Supermarkets and shopping areas have a legal duty to ensure reasonable safety for customers. If you slipped or tripped on a spillage or obstacle, or otherwise suffered an injury, you could be owed damages in supermarket accident claims for compensation.
We cover who is eligible to claim and how the compensation payout might be calculated. In addition to this, you’ll find useful guidance on supporting evidence and time limits for starting a personal injury claim. Our guide also details the many advantages of working with a solicitor from our panel to build your claim on a No Win No Fee basis.
So if you’re exploring personal injury compensation as an option after a fall in a supermarket, read on. Or you can:
- Call us on 0333 000 0729 to discuss how much compensation for a fall in a supermarket you could be owed.
- Message us via the live window below.
- Contact us online.
Go To A Section
- Am I Eligible To Make A Supermarket Accident Claim?
- How Much Your Compensation Payout Could Be
- Common Types Of Supermarket Accident Claims
- How To Make Supermarket Accident Claims
- How Our Panel Of Solicitors Can Support Your Claim
- More Information
Am I Eligible To Make A Supermarket Accident Claim?
After the shock and pain of a public place accident, you might be wondering who was really at fault for your injuries. To start supermarket accident claims for compensation, you need to clearly prove the following:
- At the time of injury, a duty of care applied.
- A breach of this duty occurred.
- You suffered harm as a result.
The duty of care for those responsible for the public’s safety is detailed in the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. This legislation requires those in charge of a space to implement whatever reasonable steps they can to safeguard the general public from being harmed while in the premises.
Failure to meet these health and safety standards in a way that causes a customer injury may mean the supermarket is liable to compensate them. With this in mind, please consult with our team now to see if your claim is eligible to move ahead.
How Much Your Compensation Payout Could Be
Compensation for supermarket accident claims varies from case to case. Online compensation calculators might promise instant ‘average’ compensation values but fail to take into account the many factors that can affect the final total. So it’s advisable to speak with a skilled professional like the solicitors on our panel. With their expertise, they could calculate a much more precise amount. Speak to our team to see how they could help you after accidents in supermarkets.
How Your Compensation Will Be Worked Out
To calculate a compensation amount, two areas are looked at called general and special damages. The physical suffering and pain are assessed under general damages. As well as any psychological injury or long-term disability.
To calculate an amount, those concerned might look at medical evidence as their guide. In addition to this, publications like the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) are referred to. This offers award bracket guidelines for a wide range of injuries based on past successful cases.
To illustrate, we’ve put together an excerpt from the JCG for injuries that might typically arise in a supermarket accident. These sums are strictly provisional and the first line is not from the JCG. For an accurate assessment, speak to us:
Compensation Guidelines
| INJURY | SEVERITY | AWARD GUIDELINES | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple forms of injury and Special Damages. | Serious | Up to £1 million plus. | Examples where a person suffers several serious forms of injury in the supermarket and receives special damages for loss of employment, medical care and adaptations in their home. |
| Head/Brain | (a) Very Severe | £344,150 up to £493,000 | Permanent brain injury that leaves the person completely reliant on others for all needs. |
| Knee | (a) Severe (ii) | £63,610 up to £85,100 | Injuries where the leg bone extends damage into the knee causing constant pain. |
| Back | (a) Severe (iii) | £47,320 up to £85,100 | Disc fractures or lesions, vertebral disc damage as well as soft tissue injuries that give rise to chronic conditions. |
| (b) Moderate (i) | £33,880 up to £47,320 | Includes cases of crush and compression injuries to the lumbar region of the back. | |
| (b) Moderate (ii) | £15,260 up to £33,880 | Disturbed musculature or ligaments that create backache or soft tissue injuries that accelerate or make pre- existing conditions worse by a matter of several years. | |
| Wrist | (a) Complete function loss | £58,110 up to £73,050 | Cases where the function of the wrist is lost even after corrective surgery. |
| Pelvis | (a) Severe (iii) | £47,810 up to £64,070 | Acetabulum fractures that create degenerative changes and may give rise to the need for hip replacement surgery. |
| Ankle | (c) Moderate | £16,770 up to £32,450 | Ligament tears and fractures that cause pain standing on uneven ground, on stairs or other less serious disabilities. |
| Shoulder | (b) Serious | £15,580 up to £23,430 | Shoulder dislocation and brachial plexus damage that creates aching, sensory disturbances and weakened grip. |
Special Damages – What They Mean For Your Claim
In addition to general damages, you might qualify to claim for the financial harm caused by the injuries you suffered in the supermarket accident under special damages. It is always necessary to put forward documented proof of any financial losses and expenses, such as the following:
- Proof of medical expenses for any private treatment.
- Prescription charges.
- Travel costs to essential appointments.
- Receipts or proof of sums paid to anyone who helped you cook, clean and shop.
- Bills proving the expense of adaptations made in your home or vehicle.
- Payslips that show your lost wages and pension contributions.
Other incurred costs may apply. Speak to our advisors and see whether they could connect you to an expert solicitor from our panel for their opinion.
