ABSTRACT
It is thought that around 27% of reported accidents occur in the home (Pearson Report, Report of the Royal Commission and Civil Liability Compensation for Personal Injury, Cmnd 7054, 1978, vol 2, para 16), yet, although reliable statistics on the matter are difficult to obtain, it appears that few claims arise out of domestic accidents (see Harris, Compensation and Support for Illness and Injury, 1989, Oxford: Woolfson Centre for Socio-Legal Studies). A number of reasons have been suggested for this. It could well be that people are unaware of the possibility of making a claim in such circumstances, or that they are reluctant to sue relatives and friends (most claims for accidents on property are brought against companies by members of the public).
