Shopkeepers, supermarkets and owners of shopping malls have a duty to ensure that visitors and shoppers are safe. They are required to have a system of inspection to identify any potential hazards and a programme of repair and maintenance to remove hazards or obstacles, eg any spillages which make the floor slippery should have warning signs placed as soon as possible and then be mopped up, any broken flooring or stairs or stair rails should be repaired and lighting should be adequate.
If you have slipped on a spillage or tripped over an unsecured mat or fallen because of a broken stair or floorboard, and there were no warning signs and you sustained injury as a result of your accident, you may have a claim for accident compensation. Slipping on a grape or puddle of water near a florist’s display may sound trivial but can result in serious injury and shops and supermarkets have a duty to ensure that shoppers are safe and free from the foreseeable risk of injury.
Ensure the accident is reported to the shop or supermarket concerned so that it is recorded in the accident book. Even if you decide not to make an accident compensation claim, reporting the accident means the shop or supermarket know of the problem and can correct it so no one else slips, trips or falls as a result.
Children’s Accidents in Shops and Supermarkets
It is acknowledged that children are less careful than adults because they do not understand risk and may be unable to read warning signs. Parents do have a duty to ensure that their children are supervised and do not wander off. However, if a child is involved in an accident because the shopkeeper or supermarket failed in their duty of care and the child has been badly injured, it is still possible for an accident claim to be made on behalf of the child.
If you have been injured after a slip, trip or falling accident in a shop or supermarket that was not your fault, please ring Elizabeth Lawrenson on 0116 212 1147 now or complete the on-line form or text ‘accident’ to 07968 88 88 57 and we’ll call you back. Lawson-West make supermarket and shop accident claims on a No Win No Fee basis which means Lawson-West have a vested interest in ensuring your accident claim is successful.
