How Much Compensation Can I Claim For An Accident In A Shop?
By Cat Way. Last Updated 12th July 2023. When we go shopping, the last thing we expect is to injure ourselves. If you do hurt yourself in an accident in a shop, a compensation claim could be something you’re interested in pursuing. If so, you’ve found the right place.
Below, we explain the criteria for making a personal injury claim against a shop, supermarket, store or shopping centre. We look at compensation payouts and No Win No Fee agreements. And we explain how to report an accident in a shop, which is always an important step to take.
If you’d like to make a personal injury claim, then our experienced No Win No Fee solicitors can help you.
You can contact us today for a free case check where we’ll learn all about your case and advise whether or not we think it has a good chance of success. If we do, we can help you get your claim started right away.
To speak with us, simply
- Call 0800 073 8804
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How to claim compensation for an accident in a shop
Select a section:
- The Criteria For Claiming Compensation For An Accident In A Shop
- Reporting An Accident In A Shop
- Is The Shop Always At Fault?
- What To Do If You Get Injured In An Accident In A Shop
- What Can Your Compensation Payout Include After An Accident In A Shop?
- Compensation Amounts In Shop Accident Claims
- Can I Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis?
- Call For Free Advice Or To Start A Personal Injury Claim
- Learn More About Personal Injury Claims
The Criteria For Claiming Compensation For An Accident In A Shop
This is a question we often get asked regarding personal injury claims, particularly those involving public place accidents.
Often, it’s easy to assume that no one was to blame for your suffering as there may have been no one around at the time of your accident. However, there are many situations whereby a third party, such as a shop owner, shop worker or someone else, was responsible for your accident by failing to uphold their duty of care to you.
Typically, you can establish whether you could be able to make a claim by seeing if your situation meets the following criteria:
- A third party owed you a duty of care
- Which they failed to uphold
- And you suffered as a consequence of this failure
So, whether a supermarket worker failed to display a hazard sign after mopping a shopping aisle or a shopping centre poorly designed their walkways leading you to trip and fall, you could be entitled to compensation if you were injured through no fault of your own.
To get a free consultation with some legal advice from one of our specialist advisors, please get in touch today.
Reporting An Accident In A Shop
Reporting an accident in a shop is a very important step to take if you want to make a personal injury claim.
The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 states that “an occupier of premises has a common duty of care to all visitors to ensure that they are reasonably safe in using the premises for the purposes for which they’ve been invited or permitted by the occupier to be there.”
In layman’s terms, effectively, this means that the “occupier” of the retail store is responsible. Applying this interpretation to a retail store or any other shop, we can typically say that the occupier, in this case, can be the shop owners, the lessee of the shop, or the management of the shop, depending on the particular case in hand.
When it comes to shops and shopping centres, it is the management of the store or shopping complex who are legally obligated to ensure your safety. In accordance with this, if you were injured in a shop accident, then the management of the shop might be considered negligent and, hence, can be held liable in your shop accident claims.
So the best thing to do is to try and identify the right person and report the accident to them. You should, if you’re able, complete the accident report book that should be kept on site. Obtain a copy if you can, or the contact details for the person responsible for first aid or health and safety. You could also take a picture of the entry on your phone.
Is The Shop Always At Fault?
Not all shop accident cases are the fault of the store or shopping centre’s management or staff.
Your safety is the responsibility of the occupier of the shop while you are within the premises or at the entrance to the shop. However, this is only to a reasonable extent.
For some shop accident claims, the negligence might not be on the part of the shop management. For example, if an independent contractor responsible for the maintenance of the shop is working at the time, they may have caused the accident.
Assuming that the shop management did verify that the contractor was qualified to do the job, instead of the shop being held liable, the contractor could be named as a defendant in your shop accident claim.
As you can see, determining negligence or liability can be a complicated process. With legal expertise and experience, however, this can become much easier. Get in touch with us on the number at the top of this page to learn more.
What To Do If You Get Injured In An Accident In A Shop
The immediate aftermath of your accident can be a distressing time. As well as any injuries, you may be thinking about the long-term implications of the accident.
Once you have sought the necessary medical treatment, there are a number of steps you can take in order to give yourself a good chance of securing accident in a shop compensation. In such cases, we advise that clients:
- Take photographs of the accident site.
- Takedown full names, addresses, and contact details of all persons involved.
- Witnesses – If any witnesses are willing to make statements, record the statement and take their contact details.
- Obstruction – If there was an obstruction or obstacle which caused the accident, take photographs of it.
- If the accident site was under video surveillance, try to acquire a copy of the CCTV.
Though this list is by no means exhaustive or essential, one or more of these steps could be incredibly useful in the future. To learn more about what can be done to strengthen shop accident claims, speak to our specialist team of advisers on the number found at the top of this page.
Claim Time Limits For An Accident In A Shop
An important part of claiming compensation for a fall in a shop is ensuring that you start proceedings within the correct time limit. This is generally three years from the date of your injuries, as set out by the Limitation Act 1980. However, you might still be able to claim for an accident in a shop if you are outside of this limit, as there are some exceptions.
If you were under the age of eighteen when you were injured in a shop, then the time limit is frozen. From your 18th birthday, you will have three years to start a claim. Before this date, a litigation friend can make a claim on your behalf.
For those who do not have the mental capacity to claim for themselves, the time limit is suspended indefinitely. If they regain this capacity, then the time limit reinstates on the date of their recovery. Otherwise, a litigation friend can make their claim on their behalf while the time limit is suspended.