Common Types Of Supermarket Accident Claims
What are some of the ways that negligence in a supermarket might occur? Some scenarios:
Slips, Trips, And Falls
Perhaps one of the most common causes of accidents for customers in supermarkets is slipping on spillages or produce left on the floor. Supermarkets need to attend to a spillage as soon as they reasonably can and warning signs should be placed around the area if a cleaner cannot attend immediately. A slip on a wet floor can result in a broken arm, twisted and fractured ankles or spinal cord injuries.
Injuries Caused By Faulty Shelving Or Falling Items
Supermarkets should store tins and packaging in a way that poses the least risk to customers. This means not over-stacking shelves or placing items in an area where customers cannot easily access them.
Items that are being restocked during opening hours can be in aisles, such as on pallets or in roll cages, as long as they don’t pose a trip or fall hazard or create the risk of falling and collapsing on shoppers.
Accidents In The Supermarket Car Park
Supermarket car parks are busy and need to be laid out and operated safely with good lighting. With this in mind, the supermarket can place attendants and clear markings on the tarmac to help customers avoid a collision. Failure to operate a parking area safely can cause injuries ranging from a crushed foot to head-on car accidents.
How To Make Supermarket Accident Claims
Our guide now looks at the steps you can take to build supermarket accident claims such as collecting evidence, meeting time limits and instructing a solicitor to work on your behalf:
Supporting Evidence – CCTV, Medical Records, And More
Evidence plays a crucial role in personal injury claims. It’s important to assemble proof that the supermarket breached its fundamental duty of care to your safety and that as a consequence, you were harmed. Therefore, the following can help with that:
- Duplicates of your medical records, X-rays and other results proving the injuries you suffered.
- Copies of CCTV film that recorded the supermarket accident.
- Contact details for other shoppers who saw the accident. A solicitor acting for you can obtain supporting statements.
- Photos of the cause of the accident (like a liquid spillage) as well as pictures of visible injuries.
- Duplicates of the A&E admission report if you needed to go to the hospital.
Expert advice could alert you to other forms of useful evidence so why not take a moment to see how we could help?
How Long You Have To Begin A Personal Injury Claim
Personal injury claims usually need to begin within three years of the accident, starting from the date of the injury. This is outlined by the Limitation Act 1980 but there can be exemptions to this:
- Minors are not able to start a personal injury claim until they turn 18. The three-year limitation period commences from the date of this birthday.
- Those lacking sufficient mental ability are not subject to a time limit unless their capacity returns. The three years start from the recovery date.
- Often the court will appoint a family member or other responsible adult to start a personal injury claim on their behalf. This role is known as a litigation friend and they can commence a claim at any point.
If you’d like further information on time limits, litigation friends or any aspect of starting supermarket accident claims, reach out to the team.
No Win No Fee Claims – What You Need To Know
Many people may wish to work with a skilled personal injury solicitor but are worried about the cost of legal services. The solicitors on our panel offer a potential solution to this for eligible claimants.
A Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) can be recommended as a way to start supermarket accident claims. This form of No Win No Fee contract has numerous advantages to the person seeking compensation. For example:
- Solicitors working this way require no immediate fees to start work.
- No fees for this work apply as the supermarket accident claim advances.
- Claims that are unsuccessful require no solicitors fees at all for completed services.
- Winning claims are subject to a low and restricted percentage deducted from the compensation before it is handed over to the claimant. This is called a success fee. There is a legal cap on this percentage.
- Working this way allows the claimant to access outstanding legal representation and keep the bulk of their compensation if the claim wins.
The Average Time It Takes To Settle A Claim
There is no ‘average’ time frame for personal injury claims to settle. However, it’s not unreasonable to expect a decision within a few months. Some cases may take longer based on the following:
- The complexity of the injuries and predicted recovery time.
- Whether the courts are waiting for reports from medical specialists or witnesses.
- If the supermarket or their insurer is disputing their fault for the accident or offering unreasonable settlement amounts.
A solicitor from our panel has the expertise to deal with these potential obstacles as well as the Pre-Action Protocol that must be followed. Rather than face the complexity and potential delay alone, why not see if they could handle your supermarket accident claim on a No Win No Fee basis?
How Our Panel Of Solicitors Can Support Your Claim
In addition to the support our panel of solicitors can offer to deal with the claim, there are many other advantages to working with us:
- You get regular updates on how the claim is going.
- Solicitors gather strong evidence alongside you, such as collecting witness statements.
- They will calculate a much more precise potential compensation settlement on your behalf.
- And argue forcefully with the other side for the best result for you.
As well as this, you can relax knowing that your claim is in the most capable and professional hands. Allowing you to concentrate on getting back on your feet. To find out how our panel of solicitors could handle your supermarket accident compensation claims,
- Call us on 0333 000 0729
- Message us via the live window below.
- Contact us online to claim compensation.
More Information
On the topic of supermarket accident claims, these other guides may be useful:
- If you’re a supermarket employee, you may find this accident at work claim guide useful.
- In addition to this, guidance on how much a car park accident claim could be worth.
- Here we look at pothole accident claims.
External information to help:
- When to call 999 after an accident.
- Here you can check your symptoms with this guide from the NHS.
- Lastly, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) look at retail standards.
In conclusion, thank you for your interest in our guide about supermarket accident claims. Please reach out using the contact options above for any more help.
