How much compensation for falling on uneven ground in parking lot in my local shopping centre can I get if it caused me to break two fingers?
How much compensation for falling on uneven ground in parking lot you are entitled to receive is going to be dependent on a number of factors. Although a shopping centre has a duty of care when it comes to maintaining a safe parking lot that is free of hazard for all its customers, they may not be legally liable for the injury you have sustained if the uneven ground in the parking lot is only a very recent occurrence. This is because they will not have had a reasonable amount of time to discover and remedy the ground defect; therefore they would not be considered the negligent party in your parking lot injury compensation claim. Also, if the uneven ground was well signposted and you sustained injury nonetheless, contributory negligence could be an issue and your claim for injury from falling when the ground was uneven will be reduced accordingly to reflect your lack of care. If it can be established that the uneven ground was there beyond a reasonable length of time without the shopping centre addressing it then it is likely that you will have a viable claim.
There are a number of things you can do to strengthen your claim for falling on uneven ground in a parking lot. You should try to return to the area of the parking lot where the uneven ground is located and measure and photograph it. Generally, a claim would only be made if the ground defect measured over three quarters of an inch. You should try to speak with the shopping centre staff, parking lot employees or anyone else who would regularly visit the parking lot and ask them if they had noticed the uneven ground before and how long it had been there for. If you have not already you should write an account of the accident in the shopping centre’s “Accident Report Book”. Try to be as comprehensive as possible and include witness statements from anyone who was around when you sustained the injury from falling when ground was uneven. Retain a copy afterwards. If there are any CCTV cameras in the vicinity you should request access to any that may have recorded your accident occurring.
This is all general advice regarding your possible claim for parking lot injury compensation and it is by no means an alternative to the advice a personal injury claims lawyer with knowledge of the particular circumstances of your accident and broken fingers injury will be able to provide. It is in your best interest to contact one as soon as it is convenient. They will be able to evaluate your claim based on the evidence you can provide, your age, sex, general state of health prior to the accident and the affect it has had on your life subsequently. If they consider your claim to have a sufficient chance of success they may offer to represent you in your claim for falling on uneven ground in a parking lot.