Accidents in the Home; Can You Make a Claim?

As working from home becomes more prevalent, the chances of an accident in that environment inevitably increase.

A social side-effect of the Covid-19 pandemic has seen millions of people previously working in an office restricted to working from home. This is beginning to ease, however many companies are keen to turn this temporary change into a more permanent solution.

But can you make a claim as a result of an accident at home? This article aims to answer that question. 

Can I make a claim for an accident at home?

Your eligibility in relation to making a claim for an accident at home depends on a number of factors, including the ownership status of your property. Primarily, there are properties owned by the people living in them, rented accommodation and local housing authority properties.

If you own your property, outright or are making mortgage payments, there are a limited number of options available to you; if the property is rented from a landlord or you are living in local housing authority accommodation, the situation is slightly different as there are legal expectations of those who own the property in relation to maintenance and safety.

Am I eligible?

It must be a non-fault accident, with the liability accepted by the at-fault party, and you need to be 18 or over when the accident took place (exceptional circumstances apply to those under 18 when the accident occurred, with their statutory time limit starting from the moment they turn 18).

The accident must have occurred in the home or on the land owned which forms part of the property. The accident in question must have taken place within the last three years.

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Different accident types

Going about your day-to-day life can expose you to unknown, and unnoticed, risks which can cause accidents. These include slips, trips and falls, electrocution as a result of a faulty product or wiring, or burn injuries.

If you are in rented or local housing authority accommodation, you may be eligible to claim if you have suffered as a result of:

• Slips, trips or falls – If a surface is uneven or not secure and you were to suffer an injury following a trip, slip or fall, then you could claim against your landlord for the failure to maintain the property.
• Electrocution – You may have been injured as a result of faulty wiring in a plug socket resulting in electrocution. It is the responsibility of the landlord, or owner of the property, to ensure any issues with wiring are addressed quickly. If they aren’t and injury is sustained as a result, you could make a claim for personal injury and any losses due to being off work as a consequence.
• Burn injuries – An example of this is if the heating system delivers water that is far too hot and causes scalding hot water to come out of the hot water tap; that injury is because of a faulty system, with the landlord and the installers of the system potentially liable.

Most of these scenarios are specifically applicable to rented/local housing authority accommodation, but if your accident was the result of faulty installation, you can still make a claim if you are a property owner as you would be claiming against the company who installed the accident-causing system.

How Can I Make a Claim?

Making a claim, utilising the expertise and guidance of the Winns team, is easy. You can contact us through a number of methods including a direct call or a call back request for a time to suit you. Alternatively, Live Chat is available throughout our website (7am - 7pm seven days a week).

Once you have contacted our team, they will discuss the details of your claim, the context of the accident and answer any questions you may have before explaining clearly, and concisely, the next steps of the process.

Why choose Winns?

Winn Solicitors has extensive experience in dealing with claims of this nature and a knowledgeable team who are well versed in the processes and procedures involved.

We can arrange many aspects of your claim simultaneously, taking away the stress and hassle which you may endure contacting multiple companies. Our expert team will guide you through every step of the claims process and fight your corner to help achieve your desired outcome.

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