Supermarket Accident Claims – Find Out If You’re Eligible For Compensation
Visiting a supermarket is a regular occurrence, as it is where we buy our groceries. We expect to be safe when in a supermarket, but what happens when you are injured in an accident through no fault of your own? Whether you were a customer or worked in a store, please read on to find out when supermarket accident claims could be made.
Key Takeaways:
- Various injuries can be suffered in a supermarket, such as head trauma, fractures, and soft tissue damage.
- Some of the most commonly seen accidents in supermarkets include slips, trips, falls, and being struck by a falling object.
- You may also be able to claim compensation if you were injured whilst in the supermarket car park.
- Regardless of whether you work in a supermarket or are visiting as a customer, the supermarket has a responsibility to ensure your reasonable safety.
- One of the experienced No Win No Fee solicitors on our panel could help you with making an accident at work or public liability claim.
If you would like to discuss your case and receive free advice without any obligations, contact our friendly team of advisors today:
- Phone on 020 3870 4868
- Use our ‘claim online’ form
- Message our live chat
Jump To A Section
- Can I Claim Compensation If I Was Injured In A Supermarket?
- How Much Compensation Can Be Awarded For Supermarket Accident Claims?
- Common Examples Of Supermarket Accidents And The Injuries Sustained
- How Can I Prove That Someone Else Was Liable For My Supermarket Accident?
- Is There A Time Limit For Claiming After Injuries In A Supermarket?
- Will I Have To Take The Supermarket To Court If I Claim?
- No Win No Fee Supermarket Accident Claims
- More Information
Can I Claim Compensation If I Was Injured In A Supermarket?
You could claim compensation if you were injured in a supermarket due to the establishment’s negligent actions (or inactions). While visiting a supermarket as a customer, you are owed a duty of care by the supermarket under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. This means they have a responsibility to take practical measures to ensure your reasonable safety as a visitor, such as by performing regular risk assessments and maintenance checks.
To summarise the eligibility criteria for claiming, you will need to prove:
- The supermarket owed you a duty of care
- They breached this duty
- This led to your injuries
Am I Able To Claim If I Was Injured Whilst Working In A Supermarket?
You are also able to claim if you were injured whilst working in a supermarket, if the harm resulted from your employer’s negligent actions. Here, the duty of care owed to you by your employer is set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA). This requires them to take reasonable steps to ensure your well-being, health, and safety, which might involve providing you with sufficient training and personal protective equipment (PPE).
If your employer fails to meet their obligations under HASAWA, causing your injuries, then this may be grounds for an accident at work claim.
Can I Still Claim If I Was Injured In A Supermarket Car Park?
You could still claim if you were injured in a supermarket car park if the third party in control of it breached the duty of care owed to you. Say a supermarket is aware of hazardous potholes near the entrance, but management delays repairs and fails to display warning signs to alert customers. Here, the supermarket might be liable if you subsequently trip on a pothole and sustain an injury.
Alternatively, you may be able to make a road traffic accident claim. In such cases, you would need to demonstrate how a road user in a car park failed to meet their duty of care to travel in a manner that avoids causing harm. This duty also requires them to adhere to the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code.
If you have any questions about supermarket accident claims or would like to discuss your particular case, you can contact our advisors.
How Much Compensation Can Be Awarded For Supermarket Accident Claims?
The amount of compensation that can be awarded for supermarket accident claims will depend on the types of injuries suffered, their severity, and whether any financial losses were incurred. All injuries, both physical and psychological, are covered under a head of loss referred to as general damages.
To calculate general damages, solicitors can make reference to medical evidence, as well as the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The JCG is a document that contains compensation guidelines for a range of injuries.
In the table below, we have used some of the JCG’s entries. Please note that the top entry has not come from the document, and none of these brackets are guaranteed.
| Injury | Severity | Compensation Guidelines |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries with Special Damages (e.g. Physiotherapy Costs) | Very Severe | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Brain & Head Injury | Very Severe | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Back Injuries | Severe (i) | £111,150 to £196,450 |
| Leg Injuries | Severe (ii) Very Serious | £66,920 to £109,290 |
| Psychiatric Damage Generally | Moderately Severe | £23,270 to £66,920 |
| Knee Injuries | Severe (iii) | £31,960 to £53,030 |
| Arm Injuries | Less Severe | £23,430 to £47,810 |
| Ankle Injuries | Moderate | £16,770 to £32,450 |
| Neck Injuries | Moderate (ii) | £16,770 to £30,500 |
| Shoulder Injuries | Serious | £15,580 to £23,430 |
How Is The Supermarket Injury Compensation Amount Calculated?
A supermarket injury compensation amount is calculated by assessing your injuries, their severity, how they have impacted your daily life, and whether they have caused financial loss.
The financial impact of an injury can be compensated under special damages. However, these damages can only be included in a claim if your losses are provable with payslips, invoices, and other financial evidence. If you do have proof, you could claim for various expenses, including:
- A loss of current and future earnings due to taking time off work
- Medical expenses, such as paying for prescriptions and private treatments
- Rehabilitation, such as physiotherapy and therapy
- The expense of travelling between medical appointments
- Care costs from professionals and loved ones
To learn more about how compensation is calculated in supermarket accident claims, you can contact our advisors.
