I was doing a regular shop over the weekend at one of my favourite supermarkets for something to have for Sunday dinner. In the end, we decided to go for a Chinese instead! But that’s irrelevant: as I was exiting the store, I suddenly tripped. I didn’t fall – I managed to step back in to stride and didn’t injure myself whatsoever. Before I even looked down to find out what hazard almost had me lying on the floor, my brain had already registered it from the feel of it on my foot at the moment I tripped; a scrunched up section of carpet surrounding a flower display.
The section on the edge of the carpet had, for whatever reason or another, scrunched up and caused a lip – and subsequently a tripping hazard. Having been in this industry for years, I automatically said (quite out loud) “that’s a claim!” The concerned look on the faces of the two staff members nearby as they flattened the carpet back down to remove the hazards was rather priceless!
This whole minor incident did serve to remind me of something – just how easy it is to end up injured whilst out and about doing your daily business. I could have ended up falling on my knees and sustaining considerable damage to the ligaments and tendons inside my knees; I could have broken a bone; I could have knocked my head and been out cold for minutes, or even hours. Ultimately, the ‘what ifs’ of this incident are often the result for many of our injured victims here.
So, where is the duty of care when it comes to tripping in a supermarket, or in any other privately owned establishment with access for the public? Overall, those responsible for the premises must do all they can to ensure that all areas are free from any hazards that could cause a person to injure themselves. The floors and access ways / traffic routes should be free from any tripping or slipping hazards, and people should be able to get around without ending up injuring themselves.
A regular system of inspection and maintenance should be in place to help uphold such policies. If you ever use a public toilet, you will probably have noticed the signing sheets they have to prove staff members have been in to regularly clean the facilities. This sort of thing should be used across the board for ensuring all areas are safe and free from hazards. This sort of regime in place is key to preventing most slipping hazards, and many tripping hazards.
In my case above, perhaps the carpet should have been stuck down to the floor. If it was, there isn’t any way it should be allowed to scrunch up and become a tripping hazard. This is a simple preventive measure that could save thousands of pounds in compensation and the inconvenience caused to a poor injured victim.
If you end up being injured because you tripped over something in someone else’s premises, you may well have a claim for compensation. If you tripped through no fault of your own, you should always seek the advice of a specialist personal injury lawyer. If the accident wasn’t your fault, it’s likely the blame is attributable to the owners of the premises.
With a proper personal injury lawyer, you will always receive 100% of any compensation awarded to you with no costs or bills to pay – everything is simply recovered directly from the other side – normally through a policy of public liability insurance. If the claim loses, you shouldn’t have anything to pay if your lawyers are working for you on a Genuine No Win No Fee basis.
You should also be able to access private medical care at absolutely no cost to you whether the claim wins or loses as well. The fees of these are either recovered directly from the other side, or covered under a separate policy of insurance.
