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Public Liability
Lawyers

We help you through the Public Liability claims process, helping you get the compensation you deserve.

Injured through no fault of your own in public?

If you have been injured and if there was negligence on the part of someone else for your injury, you may be entitled to compensation.

Zaparas Lawyers understands that making a Public Liability claim can be a daunting process, our dedicated team of lawyers are happy to assist you in not only reporting the accident but also helping you with your claim.

We’re here to help

Tell us a little bit about your situation and our friendly team will be in touch.

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What are Public Liability claims?

Public Liability claims cover a range of situations where a person has been injured due to the fault of someone else. (Insert link “what is a public liability claim” blog)

Individuals and businesses alike all have a duty to take care of the safety of others. In a public liability claim, you will need to prove that your injury suffered was caused by a breach in the duty of care owed to you.

What do I do if I’ve been injured in a public place?

Seek medical assistance

Consult your Doctor/Allied Health Professional to assess your injury and seek appropriate treatment. It is important to tell them how you sustained your injury.

Take photographs of the area and speak to witnesses

If possible, take pictures of any relevant details of the area in which the incident took place (spilled liquids, tripping hazards etc). If there were any witnesses to your incident, be sure to ask what they saw and obtain their contact details.

Additionally, make a record of the time, date and location the incident occurred.

Report the incident

It is important to report your injury to the relevant people/business who caused or contributed to your injury. Inform them of the time, date, location and cause of your incident.

You have three years from the date of your incident or injury to make a claim. Contact us immediately if you are approaching the three-year time limit (or if this period has expired).

Lodge claim – Contact Zaparas Lawyers

Zaparas lawyers can help assist you in lodging your claim. Having an experienced Public Liability lawyer present during this process can help ensure you maximize your entitlements. Call us today to set up a free consultation 8527 0200.


  • Slips and trips in supermarkets, shopping centres,
    private businesses, aquatic centres, and sporting arenas
  • Injuries on council property, including footpaths,
    parks, and schoolyards
  • Injuries on private property, including rental
    properties
  • Dog attacks
  • Boat and watersport accidents
  • Sporting injuries
  • Bicycle accidents (not involving a motor vehicle)
  • Physical assaults
  • Theme park and activity park injury claims


What entitlements are available through a Public Liability claim?

Medical and like expenses

Payments for lost income and compensation for loss of future earnings if you are:

  • Unable to work
  • Can only work modified duties
  • Medical treatment and expenses that are related to your injuries including:
  • GP appointments
  • Hospital expenses
  • Rehabilitation expenses including Physiotherapy and other allied health services
  • Psychological/Psychiatric therapy
  • Medication expenses
  • Personal and home help services
  • Occupational rehabilitation services
  • Radiology scans and other investigations
  • Surgery

Travel expenses related to your injuries

Domestic and personal care assistance required as a result of your injuries.

Compensation for pain and suffering, as well as loss of enjoyment of life caused by physical injury, psychological injury, or both.

In most cases, to bring a claim for pain and suffering in public liability matters, the Wrongs Act 1958 requires claimants to satisfy a threshold of either:

  • Greater than 5% whole person impairment for physical injuries (other than psychiatric injury or spinal injury); In the case of spinal injury, impairment of 5% or more; or
  • In the case of psychiatric injury, impairment of 10% or more.
  • It is important to seek advice to ensure that you are accessing all your entitlements. An obligation-free consultation with one of our Public Liability claim lawyers at Zaparas will help you identify your eligibility.

• You have three years from the date of your incident or injury, in which to make a common law claim.

This can be subject to limited exceptions, contact us immediately if you are approaching the three-year time limit or if this limitation period has expired.

Subject to limited exceptions, you have three years from the date of your incident or injury, in which to make a common law claim. Contact us immediately if you are approaching the three-year time limit or if this limitation period has expired.


Obligation-free
appointments

We get to know your story and understand your circumstances.

Home or hospital
appointments

If you can’t come to us, we can come to you.

Case
management

We advocate for your rights and manage discussions with the insurance companies.

Keep you
updated

Our team will regularly update you about the progress of your claim.

No Win,
No Fee

If you don’t win, you don’t pay.

Why choose Zaparas Lawyers for Public Liability Claims?

Zaparas Lawyers understands that this can be quite a daunting process, we are happy to assist you in reporting the accident and are here every step of the way.

Our dedicated Public Liability lawyers can guide you through the process and help make a claim for a benefit at a time you need it most. We have offices all over Melbourne with a dedicated team stationed at each location. You can find us in



Every claim is important to us. Our dedicated team of Public Liability specialists will approach your claim with skill, knowledge, and care. Your file will be conducted by a lawyer who specialises and has experience in the area of public liability claims. We will be able to maximise the benefits you receive, giving you and your family peace of mind.

Still unsure whether your situation requires a lawyer? We’ve created an article detailing the primary 3 reasons what a lawyer can help you with, with case studies to help you decide if this is right for you here.

Our unique combination of compassion and legal excellence has led to an extremely high success rate for our clients.

Contact us today for a free, no-obligation appointment.


Award-winning law firm multiple years in a row.

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FAQs

What are some examples of public liability claims?

Examples of successful public liability claims won by Zaparas Lawyers include slips and trips in supermarkets, shopping centres, private businesses, aquatic centres and sporting arenas. Even injuries at private residences, public places, school yards and parks could result in a successful claim.

