I Slipped In A Supermarket Can I Claim Compensation?

By Joanne Jeffries. Last Updated 28th October 2021. Within this comprehensive guide, we are going to take a look at slipped in a supermarket claim. We will answer the query, “I slipped in a supermarket, can I claim?” And the answer is “yes”, as we will break down. This guide will provide free legal advice and discuss how a personal injury lawyer could offer to handle your case under a No Win No Fee agreement, whether it has been recorded in the accident book or not.

Slipped on water in supermarket compensation claims guide slipped in a supermarket can i claim

Slipped on water in supermarket compensation claims guide

When you’re shopping at your local supermarket, you probably don’t expect to be injured in an accident that means you end up making a personal injury claim. However, accidents can happen, and this guide will look at when you could claim if you’ve slipped on water in a supermarket. We’ll look at the types of accident that could lead to a claim, how liability could be proven and the amounts of compensation that could be awarded.

Accident Claims UK offers free legal advice on claiming if you’ve slipped on a supermarket floor, and our advisors can provide a no-obligation assessment of your claim. If they think you have a strong enough claim, you could be introduced to one of our No Win No Fee solicitors to handle your claim. To begin your slipped in a supermarket claim right away, please call our advisors on 0800 073 8801 today.

If you’d prefer to find out more about claiming for a supermarket slip accident, please carry on reading this handy guide.

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A Guide To Claims If You Slipped On Water In A Supermarket

In this guide, we’re going to look at what you can do if you’ve slipped on water in a supermarket. This could be while you were shopping as a customer, working at the supermarket or a contractor making a delivery to the store. When you make a claim, we’ll look at how you could prove liability and the different slip and fall compensation amounts. Along with “I slipped in a supermarket, can I claim”, we’ll also try to answer some of these questions:

  • Can I claim for slipping on a wet floor?
  • How much compensation will I get for slipping on a wet floor?
  • What should I do if I fell in a store?

We’ll cover the last of those questions right away. If you’ve slipped on a wet floor and you decide you want to make a claim, you’ll need evidence to support it. Therefore, if you are unlucky enough to be injured in a supermarket fall, we recommend that you:

  • Photograph the scene of the accident as soon as possible to show the cause of the accident.
  • Report the accident to staff (and ask for a copy of their report).
  • Ask witnesses for their details.
  • See if CCTV covered the area. If so, ask for a copy.
  • Importantly, it would help if you visited your GP or A&E to have any injuries assessed and treated.

Evidence, particularly medical evidence, is important to help you win your slipped in a supermarket claim. Without it, even if you suffer serious injuries, a claim might be unsuccessful.

Also, you’ll need to ensure that the claim is made within the personal injury claims time limit. Generally, this is 3-years from the date of your accident. If you don’t find out about your injuries until a later date, then the 3-years can start from the date your injuries are diagnosed.

Can I claim for slipping on water in a supermarket?

Yes, you can claim if you slip on a wet surface in a supermarket. But it’s important to have all potential evidence available, such as proof of no wet floor signs. If you can do this, then you could have a viable basis on which to claim.

What Is A Slip-On Water In A Supermarket?

Supermarkets can be huge places with hundreds of customers and staff moving around at any one time. In busy periods, they can become so busy that a slip hazard might occur and cause a customer or staff member to slip and injure themselves.

For an onlooker, a slip, trip or fall can seem quite comical, but when you consider how serious the injuries can be, anything funny about the incident soon disappears. We’ll cover the different types of injuries that can be sustained if you’ve slipped on water in a supermarket later in the guide.

So, why could a slip in a supermarket happen? Well, there are several different scenarios which include:

  • When it’s raining heavily outside, the water comes into the store, making the entrance wet and slippery.
  • If a customer drops some of their shopping, causing it to spill.
  • When staff are filling shelves, and a box containing liquids is damaged.
  • Damaged or faulty refrigeration units causing leaks to occur.
  • Leaking pipes or roofs.
  • Spillages in the warehouse caused by forklift truck accidents.
  • Air conditioning faults in periods of extremely hot weather.

As you can see, several different reasons can cause a slip in a supermarket. However, not all cases mean you’ll be entitled to compensation. Therefore, we’ll look at the types of negligence that could make the supermarket liable for your accident later on.

When you’ve read the whole of this guide, if you’re unsure whether you’re eligible to make a slipped in a supermarket claim, please call an advisor. They’ll listen to what happened and provide advice on whether you could seek a compensation payment or not. This should help as you wonder, “I slipped in a supermarket, can I claim?”