Common Examples Of Supermarket Accidents And The Injuries Sustained
Some of the most common examples of supermarket accidents and the injuries sustained include slips, trips, and falls, as well as sprains, fractures, and soft tissue damage.
Below, we go into more depth with some scenarios that could potentially lead to supermarket accident claims:
- Injured as a customer – A freezer within a supermarket had not been regularly maintained, resulting in it leaking. However, staff do not signpost or clean the puddle and leave it unattended. You subsequently slip on it, suffering a leg injury and a broken wrist.
- Injured as an employee – In the storage room of the supermarket, shelving units have become overloaded. Your employer had not performed regular risk assessments, allowing this hazard to develop. The stock later falls on you whilst you are trying to grab an item, leaving you with head trauma and a crush injury to your chest.
- Injured in a supermarket car park – Supermarket management has received multiple reports about a pothole in the car park. However, this hazard has not been repaired in a timely manner, nor has it been signposted. This failure caused you to trip over the pothole while walking to your car, causing you to sustain a broken foot.
These are only a few examples to show situations that might give rise to a personal injury claim. To discuss your particular circumstances to see whether you may be eligible to claim, you can contact our advisors today.
How Can I Prove That Someone Else Was Liable For My Supermarket Accident?
You can prove that someone else was liable for your supermarket accident by gathering evidence that demonstrates how the incident occurred and what injuries were suffered. That might involve collecting:
- Medical records – detailing your injuries and what treatments you’ve received for them
- Video recordings – such as CCTV footage that captured your accident
- Photographs – these could be of your visible injuries and the accident scene. For a pothole, you’ll want to illustrate its dimensions with a ruler or similar tool
- Witness contact details – a statement could be gathered from them at a later date by your solicitor
- Road user details – If a road user was at fault, you’ll need their contact information, insurance, and car registration
- Accident report – taken from the accident book within the supermarket
Don’t worry about having to gather all this evidence on your own. As part of the services they offer, one of the solicitors on our panel could help you gather evidence to support your claim. Contact our advisors to learn more.
Is There A Time Limit For Claiming After Injuries In A Supermarket?
Yes, there is a 3-year time limit for claiming after suffering injuries in a supermarket. This time limit typically runs from the date of the accident and is set by the Limitation Act 1980.
There are exceptions to this time limit that apply to individuals under the age of 18 and those lacking mental capacity, as neither can claim on their own behalf. Our guide to time limits provides an in-depth exploration of these exceptions.
Our advisors are also available if you’d like to discuss these exceptions or see whether you still have enough time to begin the supermarket accident claims process.
Will I Have To Take The Supermarket To Court If I Claim?
You will not usually have to take the supermarket to court if your claim, as most cases are settled between both parties without ever reaching this stage. However, there may be some instances where a claim needs to go to court, such as:
- If liability cannot be agreed upon
- If negotiations fail due to disagreements over the compensation settlement
Regardless of whether your case goes to court, one of the solicitors on our panel will be there to support you throughout the entire supermarket accident claims process. Contact our advisors today to see whether you may be eligible to work with one of them.
No Win No Fee Supermarket Accident Claims
No Win No Fee supermarket accident claims can be made nationwide with our panel of specialist solicitors. They are firmly committed to supporting their clients from start to finish, and one way they do this is by offering their services under the advantageous terms of a Conditional Fee Agreement.
CFAs protect clients from mounting (and expensive) service fees, while still giving them access to the years of combined experience and knowledge offered by our panel of solicitors. In short, you would not have to pay these fees upfront, while the claim is underway, or if the case is unsuccessful.
Should the claim win, you will pay your solicitor a success fee. This is taken from your compensation as a legally limited percentage. CFAs aren’t the benefit of working with a solicitor from our panel, as they also provide the following expert services:
- Helping with gathering supporting evidence
- Making sure your claim is filed within the time limit
- Handling all communication with the defending party
- Negotiating a compensation settlement that covers the full scope of your pain, suffering, and loss
- Organising any rehabilitation or physiotherapy you may need over the short and long term
Contact UK Law’s Advisors
To discuss your case and receive any answers to questions you may have about the supermarket accident claims process, please contact UK Law’s advisors today. They could also connect you with a solicitor from our panel if they think you have a strong case:
- Phone on 020 3870 4868
- Use our ‘claim online’ form
- Use our live chat
More Information
You can get more information about other types of claims we could help with in the following guides:
- Find out how we could help if your child got hit by a car.
- See if you can make a gym injury claim.
- Guidance on claiming for food poisoning compensation.
Additional resources:
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance on slip risks on a supermarket’s smooth floors.
- Learn when to administer first aid from the NHS.
- Check if you’re eligible for statutory sick pay on GOV.UK.
Thank you for reading this guide on supermarket accident claims.
