contacting a claims service like ours is that you have been through something that has caused you pain and injury. We keep this in mind at all times, and as previous clients of ours will attest to, we go the extra mile to make sure the strongest claim possible is put forward to gain you the compensation award that you should receive for your injuries and your experience. Not only that, but we do so with the minimum of disruption to you whilst you recover from the experience you have gone through, as well as your injuries.

In addition to this, we have many years’ worth of experience behind us, allowing us to truly know what you are looking for when you are making a claim. Whether you have a question about making a claim that cites your employer as being responsible for your accident and is worried about what this might mean for your job, or you have an injury that you’re not sure would be covered in a compensation claim, we will be able to find you the answer.

Contact us for free public park accident advice and to start a claim

Whether you were injured walking your dog in a park or suffered injuries while in the car park at a public park, and want to sue the council for injury, you are sure to have some questions about making a claim, even after reading this guide. We know that everyone’s situation is different when suing the council for damages, so there are sure to be certain details of your potential for a claim that you would like to clarify before you go ahead with a claim. Whatever these questions, we will endeavour to answer them quickly, and fully, without subjecting you to complex legal jargon.

As mentioned above, you can contact our specialist team of legal advisors today for advice and support with your case. They can even connect you to our panel of solicitors that can handle your claim on a No Win No Fee basis. For more information, please get in touch today:

  • Call 0161 696 9685
  • Chat with us using the live link on this page

Our team of experts will happily take you through any queries you have or help you take the first steps towards making your claim today. There really is no reason not to pick up the phone to call about your accident in a public park. Whatever your situation, we’re here to help.

Helpful links

Playground Health and Safety Information

This document, produced by the HSE, covers research into the benefits, risks and choices to be made when providing playground spaces for children.

ROSPA – Playground accident advice and stats

This is ROSPA’s publication that provides information on accidents on playgrounds, why they occur and what can be done to prevent them.

You can also check out some of our other public liability claims guides below:

Accident In A Public Park FAQs

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions regarding accidents in a public park. These should help clear-up anything that we may not have already covered.

Can you sue a public park?

If those in control of the public park failed to uphold their duty of care to you, they could be held liable for your subsequent injury. However, claiming against large organisations like local councils can be tricky. With this in mind, please contact our team today to see how we could help your case’s chances of success.

How long can you make a claim after an accident?

Personal injury claim limitation periods are 3 years from the date of the incident. Alternatively, in certain situations, those unable to make legal proceedings have this time limit frozen until they are able to claim. Instead, they can appoint someone to claim on their behalf—known as a litigation friend. Beware that waiting too long before claiming risks losing your eligibility for compensation.

Thank you for reading our guide to making a personal injury claim for an accident in a public park.