With a road traffic accident responsibility is usually clear cut.

For instance, if you are sitting at traffic lights when another car driver rams into your boot, the driver who hit you is going to struggle to escape responsibility. Or if you are a pedestrian hit by a drunk driver who mounted the pavement, the drunk driver is clearly to blame.

But there are many circumstances where responsibility is far from clear. Accidents at traffic lights, on mini-roundabouts, and changing lane collisions are often disputed and it is often less than clear who is responsible.

Accidents at work will usually be the responsibility of the employer. However, as with most things legal, this may not be as straightforward as it sounds. This is because of the enormous number of agency workers and contractors who are doing jobs that used to be done by employees.

The kinds of accidents where it can be difficult to pin down responsibility are usually what the lawyers call public liability claims .

You trip on a step outside a shopping centre at night when you have been doing your Christmas shopping. Who is responsible? The lighting subcontractor, or the shopping centre itself, or the security guards whose job is to check the lighting? This is a serious on going case which is yet to be finally sorted out. Everyone is blaming everyone else. In the end one (or all) of them will pay!

Article posted on Wednesday, February, 9th, 2011 at 3:19 pm

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