Slips, trips, and falls at supermarkets are more common than you think, and it could happen to anyone. If you are an employee or a customer doing your shopping and you have suffered from an accident, you could pursue a supermarket accident claim.

Injuries at supermarkets are usually caused by wet floors and inadequate warning signs which cause slip hazards. Other types of accidents may include falling over boxes on the floor, or being struck by falling objects. A fall in a supermarket can have long-term detrimental impacts on both your physical health and mental well being. Therefore, it is important to make a claim for you to reclaim your life back if the accident was not your fault.

Usually, accidents occur due to third party negligence or because someone failed to follow the correct protective measures in place. If you have any questions about your rights and require legal advice, please look at the information provided below.

If you have suffered an injury whilst shopping, you may be wondering; “how much compensation for fall in supermarket?”

What are supermarkets’ health and safety responsibilities?

 

By law, supermarkets have a duty of care to ensure anyone visiting their store, whether inside or outside the premises, has a safe experience. Health and safety policies and procedures should be in place and followed correctly in all areas of the store to prevent accidents from occurring.

Sometimes, accidents will happen as a result of someone being injured due to insufficient staff training, and poor maintenance of the store.

Under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, supermarkets should do everything they can to provide a safe environment free from any hazards. The supermarket premises must be routinely inspected for potential risks. All reasonable efforts should be made to reduce risks and prevent injuries to staff and visitors through practices such as the following: risk assessments, training staff, and providing a high standard of housekeeping.

Supermarkets are also legally obliged to ensure the safety and well being of their staff while working. The guidance of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 impose a responsibility to an employer to ensure the work environment is always clean and maintained to a high standard. All floors should be kept clear of obstructions and other hazards that may present a risk or restrict access.

If a supermarket fails to fulfill the policies in place to maintain a safe environment, it is considered a breach of the duty of care and constitutes negligence. You can then make a compensation claim against the supermarket for damages and the pain and suffering you have endured.

Common causes of accidents at a supermarket

 

The most common types of accidents are caused by:

·        Slipping on a wet floor and supermarket floors not being dried quickly after a spill

·        Failure to place appropriate warning signs quickly after a floor has been cleaned-

·        Faulty equipment

·        Falling items or items obstructing shop aisles

What injuries can you sustain from falls at a supermarket?

 

If you have suffered from an accident in a supermarket, common potential injuries you may sustain are, but not limited to:

–         Spinal/back injuries caused by a forceful impact onto a hard surface, leading to herniated discs

–         Neck injuries

–         Broken bones or fractures, particularly in elderly people, are extremely common (such as sprained ankles or fractured hips)

–         Concussion or other types of head injuries can be caused by falling over which could result in a mild concussion or traumatic brain injuries causing long lasting symptoms

–         Fractured or broken bones

–         Cuts and lacerations

–         Strains and sprains

What should you do after an injury?

 

If you have suffered an injury, it is important to do several things to prove your injury which could help you throughout the claims process. You should try to gather as much evidence by taking photographs of where the accident took place and the reason for the accident. For example, the spillage on the floor and photos of any injuries you sustained.

You should also try to obtain contact details of any witnesses, CCTV footage of the accident, and evidence that you reported it to someone at the supermarket and proof that it was recorded in the accident book. You should also request a copy of the report. This will help determine whether employees have dealt with the slip within the designated time limits and will also help solicitors later acting on your behalf to pursue your compensation claim successfully.

As soon as the accident has occurred, you should seek medical attention from a doctor/GP to obtain treatment for your injuries. An official medical report will also strengthen your claim case to make sure you receive maximum compensation.

Speaking to a personal injury solicitor as soon as possible after the accident is important because they are highly experienced dealing with these types of matters and can discuss your options going forward.

Why should you claim compensation?

 

Our team of experienced solicitors deal with many compensation claims, particularly slips and falls at supermarkets. We handle thousands of claims for personal accidents to support individuals.

Although no amount of money can make up for physical injuries and the impact on your mental health, we can apply for interim payments of compensation before the case is settled for any immediate care or rehabilitation needs.

Often, the physical effects lead to permanent restricted mobility and the individual may need to consider ongoing obligatory permanent care or move home to a more suitable property for their needs.

The purpose of injury compensation claims is to pay for and minimise the impact of the injury through rehabilitation. The main aim is to help victims get back, as far as possible, to the position they were in before the accident happened.

Your compensation can help cover any expenses caused by your injury and sets out to:

–         Reimburse general damages to the injured one and their loved ones for any pain and suffering they have endured

–         Repay any physical therapy costs and psychological care

–         Cover any ongoing or past medical assessments and costs they have incurred such as prescription costs and taxi fares

–         Cover any loss of earnings for both the carer and the sufferer

–         Cover any welfare costs to make alterations to the person’s home, or (if applicable) the cost of moving to a new home, including vehicle adaptations needed to enhance independent living or equipment costs such as wheelchairs

–         Cover the cost of any adaptations required to be made to the injured person’s workplace

–         Covers any support, for either family or professional care costs. This includes mileage driven and time spent to provide that support

–         Pay the injured towards the reduction in their quality of life and any loss of amenity such as playing sport

–         Any future hindrance in future job opportunities due to disabilities

How much compensation for fall in supermarket?

 

The amount of compensation that can be awarded in a personal injury case is determined by different factors. Each case differs depending on the severity of your injuries. 

If an injury is particularly severe, the compensation award would generally be higher. Although some injuries may not appear to be severe initially, it may worsen later in life so this will be considered. 

Compensation is usually divided into two categories: general damages and special damages.

General Damages – This refers to the amount of compensation you receive for your physical pain, suffering and loss of amenity. 

Special Damages – Special damages refer to any direct financial losses that you may have suffered because of your accident and injuries. Typically, these may include loss of earnings, medical treatment costs, travel costs or the costs of care provided to you.

We use the GC Guidelines as well as recent case law to help provide a valuation on your injuries.  

Some serious knee injuries can be awarded anywhere between £20,880 – £76,690. Alternatively, if your fall caused a simple arm fracture, you may be owed between £5,280 – £15,300.  

If you are still unsure about how much compensation you can receive, there are compensation calculators online which provide an estimate for different injuries, although these are not always accurate. 

Claiming against a supermarket can be quite daunting, so our legal representatives can discuss the appropriate funding methods for your claim. At Beacon Law, we operate on a “no win, no fee” basis so you don’t have to face any financial risk to give you the best chance of being successful with your supermarket accident claim.

How can Beacon Law assist?

 

At Beacon Law, regulated by the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (SRA), we have developed a team of experienced legal experts. Our founder set up the original firm in 2002 and prior to this, she had handled a large amount of injury claims in other law firms. Due to our extensive years in the industry, we have been able to develop great client relationships and extend our legal knowledge massively. 

If you have been involved in an accident at work or whilst shopping in a supermarket, we can help you to regain control of your life. We understand that personal injury claims can be something that our clients do not want to dwell on. Therefore, we work efficiently in order to enable swift settlement. 

Alongside supermarket injury claims, we regularly handle matters involving slips, trips and falls, road traffic accidents, medical negligence and animal attacks.

We can take care of your claim from the first step to successful settlement. When considering the appropriate amount of damages for settlement of your claim we will assess the magnitude of the loss that you have experienced, including loss of income. We understand that a loss of income can be catastrophic. So, we endeavour to provide our expert skills when claiming loss of earnings back. Whether these are past or future earnings, we can employ our skills to achieve the maximum compensation for our clients. 

Please contact us on 0330 1332 857 if you have any questions or would like to proceed with a loss of income due to injury claim.