Supermarkets – millions of us in the UK use them every single week, and whilst they don’t have a reputation as being hazardous places, certain situations can arise which might lead to a member of staff or a customer being injured.
Our team of specialists have dealt with numerous cases over the years involving customers having the following types of accident:
- Slipping on water leaking from supermarket fridges and freezers.
- Slipping and falling due to food debris left on the floor (particularly around the grocery section).
- Slipping on water leaking from a cleaner’s trolley.
- Falling due to ice leaking from a fish counter, or plant shelves.
- Falling on discarded packaging or bindings.
- Falling due to insufficiently gritted car parks and walkways in snowy and icy weather.
Add to this injuries sustained by workers in supermarkets, such as:
- Back injuries due to heavy lifting / pulling of goods and stock cages.
- Tripping due to carelessly discarded packaging in the warehouse.
- Being injured by fork lift trucks.
So what do you do if you have an accident in a supermarket? The first and most important rule is REPORT, REPORT, REPORT! Making a report to a member of staff is absolutely key in securing evidence to prove that your accident has happened. If you feel that the staff member that you ask is disinterested or promises to complete a report later, ask for the incident to be recorded in writing in front of you, or ask to speak to a manager, and again, get confirmation in writing. Give your details and show them where the accident has happened and what has caused your injury.
Secondly, get photographs of what has caused your accident. If you are unable to take photographs yourself, ask one of the staff to take them.
Thirdly, ask if there is CCTV footage covering the area where your accident occurred. If it is confirmed that there is, ask the staff to ensure that this is not recorded over or wiped as this could be important evidence. If possible, obtain a copy of it.
Fourth, were there any witnesses to the accident? If so, ask for their details or ask the staff to take their details down.
Assess whether you need medical attention for your injuries. If you require assistance at the scene, depending on the severity of your injuries, you may require first aid, or even for an ambulance to be called.
If you are a worker injured whilst working in a supermarket, the same rules apply in terms of reporting the accident to your supervisor or manager, getting it recorded in writing, and getting photographic or CCTV evidence.
Supermarkets are cleaning up their act, quite literally, and have learned their lessons in some respects in terms of providing mats in store foyers to soak up rain coming in from the outside on people’s feet. They have also, in many stores, provided mats under some of the most common types of fruit and vegetables – for example grapes are notoriously mushy when trodden underfoot – and in a lot of instances, are moving away from loose produce, so that there is less chance of a stray mushroom causing someone to fall. They are also less likely to water any seasonal plants for sale, once on the shop floor (as a gardener, I don’t like this rule, but I can see why they do it). They usually have systems of inspection in place to regular check for hazards on the shop floor, but systems can be fallible, and not every hazard will be spotted.
If you do have an accident in a supermarket and are thinking about whether to make a claim, our specialist personal injury lawyers can provide helpful and informative advice to guide your decision. Contact us today on 0161 696 6235.
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