What do I need to do to make a claim? I’ve slipped/tripped/fell and now I’m injured. What can I do?

To support your claim and strengthen your chances of success:

• Report the incident immediately as it happens to either the owner or the staff member present
• Make sure your incident is recorded within an on-site incident report
• Request for the contact details of any witnesses to the incident
• Photograph the area where the incident occurred

Your dedicated Zaparas public liability lawyer will need to clearly prove that the injury was not your fault in order to submit a successful claim for public liability compensation.

Zaparas Lawyers can assist you in gathering the required evidence to make your claim stronger. Call us today on 8527 0200 for a personal consultation with a public liability solicitor to find out if you are eligible for a public liability claim.

Who can be held liable for a Public Accident?
  • Property Owners
  • Business Owners
  • Government Entities
  • Individuals
What will I be entitled to? What can I claim compensation for?

Your entitlement to compensation depends on the severity of your injury, and whether it occurred as a result of the fault of another person or entity in a publicly accessible place.

You may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering depending on the injuries you have sustained. The amount of compensation you are entitled to receive for your financial losses is intended to restore you to the financial position you would be in if the accident did not occur.

You may be entitled to claim:

General Damages / Non-Economic Loss – pain, suffering and loss of amenity

The nature of the injury, the estimated recovery period and the rehabilitation required – and whether a further medical treatment or even lifelong care is needed – will be assessed accordingly.

Special Damages/Financial losses resulting from the accident – to cover medical fees, loss of salary, and out-of-pocket expenses

Costs for medical care (such as Physiotherapy), loss of income, and hospital travel costs may be claimed as part of your expenses. Expenses for ongoing care, loss of future income, or home adaptations required as a result of the injury are additional expenses a person may claim.

How long does the claim process take?

You will only be compensated once your injury is considered permanent and stable, which is generally one year from when the injury occurred. After approximately one year from the date of your injury we will pay for you to be assessed by doctors who will make an assessment as to the permanency and stability of your injury.

Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may also be able to make a claim for a lump sum payment for pain and suffering. You will also have to establish that your injury occurred due to the negligence of another entity. We will advise you as to whether or not negligence can be established in your case.

I’m not sure if I want to pursue a claim. Are there any limitations of time?

You have three (3) years from the date of injury to commence a proceeding in public liability. If you are not sure if you would like to pursue a claim, continue to attend your doctor and hospital appointments and re-evaluate your decision once you have received some treatment and have a better idea of your prognosis.

What is the cost of the first consultation? What are the legal fees?

Zaparas Lawyers operates on a ‘No Win, No Fee’ basis. This means we will pay for all costs and disbursements in relation to your claim. Put simply, there is no cost to you at all unless you are successful in your claim.

What should I bring to my appointment?

You should bring all relevant documentation you have such as medical reports, radiological investigations and any other documents that may be relevant. If you have photographs of the place where you were injured these are also beneficial. If possible, these photographs should be taken close to your date of injury, especially when an accident has occurred on a footpath or other public area as the area may be repaired by the time you attend our office for an appointment.

English is my second language. Can you still help me?

Our firm has a diverse and multicultural team comprising lawyers and law clerks who speak different languages including Greek, Cantonese, Mandarin, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Turkish and Singhalese. We also have a network of the very best interpreters who can attend interviews and appointments free of charge to our clients.

Will I have to go to court to claim compensation?

We will keep you fully informed at every stage of the case. Many public liability compensation matters are settled out-of-court – Zaparas Lawyers personal injury lawyers negotiate hard to get the best settlement for you.

But if a court hearing is necessary, we instruct experienced barristers who specialise in personal injury cases, to make sure you have the best legal representation possible.

Public Liability Solicitors Melbourne
  • For the first 90 days after a transport accident, the TAC will reimburse your medical and like expenses without a formal request.
  • After the first 90 days, your doctor will need to write to the TAC to request approval for treatment or services required as a result of your transport accident.
  • The TAC will then consider funding the requested treatment and issue a decision.
  • Please note that if there are medical and like expenses you wish to claim from the TAC, they must be lodged with the TAC within 2 years of the date of the expense being incurred by you.
I sustained an injury whilst volunteering, am I entitled to WorkCover?

WorkCover statutory benefits compensation is generally only available to workers. This means volunteers are not entitled to WorkCover compensation unless they are deemed a worker under an Act of Parliament.

If you are a volunteer or someone who assists a government agency in accordance with one of the below Acts of Parliament and are injured whilst carrying out relevant duties then you will be entitled to statutory WorkCover compensation:

  • Country Fire Authority Act 1958 (casual fire fighters, including volunteer officers and members and volunteer auxiliary workers)
  • Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (volunteer school workers or volunteer student workers)
  • Emergency Management Act 1986 (volunteer emergency workers)
  • Juries Act 2000 (jurors)
  • Police Assistance Compensation Act 1968 (PAC Act) ( volunteers assisting police officers)
  • Victoria State Emergency Services Act 2005 (voluntary registered and probationary members of the Victoria SES)

Volunteers in prisons and offenders working or participating in a program under a Correctional Order are deemed workers employed by the Crown and thereby entitled to statutory WorkCover compensation.

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