Statistics Highlighting Slips And Falls In Supermarkets

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a slip, trip or fall is one of the most common workplace accidents in the UK. While the number of supermarket accidents isn’t recorded, we’ve provided the figures below to show how many accidents occur. The main reasons for workplace accidents in 2018 were:

  • 31% – Slips, trips or falls on the same level.
  • 21% – Injuries caused by handling, lifting or carrying.
  • 10% – Being struck by an object.
  • 8% – Falling from height.
  • 7% – Violent acts.

Common Injuries From Slipping And Fall Injuries

In any slip, trip or fall, several different injuries can occur. In fact, there are probably way too many to list here. However, the list below shows some of the more common injuries that can happen if you’ve slipped on water in a supermarket.

Head injuries – There are several reasons you should seek medical attention for a head injury, according to the NHS. They advise visiting A&E if you have:

  • Woken up after being knocked out.
  • Vomited since the injury.
  • Suffer problems with memory.
  • Suffer a headache that won’t go away.

Soft tissue injuries – These can include simple sprains of ankles or wrists. They can also include more serious ligament or tendon damage and tears.

Spinal Injuries – Any spinal injury can be life-changing or even life-threatening. In general, the higher up the spinal cord the injury happens, the more serious the damage will be.

Fractured or broken bones – A slip or fall can lead to a minor fracture that you’re not really aware of multiple fractures, leading to multiple surgical procedures. Broken hands and wrists are common as a natural reaction is to put your hands out to break a fall.

Bruising, cuts and abrasions – These are among the most visible types of injury caused by a slip. You could photograph any visible injuries like cuts and abrasions and use the photographs as supporting evidence of your suffering.

Slips On Water Caused By Negligence

A slippery surface could play a key role in you considering, “I slipped in a supermarket, can I claim?” Now, to be eligible to claim for compensation, you need to be able to prove that:

  • You were injured in an accident;
  • Caused by somebody who owed you a duty of care; and
  • Their negligence caused the accident.

A supermarket owes all customers and staff a duty of care while they’re in the store. Therefore, if you can show that staff or management was negligent, then you could be entitled to make a claim.

One test of negligence is to ask whether the accident was reasonably foreseeable. A definition of this that could be used to determine negligence is:

  • If a consequence was reasonably foreseeable or could’ve been anticipated by a normal person, with average intelligence as something that could happen in the given scenario.

If the above is true, then you, the supermarket, could be held liable for accidents caused by:

  • Leaving a refrigerator running that was known to be faulty, causing a leak to occur.
  • Cleaning a floor but failing to put out warning signs to highlight the risk of slipping to customers and staff members.
  • Spillages not being cleared up quickly enough despite being made aware of them.
  • Not placing absorbent mats at the entrance of the supermarket when heavy rain was forecast.

In other cases, where the supermarket management or staff could not have predicted a slip risk, a slipped in a supermarket claim would probably not be possible. An example of this could include dropping an item containing liquid and immediately slipping on the spillage. In this case, the supermarket would not be held liable as they would’ve had no time available to prevent your accident from happening.

Please call if you’re unsure whether the supermarket was negligent or could’ve prevented your accident from occurring.

Could I Claim Compensation If I Had A Slip Or Fall On Water In A Supermarket?

Essentially, as explained in the previous section, if a member of staff, the manager or the owners of the supermarket can be shown to have been negligent, then you could claim them.

It’s not possible to claim just because they were negligent, though, and you have to have suffered injuries in an accident as a result of their negligence. Proving this is the key part of a successful claim. If you follow the advice provided earlier in the guide, proving what happened can be a lot easier.

Accident report forms, medical records, photographs and witness statements and CCTV footage can be used as evidence to prove that a) the accident happened, b) the cause of the accident, and finally c) the result of the accident, i.e. your pain and suffering. This should be very useful to answer your question, “I slipped in a supermarket, can I claim?”

Slipped On Water In A Supermarket Compensation Calculator

A question that we set out to answer earlier in this guide is, “How much compensation do you get for slipping on a wet floor?”. The truth is, at this early stage of a claim, it’s not possible to say. That’s because every claim is unique, and one claimant will be affected in a completely different way to the next. However, we can show you how much compensation could be paid for some injuries using the personal injury compensation calculator table below.

