Supermarket Accidents Are Common
The idea of making a supermarket accident compensation claim may seem surprising since most of us rightly consider a supermarket a safe environment. Nevertheless, every year dozens of people in Ireland sustain injuries in supermarket accidents.
Taking a fall on a slippery supermarket floor could result in an injury which could leave you with serious injuries and potentially sidelined from work for a lengthy period of time.
One of the most common accidents is where a person slips on a piece of soft fruit that has fallen from the shelf. Obviously every person has a duty to take care themselves but in some cases you will have no control over the accident.
If you do get injured while doing your grocery shopping, you may be entitled to make a supermarket accident compensation claim depending on the circumstances of your accident.
If you feel that the accident was the store’s fault and would like to pursue a supermarket accident claim, then we advise you to talk to a solicitor now to assist you with your claim since going it alone against Dunnes, Tesco or another chain of supermarkets is a David versus Goliath task and you will need expert advice as to exactly what steps to take.
Supermarket Accident Incident Report
Ideally, at the time of the accident, you should ensure that an employee of the shop documents the incident and then you should request a copy of the incident report. It is also helpful if you can take a picture of the hazardous area. (A solicitor can still help you if you were not able to do this at the time of the accident.)
And always remember to seek medical attention to have your injuries checked out properly as soon as possible after you leave the store.
Proving your Supermarket Accident Claim
By law, supermarkets and similar premises have a duty to keep their area free from hazards and they should have passed stringent health and safety testing procedures. Also, if the store in question placed warning signs in the area before you had your accident it will make it more difficult to establish negligence. Talking to a solicitor right now will inform you if your supermarket accident compensation claim is likely to be successful.
However, if you can prove that an employee of the store caused the accident or else they had prior knowledge of the dangerous area but did not fix it then you have an excellent chance of making a successful supermarket accident compensation claim. If the supermarket is at fault for your accident, a solicitor will assist you when the time comes to gather evidence to support your claim.
Injuries To Supermarket Staff
Supermarket injuries can also happen the people who work at the supermarket. Injuries can be caused by wet floors, products falling from shelves by incorrectly lifting heavy items.
These injuries should be prevented through proper training and supervision, and by using protective equipment.
A workplace injury claim can be made where it can be proven that the company were at fault. Again it is advisable to speak to an expert solicitor who has experience dealing with supermarket injury claims. Workplace claims can be particularly difficult to negotiate without destroying the worker-employer relationship.