The Department for Work and Pensions found that between 2024 and 2025, 64,423 public liability claims were registered with the Compensation Recovery Unit. Not all of these public liability cases occur as supermarket accident claims, but we are here for you if you’ve had an accident which wasn’t your fault.
As a shopper in a supermarket, the last thing you expect is to be injured. However, these types of personal injury accidents happen to thousands of people in the UK each year. In some cases, the injured party may be eligible for compensation.
Our guide today will explore how you could be eligible to start a claim with us. We will then discuss average compensation amounts in supermarket accident claims and move swiftly on to explore common causes of these types of claims.
Here at Accident Claims, our solicitors have years of experience advocating for people who have unfortunately been injured in supermarket accidents. They offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis as well. Read on to learn about how our solicitors could help you start your claim today.
Contact Us
Our advisory team is available around the clock to help assess whether you have good grounds to claim compensation. A team member can also value your claim and advise you on supporting evidence. If you have any questions at this stage, you can contact us by:
- Calling us on 0800 073 8801
- Filling out our online contact form
- Use our live chat
Jump To A Section
- Who Can Make Supermarket Accident Claims?
- The Average Supermarket Injury Claims Compensation Amounts
- Common Causes Of Supermarket Accident Compensation Claims
- The Supermarket Injury Compensation Claims Time Limit
- What Evidence Is Needed For Supermarket Accident & Injury Claims?
- Get Legal Advice From Accident Claims
- Learn More
Who Can Make Supermarket Accident Claims?
In order for you to be eligible to make supermarket accident claims, three things must be established:
- The occupier of the supermarket owed you a duty of care
- They breached the duty which was owed to you
- The breach led to physical or mental harm
If these three factors are present and can be proven, you will have the basis for a claim. A duty of care means that someone, in this case, the supermarket, had to take reasonable steps to ensure your safety.
The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 is the legislation which sets out the duty of care owed to you as a visitor to a supermarket. An occupier here means the person or business who is in control of the space. They owe you a duty of care to ensure that the premises is reasonably safe for members of the public.
Complying with this duty can include performing regular risk assessments and ensuring maintenance is done frequently to prevent the risks of accidents on their premises.
If you have had an accident in a supermarket, which wasn’t your fault, you might be able to claim with us at Accident Claims. Get in touch today for a free assessment of your eligibility.
The Average Supermarket Injury Claims Compensation Amounts
Knowing the average compensation that could be awarded may not be of much benefit to you. This is because, in supermarket accident claims, the amount of compensation you could receive depends on a number of factors. These factors could be:
- The severity of your injuries
- The type of injuries you’ve suffered
- Your expected recovery period
The table below shows suggestive amounts of compensation you could receive in a successful supermarket accident claim. It is comprised of figures taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The JCG offers a framework of compensation amounts for different types of injuries. However, these amounts are only a guide used by legal professionals and others involved in the claims process.
Please note that the first entry has not been taken from the JCG, and these are guideline amounts only.
| Injury | Compensation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries + Special Damages | Up to £1,000,000+ | Multiple serious injuries and special damages such as loss of earnings. |
| Very Severe Brain Damage | £344,150 to £493,000 | The level of sum awarded will be impacted by things like life expectancy and any impact on this, the level of physical limitation and the ability to communicate with or without assistive technology. |
| Paraplegia | £267,340 to £346,890 | The amount of compensation will depend on the degree of independence, age and life expectancy and impact on sexual function. If there is a risk of increasing paralysis, this may take the amount over this bracket. |
| Severe (i) Back Injury | £111,150 to £196,450 | Cases in this bracket will show damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots, causing severe pain and disability. Cases will also show impact on sexual, bowel and bladder function. |
| Severe (ii) Back Injury | £90,510 to £107,910 | Individuals in this bracket will show nerve root damage causing a loss of sensation, impaired mobility and impact on sexual, bladder and bowel function. |
| Severe (a) Wrist Injury | £58,710 to £73,050 | Cases here will have suffered a complete loss of wrist function. |
| Significant (b) Wrist Injury | £29,900 to £47,810 | Injuries here will show a loss of function, but still some useful movement. |
| Severe Ankle Injury | £38,210 to £61,090 | Cases which fall into this bracket will have significant residual disability causing ankle instability. Factors effecting the level of award will be the impact on the ability to work, regular sleep disturbance and any need to wear specialised footwear. |
| Serious Shoulder Injury | £15,580 to £23,430 | Cases here will show dislocated shoulder(s) and damage to the lower portion of the brachial plexus causing pain in the neck and shoulder. |
How Is Supermarket Injury Compensation Calculated?
Your compensation in supermarket accident claims is calculated by considering the two heads of claim. These are called general and special damages.
Your general damages are compensation for pain, suffering and any loss of amenity. So, if your accident has meant you’re unable to engage in sports or hobbies the way you did before your accident, this will be taken into consideration in your general damages.