Edit
Injury Type Severity Payment Range Comments
Neck Severe £38,800 to £42,680 These injuries are those that cause dislocations, fractures or severe soft tissue damage. They’ll cause chronic conditions as a permanent significant disability.
Neck Minor £4,080 to £7,410 This range is for soft tissue damage in the neck that recovers within 1 to 2 years.
Back Moderate £11,730 to £26,050 This range includes injuries such as disturbance to the muscles and ligaments resulting in backache.
Back Minor £2,300 to £7,410 This range covers less serious injuries such as sprains and strains which fully recover, without the need for surgery, between 3 months and 2 years.
Arms Severe £90,250 to £122,860 This range of compensation is for injuries that are so serious that even though the arm isn’t amputated, the result is effectively the same.
Fingers Serious £58,100 to £85,170 Amputation of the index and middle fingers and/or ring fingers.
Pelvis / Hips Minor Up to £3,710 Soft tissue damage of the hips which is fully recovered from
Legs Moderate £26,050 to £36,790 Injuries in this range include complicate or multiple fractures, usually in one leg.
Ankle Moderate £12,900 to £24,950 This range includes ligament damage or fractures that might increase the risk of osteoarthritis and could cause symptoms such as difficulty walking and standing for a long time.
Foot Moderate £12,900 to £23,460 Injuries including displaced metatarsal fractures.
Foot Modest up to £12,900 Ruptured ligaments, puncture wounds and simple metatarsal fractures are all included in this range.

Please bear in mind that this is just one part of the slipped in a supermarket claim, as you’ll find out in the next section of the guide. Not all injuries are listed in the table, so don’t worry if yours is missing. We could still help you claim, regardless of the injury, so long as you slipped on water in a supermarket and staff negligence caused it.

You’ll notice that compensation amounts vary depending on the severity of your injury. Therefore, your solicitor needs to ensure there’s enough evidence to prove the injuries you sustained, how severe they were and what impact they had on you. Doing so could help ensure you’re compensated fairly for your injuries.

Our solicitors will arrange for a medical assessment with a local independent doctor to help with this task. Their report, along with other evidence, will be used to try and show exactly how you suffered.

Special Damages Which Could Be Claimed If You Slipped On Water At A Supermarket

When you’re injured in a supermarket accident, your solicitor can use two main elements to make your claim: general damages and special damages.

General damages are used to cover the pain and to suffer your injuries caused you. The table in the previous section included amounts paid for general damages. Special damages are used to ensure you don’t lose out financially because of your accident at a supermarket. Here are some examples:

  • Lost Earnings.
    If your employer doesn’t pay full sick pay, you might lose some of your salaries due to your injuries, hence lost income. If that’s the case, you could include the losses in your claim. Also, for longer-term injuries that affect your ability to work, you might be able to claim for future lost earnings too.
  • Travelling Expenses.
    It’s fairly common to have to travel to and from medical appointments while you’re recovering from injuries. Therefore, you could ask for fuel costs and parking fees to be considered in your claim.
  • Care Costs.
    While you’re recovering from your injuries, you might need a carer to assist you. If that happens, you could ask for any professional carer fees to be recovered. It’s also possible that you could claim for the time of a friend or family member who’s cared for you.
  • Medication Costs.
    You might think that because the NHS provides free treatment, you won’t claim under this section. However, if you have to pay out for prescription medicines or over the counter treatments, the costs can soon build up. Therefore, these costs could also be included in your claim.

To assist your solicitor, we recommend keeping any receipts, bank statements, or wage slips that help prove your special damages claim. General and special damages are imperative to any claim when you think, “I slipped in a supermarket, can I claim?”

No Win No Fee Claims For Slips On Water In A Supermarket

The cost of hiring a personal injury lawyer is something new clients often worry about. This isn’t an issue, though, as our solicitors work on a no win no fee basis for any claim they take. Therefore, if you’ve been injured in a supermarket, our service will reduce the financial risk and stress involved with making a claim.

When the solicitor has assessed your claim and are happy to take it on, and you’re happy to continue, you’ll be provided with a conditional fee agreement (CFA). This document is your contract with the solicitor.

The solicitor agrees that you don’t have to pay their fees in the CFA unless you receive compensation. It will also outline what the success fee will be if you’re compensated.

So that you don’t have to send the solicitor any money from your own funds, the success fee is deducted from your compensation. The success fee is a fixed percentage of your compensation, and it’s used to cover the solicitor’s fees.

Because the success is written into the CFA, there are no surprises when the slipped in a supermarket claim is settled. Also, please note that, by law, success fees can’t be any higher than 25% of your compensation.

To find out if you could be entitled to claim using our No Win No Fee service, please call an advisor today. Check out our contact details below.

How Our Retail Accident Claim Specialists Could Help You Get Answers To ‘I slipped in a supermarket, can I claim?’

This guide details every aspect of the question, “I slipped in a supermarket, can I claim?” Now, if you’re wondering why Accident Claims UK could be the best team to help you with your claim, here are some reasons that we believe you should consider using us.

