Everyday Accidents: Who Is At Fault?

We’ve all done it – tripped up, fallen over, or been the victim of any number of other little mishaps that cause us some embarrassment, especially if it is in full view of someone else.

The first thought that generally comes to mind is that you are rather on the clumsy side and you should have been looking where you were going. But should we be so quick to put ourselves down, especially when it may not have been our fault in the first place?

It may be that your first reaction is always to blame yourself for such an occurrence – regardless of whether it happens in a public place, at work or anywhere else other than at home – but you should then take a moment to step back, assess the situation and think about what really happened.

This is what most of us don’t think to do. If we trip or lose our balance and fall over while we are out and about, our first instinct is to save face and get up and be on our way as soon as possible. This is quite understandable, especially given the fact that we are quite often surrounded by other people and we don’t want everyone else to see what has happened.

But if you do this you might end up going home with the wrong picture of what actually occurred. For example, let’s suppose you were strolling round your local shopping centre when you slipped and fell. If you got up immediately and headed for somewhere a little more private to check that you were okay, you might have missed out on spotting something important. It’s true that some people do simply slip over or have a fall for no particular reason at all, but supposing your slip was actually caused by a wet patch on the floor which should have been mopped up or a damaged section of flooring that needed repaired?

In this case the slip would not have been your fault, which is why it’s always worth taking your time before moving on after any mishap. By figuring out exactly what went wrong you will have a better idea of what to do next.

In the event that your accident wasn’t your fault you should consider consulting an injury solicitor to see whether you might have a case for claiming compensation. This is quite easy and straightforward to do, and you’ll soon know whether you have a case or not.

The best course of action is always to be careful wherever you go and whatever you may be doing, but as many people have already found out it’s not always that simple. After all, you can’t keep an eye on every inch of your surroundings at all times.

Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.