Special damages, however, are compensation for financial losses caused by your injuries. This could be:
- Loss of earnings, for example, if you’ve been left unable to work
- Medical costs, such as physical therapy or prescription costs
- Travel expenses, such as taxis to and from the hospital
In order for you to be able to claim special damages, you must have evidence which proves how your injury has caused financial losses. This could be:
- Payslips
- Medical invoices
- Travel receipts
If you have any questions about your compensation, call us today, and one of our advisors will be happy to discuss this with you.
Common Causes Of Supermarket Accident Compensation Claims
Below, we discuss the common causes of supermarket accident claims:
Injuries From Slips, Trips And Falls
Slips, trips, and falls are very common types of supermarket accident claims.
You could have been walking in an aisle where there was a spill. This wasn’t marked with any wet floor signs and wasn’t cordoned off. You slipped on the spill and experienced a severe back injury as a result.
In this case, it would be the supermarket’s responsibility to ensure either that signage was displayed clearly or that the area was sectioned off to prevent accidents, and to ensure you are reasonably safe.
Injuries Caused By Damaged Shelving
Damaged shelving can be a cause of supermarket accident claims. If the shelves are defective or worn, this can cause a falling object injury, as stock falls and hits you, you could end up with a head injury as a result.
Any equipment throughout the supermarket, such as shelving or racks, should be safely displayed and not pose a risk of causing injury.
Injuries From Warehouse Stock Cages
Warehouse or retail stock cages can pose a range of risks to both supermarket employees and members of the public.
A supermarket employee might have left two roll cages unattended on an aisle without space to move a trolley, to get past, you try to move them yourself, causing your hand to get stuck in a crushing injury.
Injuries In Supermarket Car Parks
Supermarket car parks are usually busy with multiple moving cars or vehicles. This can cause either collisions between you and another driver, or even car accidents with barriers, bollards or potholes in the car park itself.
If, for example, you have an accident caused by a pothole, meaning you crash into a wall and suffer a fractured leg and whiplash injuries, this would be a public liability claim.
However, if you had an accident with another vehicle, this would become a road traffic accident claim.
Call us today to discuss whether you have a basis to claim with us at Accident Claims.
The Supermarket Injury Compensation Claims Time Limit
You generally have 3 years from the date of your supermarket accident to start your claim. This is established in the Limitation Act 1980.
There are, however, two exceptions to this time limit:
- If the claimant is under 18, they have from their 18th birthday until their 21st birthday to start their claim. This is because minors cannot start their own claim.
- Injured parties without the mental capacity to manage the claims process themselves. This lack of capacity could be due to a pre-existing condition or caused by the supermarket accident. In these cases, the time limit is suspended indefinitely.
In both of the exceptions listed above, you could utilise a role known as a litigation friend. If either the claimant is under 18 or mentally incapacitated, a litigation friend can act on their behalf throughout the claims process. They have duties entrusted to them, such as acting in the client’s best interests.
To learn more about time limits or claiming for someone else, contact us today.
What Evidence Is Needed For Supermarket Accident & Injury Claims?
Evidence is documentation which helps to strengthen the basis of your claim. It can help demonstrate why someone else’s actions or inactions led to your injury.
Your evidence could be:
- CCTV if the accident was caught on camera
- Medical records or GP records, to highlight the extent of your injuries
- Details of anyone who is happy to provide a witness statement at a later date
- A report of your injuries: If you report your accident to the supermarket, they should have an accident report book
We understand that after experiencing a supermarket accident, the last thing you might want to do is collate evidence. However, by choosing to work with Accident Claims, as part of the services offered, our solicitors would help to compile this evidence with you.
To learn more or if you have any questions about evidence, call us today.
Get Advice From Accident Claims
Our solicitors at Accident Claims have decades of experience in supermarket accident claims. They can help you with evidence, as we mentioned. Not only could they assist you here, but they could help you through:
- Ensuring your claim is started within the permitted time limit
- Explaining legal language and your claims process to ensure you are kept in the loop at every stage
- Negotiating on your behalf to achieve a suitable settlement
Our solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis, via a Conditional Fee Agreement. What this means is that you wouldn’t be expected to pay for their services at the beginning or during your claims process.
Instead, if successful, a percentage would be deducted from the compensation. This fee is capped in accordance with the Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013, to ensure you receive the majority of your compensation.
However, if your case were unsuccessful, you wouldn’t be required to pay a penny for our solicitor’s services.
Contact Us
We hope our supermarket accident claims guide has been useful to you today. If you have any questions, you can contact us by:
- Calling us on 0800 073 8801
- Filling out our ‘start your claim‘ form
- Use our live chat
Learn More
Why not read our other guides on:
- How to sue a restaurant for an allergic reaction
- What to do if you’ve had an accident in a train station
- How to claim for a gym accident
Useful External Resources
- How to apply for Statutory Sick Pay from Gov.UK
- When to call 999 from the NHS
- NHS advice on dealing with back pain
Thank you for reading our guide on supermarket accident claims.
