Beckett & Co Solicitors successfully claimed £14,000 compensation for a customer who was injured in a supermarket slip accident. Such accidents are very common. We regularly help injured customers to obtain personal injury compensation.
Supermarkets must not allow dangerous hazards which can cause injuries to customers. We help customers when supermarkets fail to ensure that their stores are safe. Read on for a real-life case study ….
Supermarket Slip Accident: A Successful Case Study
We helped a customer who was injured when she slipped on a wet floor in a Preston store. The accident happened as the customer was walking towards the exit of the store. The area was wet with rain water, which had been ‘walked in’ on shoppers’ shoes. Rain water had also blown in through large, open supermarket doors.
The customer slipped on the wet floor and fell, sustaining a serious fracture to her wrist.
The injured customer instructed Beckett & Co Solicitors to make a personal injury compensation claim. We made claim against the supermarket. The claim was brought on the grounds that the shop had failed to ensure that the premises were safe for shoppers. By allowing the floor to become wet and slippery the supermarket put customers at risk. The store also failed to provide any warnings that the floor was wet.
Liability denied, but did the supermarket really have a defence to the claim?
The supermarket insurers denied any liability for the accident. The insurers claimed that the floor had been treated with a special anti-slip coating. It was argued that the anti-slip coating prevented the floor from becoming slippery when wet. The supermarket also claimed that wet floor warning signs were in place at the time of the accident. This was disputed by our client who alleged that no such signs were in place.
Investigation of the claim
Beckett & Co Solicitors investigated the claim. We obtained witnesses statements. These statements confirmed that warning signs had been only been put in place after the accident. The local Environmental Health Officer was contacted. We requested information about previous accidents at the store.
Our enquiries showed that there had been a previous slipping accident at the supermarket. The Environmental Health Officer had reported that the supermarket floor was frequently wet near the entrance. The entrance floor mats were inadequate, which allowed water to be trodden on to the hard tiled floor.
The supermarket had been advised to replace the existing door mats with larger mats to prevent the store floor from becoming wet. The mats had not been replaced. Instead of installing suitable mats the supermarket decided to treat the floor with an anti-slip coating. However, the anti-slip treatment did not actually prevent the floor from becoming slippery when wet.
Supermarket Slip Accident: Claim Success
Initially, the insurance company refused to pay compensation. Court proceedings were therefore commenced against the supermarket. We claimed compensation for both the personal injury and financial loss. The supermarket insurers considered the evidence and made an offer to settle the claim.
We advised our client to reject the early settlement offers as the offers were too low. The personal injury solicitor dealing with the claim, Donna Beckett, negotiated with the insurance company and obtained a much increased offer. Our strong negotiations resulted in securing an offer to settle the claim for £14,000.00.
Client Comment on the Case
“My solicitor (Donna Beckett) was brilliant – she worked very hard on my case and I am very pleased with the outcome”.
(Read more comments from our satisfied clients here)
Contact us – we are here to help you
This case highlights that shoppers are at risk of sustaining serious injuries when supermarkets fail to keep their floors dry and safe for customers.
Any customer injured in a supermarket slipping accident can contact us for free advice about making a claim for personal injury compensation.
If you have been injured in a supermarket slip accident contact us for a free assessment of your case and advice about making a personal injury claim. We offer free, no obligation advice by phone or a free meeting. To speak to Donna Beckett about making a supermarket accident claim call us freephone 0800 731 5434
You might also like to read ….
What Should I Do if I am Injured in a Supermarket or Shop Accident?
Claiming Personal Injury Compensation After a Trip or Slip Accident
Tripping & Slipping Accidents in Shops & Unsafe Premises