Shop and Supermarket Injury Claims
Shop and Supermarket Injury Claims
What to do if you’re injured in a shop or supermarket
Your health should always come first. Once you’re safe, taking a few simple steps can help protect your position if you decide to make a claim:
- Seek medical attention and look after yourself
Ask staff for first aid if it is available. If your injury is serious, call 999 or attend A&E. If symptoms appear later, book an appointment with your GP. Medical records can be important evidence. - Report the accident to staff
Ask a member of staff to record the incident in the accident book. Make sure it includes the date and time, where it happened, what caused the accident and who assisted you. If possible, take a photo or ask for a copy. - Take photos and video straight away
If it’s safe to do so, capture:- The hazard that caused your injury — For example, a wet patch, food on the floor, torn matting
- Warning signs — Or lack of them
- The wider area — Lighting, layout, nearby displays
- Your injuries — Bruising and swelling can change quickly.
This is especially important for a supermarket incident involving a slip on wet floor, as spillages can be cleaned up within minutes.
- Collect witness details
If anyone saw what happened, ask for:- Their name
- Phone number or email
- What they saw.
Independent witnesses can make a big difference in supermarket accident claims.
- Keep receipts and records
Keep evidence of travel costs, medication, treatment, time off work and any help you have needed at home. These can all support your shop injury claim.
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Who is responsible for shop and supermarket accidents
In many cases, the person or business responsible is the one in control of the area where you were injured. That might be:
- The shop or supermarket itself
- The company that owns the building
- A facilities or management company
- A cleaning contractor
- In shopping centres, responsibility can depend on the exact location of the accident.
Duty of care
Shops, supermarkets and other public places have a legal duty of care to take reasonable steps to keep you safe. That doesn’t mean every accident leads to compensation. But if the store or another responsible party failed to act reasonably, you could have a valid claim.
Under the Occupiers’ Liability Act, the party in control of a premises must take reasonable care to keep visitors safe.
Common responsibility scenarios
Here are a few examples of how liability often works:
- Inside a supermarket or shop — Often the retailer is responsible.
- Shared areas — A building owner or management company may be responsible.
- Contracted cleaning — A cleaning firm may share responsibility if poor cleaning or missed checks contributed.
- Pop-up stands or third-party promotions — Responsibility can depend on who controlled the area and created the hazard.
If you’re not sure who is responsible, that’s normal. We can investigate this for you as part of your claim.
Common causes of retail injuries
Retail environments are busy places, with stock being moved and customers passing through all day. As a result, many accidents involve slips, trips or falls.
These are some of the most common causes we see in shop and supermarket injury claims.
Slips
- Spillages
- Leaking fridges or freezers
- Wet floors after mopping with no warning signs
- Rainwater tracked in at entrances with poor matting
- Crushed food on the floor.
Trips
- Stock cages left in walkways
- Boxes, crates, or packaging in aisles
- Trailing cables
- Loose or curled mats
- Uneven flooring, broken tiles, damaged thresholds.
Falls and impacts
- Falling items from shelves
- Unsafe stacked displays
- Collisions in narrow aisles
- Damaged steps or handrails
- Poor lighting in car parks or stairwells.
Not every accident is someone else’s fault. But if the hazard should have been spotted and dealt with, you may be able to claim.
What our clients say
What evidence strengthens a claim?
Evidence matters because it helps show what caused the accident, and whether reasonable steps were taken to prevent it.
This is our breakdown of the types of evidence that can support shop injury claims.
Evidence checklist
| Evidence type | Why it helps |
| Photos or video of the hazard | Shows what caused the accident |
| Accident report / incident number | Confirms the accident was reported and when |
| Witness details | Independent accounts can support your version of events |
| CCTV footage | Can show the accident and what happened before and after |
| Medical records | Links the accident to your injuries and treatment |
| Receipts and expenses | Supports compensation for financial losses |
| Workplace records | Helps show loss of earnings and impact on your job |
What about CCTV?
Many supermarkets and larger retailers have CCTV, but footage is often kept for a limited time. If you think CCTV exists, it’s a good idea to act quickly so it can be requested and preserved.
What if you didn’t take photos at the time?
You might still have a claim. Other evidence such as accident reports, witness statements, medical records and CCTV can still be enough, depending on what happened.
How compensation is calculated
Compensation in supermarket accident claims is usually made up of two parts:
- Compensation for the injury itself
This looks at things like:- The type of injury
- How long your symptoms last
- Whether you’ve made a full recovery or have ongoing issues
- The impact on your daily life.
- Compensation for the financial impact
This can include money for:- Loss of earnings if you’ve had time off work
- Reduced earnings if you can’t return to the same job
- Medical costs
- Travel costs to appointments
- Care and assistance
- Adaptations or equipment, if needed.
- What affects the value of a shop injury compensation claim?
Every case is different, but these factors often matter:- Severity and duration of injury
- Time off work and job impact
- Whether you need ongoing treatment
- How the injury affects your independence
- How strong the evidence is
- Whether liability is admitted or disputed.
We’ll always give you a clear view of what your claim might involve, based on the facts and evidence available. Use our compensation calculator to get a rough figure.
Any figures are estimates, not guarantees.
You’ll claim more with us.
We have recovered an additional £21.2m more in compensation for clients who switched to us from their previous firm.
Contact us now to discover the real value of your claim.
Time limits for shop injury claims
In many cases, you have three years to start a personal injury claim. This is called the limitation period. It typically runs from the date of the accident, or the date you first became aware your injury was linked to the accident.
What if the injured person is a child?
Time limits can work differently for children. In many cases, the three-year period doesn’t start until they turn 18. A parent or guardian may be able to act sooner on their behalf.
Why it’s still best to act quickly
Even if you think you have time, delays can make a claim harder because:
- CCTV might be deleted
- Witnesses may be harder to trace
- The store layout may change
- Hazard records may be harder to obtain.
If you’re unsure about time limits in your situation, we can talk you through it.
No win, no fee explained
Most people worry about legal costs, especially if you’re already dealing with reduced income or extra expenses. At Express Solicitors, we can help you make a claim under a no win, no fee agreement (also known as a Conditional Fee Agreement). This means:
- No upfront payment to start your claim
- If your claim doesn’t succeed, you typically don’t pay our legal fees. Terms apply
- If your claim succeeds, a success fee is usually taken from your compensation. This is capped by law in many cases, and we’ll explain exactly how it works before you decide.
The key thing is that you can get legal help without taking on the risk of paying fees upfront.
Ready to talk about your shop or supermarket accident?
If you’ve had a slip, trip or fall in a shop or you’re dealing with injuries after an accident in a shop, you don’t have to guess whether you have a case.
We’ll listen to what happened, explain where you stand and guide you through your next steps. Contact Express Solicitors to discuss your shop injury claim today.
Call us on 0161 904 4661
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