  • Our advice is free. We also provide a free, no-obligation assessment of an accident in a supermarket.
  • The claims line is available 24-hours a day and 7-days a week. We’re available to help when it’s most convenient for you.
  • Our team of solicitors have up to 30 years of experience handling personal injury claims.
  • Previous customers have rated their experience with us very highly.
  • Our solicitors always try to ensure claims are settled as swiftly as possible. They also try to ensure that you receive a full and fair amount of compensation for your injuries.

Start Your Claim If You Slipped On Water In A Supermarket And Get Answers To ‘I slipped in a supermarket can I claim?’

You’ve now reached the end of our guide about claiming compensation if you’ve slipped on water in a supermarket. We hope that, following our advice, you’d like to use us to make your claim. If so, you can get in touch in several different ways. These include:

  • Calling our retail accident claims specialists on 0800 073 8801.
  • Chatting to an advisor using the live chat facility on our website.
  • Emailing details of your supermarket accident to office@accidentclaims.co.uk.
  • You could also ask us to call you back. To arrange this, please fill in our online claims form.

When you do get in touch to discuss your in-store accident, our advisors will assess your slipped in a supermarket claim for free and advise you on your options. If they believe your case is strong enough to be won, they could pass you on to a personal injury solicitor who’ll deal with your claim on a No Win No Fee basis. Please remember that our advisors won’t put any pressure on you to claim, and you’re under no obligation to proceed. We do hope that you’ll find our advice useful and would like to make a personal injury claim using Accident Claims UK.

Essential Resources Relating To “I slipped in a supermarket can I claim?”

We hope that this guide about what to do if you’ve slipped on water in a supermarket has proved useful. To help you further, we’ve included some more useful links, guides and resources below.

Retail Health And Safety Guide – This guide, from the Health and Safety Executive. It provides information on the steps supermarkets and other retailers can take to prevent accidents from happening.

Broken Bone Advice – An NHS guide about how to diagnose a broken bone and when you should visit the local accident and emergency department for treatment.

BackCare – BackCare is a UK charity that offers advice and support for anybody suffering from a back injury.

Supermarket Accident Claims – This guide provides advice about claiming against a supermarket following an accident. It covers all sorts of accidents, not just if you slipped in a supermarket.

Slip, Trip and Fall Accident Claims – A guide that explains when you can claim for slip and fall injuries caused by supermarket accidents.

Accident At Work Accidents – This guide could help you slipped on water in a supermarket while working there.

Slipped in a supermarket claim FAQs

Can you sue a supermarket for slipping?

If you happen to suffer from a slip or trip in a supermarket, then you may question whether you could make a claim? If a supermarket neglects its duty of care, then you could have grounds to claim the damages endured.

What’s the average payout for a slip and fall?

The amount of compensation you could be awarded for a slip, trip and fall claim will often take into account the circumstances. For instance, the injury cause, injury severity, and long term implications.

What evidence can you provide?

  • Photographic evidence.
  • Medical report.
  • Witness statement.

Must I begin my claim within a certain timeframe?

To have a successful outcome, you must begin your claim within 3-years from the date of the accident. Should you fail to begin your claim within the designated time limit, then the validity of your claim could be compromised. If you are uncertain whether your case meets the required timeframe, please speak to one of our advisers today.

What is a good settlement offer?

This is an offer that sits between what the claimant wants and what the defendant can afford.

Is it hard to win a slip and fall case?

It can be difficult because you have to find a way of proving that your own carelessness didn’t cause the accident.

Should you accept the first settlement offer?

No, because the first offer is very rarely the largest offer that you can receive.

What happens if I reject a settlement offer?

You should receive another offer at some stage. But you can’t accept an offer after rejecting it.

My loved one died when they slipped in a supermarket – can I claim compensation for them?

If your loved one was working in a supermarket at the time of their death, and their fatal accident was caused by employer’s negligence, you may be feeling angry as well as suffering with grief. Every year, people lose their lives in workplace accidents. In 2020-21, 142 workers lost their lives this way. You can see below how such accidents occurred.

slipped in a supermarket can I claim statistics graph

 

If you are considering making a claim for compensation for the loss of a loved one, we could help. We fully understand that no compensation settlement could ever make up for your loved one’s death, however it could help with funeral expenses. In some cases, you could also receive a bereavement award and some financial compensation for the loss of household income. Our team could handle your claim with sensitivity and respect. We would fight for the maximum compensation possible for your claim.

Do I need to use a local solicitor to find out if I slipped in a supermarket can I claim?

It isn’t necessary for you to use a solicitor that is located close to your home. Any law firm or solicitor located in the UK could take on your claim. We would advise you to look for a solicitor that is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. You might also want to investigate how many years experience they have and have they handled claims like yours before too. You might want to check as well whether they work on a no win no fee basis.

Thank you for taking the time to read our guide on slipped in a supermarket claim.