Contact our team of advisors today to learn more about time limits in personal injury claims.
What Can Your Compensation Payout Include After An Accident In A Shop?
How much compensation could be awarded for shop accident claims? One of the most common mistakes in claiming accident in a shop compensation relates to the final total.
For most people, the assumption is that this sum will be arrived at purely on the basis of the injury suffered. But, in reality, there are many more factors to consider and many more expenses which you can recover. These can include:
- General damages – general damages can relate to the pain and suffering brought about by the injury.
- Care claim – this can cover the cost of hiring a nurse or carer for your home.
- Loss of earnings – this can cover any earnings which you have potentially lost following your injury.
- Travel Expenses – this can cover any expenses related to travel to and from doctor’s appointments.
- Medical Bills – this can include the cost of dedicated medical equipment, physiotherapy, and private treatment.
To discover what else can be factored into shop accident claims, please speak to our advisers.
Compensation Amounts In Shop Accident Claims
One of the most common questions asked by those interested in claiming accident in a shop compensation regards how much they might receive. As we have outlined above, a number of factors can help determine the grand total. However, there are many specifics that will be unique to your claim.
The consequences of your accident and the nature and severity of your injuries will play a major role. That is to say, the severity of your injury is factored into the total. While this final total can be hard to estimate, we’ve included the below table, which provides rough estimates of some injuries and the rewarded final amounts. While it can give you a general idea, those seeking a more specific answer might be better served by contacting a legal representative.
If you’re wondering how much compensation shop accident claims could yield, here are some example payouts.
| Injury | Severity | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg Injury | Serious | £36,790 to £51,460 | Serious compound or comminuted fractures or injuries to joints or ligaments resulting in instability, prolonged treatment, a lengthy period of non-weight-bearing. |
| Leg Injury | Very Serious | £90,320 to £127,530 | Injuries leading to permanent problems with mobility, the need for crutches or mobility aids for the remainder of the injured person’s life. |
| Wrist Injury | Minor | £3,310 to £4,450 | Very minor undisplaced or minimally displaced fractures and soft tissue injuries |
| Wrist Injury | Severe | £44,690 to £56,180 | From soft tissue damage to permanent loss of use of one or both wrists. |
| Hand Injury | Serious | £132,040 to £189,110 | Loss of use of both hands. |
| Shoulder Injury | Moderate | £7,410 to £11,980 | Frozen shoulder with limitation of movement and discomfort with symptoms persisting for about two years. |
| Shoulder Injury | Severe | £18,020 to £45,070 | Permanent restriction and often associated with neck injuries and involving damage to the brachial plexus - resulting in significant disability. |
| Neck Injury | Minor | £2,300 to £4,080 | Cases of this nature would involve a recovery take takes 3-months to a year. |
| Neck Injury | Severe | In the region of £139,210 | The worst case scenario would be associated with incomplete paraplegia or permanent spastic qaudriparesis. |
| Back Injury | Minor | Up to £2,300 | A full recovery is made within 3-months. |
| Back Injury | Severe | £85,470 to £151,070 | evere injury involving damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots, leading to a combination of very serious consequences not normally found in cases of back injury. |
| Jaw Injury | Minor | £6,060 to £8,200 | Simple fracture requiring immobilization but from which recovery is complete. |
| Jaw Injury | Severe | £28,610 to £42,730 | multiple fractures followed by prolonged treatment and permanent consequences |
| Damaged teeth | Minor to severe | £830 to £29,000 | Loss of or serious damage to several front teeth. |
| Head Injury | Very severe | £8,200 to £10,710 | Complete loss of life quality, unable to care for oneself, serious degradation of mental capacity. |
| Head Injury | Moderate | £140,870 to £205,580 | Loss of life quality, with the expectancy of full recovery in the future. |
| Head Injury | Less Severe | £14,380 to £40,410 | Minor problems with mental faculties such as memory and cognitive ability. |
| Chest Injury | Minor | Up to £3,710 | Would result in fractures of ribs or soft tissue issues. |
| Chest Injury | Severe | £94,470 to £140,870 | The worst type of case will be of total removal of one lung and/or serious heart damage |
To find out more about claiming accident in a shop compensation, please continue reading to the next section.
Can I Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis?
One of the main barriers standing between clients and a successful compensation claim is often the fees attached to hiring legal representatives. If your injury has caused you to suffer financial and physical losses, this could be an even bigger issue.
Unlike other law firms, we do not charge any fees until a case has been successfully concluded. We do this by working on a ‘No Win No Fee’ basis. As such, you will not have to be concerned about the upfront costs of hiring a law firm.
If you are seeking legal help making accident in a shop claims, you can contact our team to find out more about our Conditional Fee Agreement. We are here to help you make shop accident claims.
Call For Free Advice Or To Start A Personal Injury Claim
If you or someone you know has suffered an injury as the result of someone else’s negligence, then we can help you and your shop accident claims.
If you happen to find yourself in such a predicament, then you may be eligible to win compensation for the damages inflicted upon you. We are here to help you and will guide you through the entire legal process.
In a shop accident and personal injury cases, getting the best legal assistance is simple. You can call us today or fill out our contact form online to arrange for a free consultation session.
So call 0800 073 8804 for free advice and get your accident in a shop compensation claim started today.
Learn More About Personal Injury Claims
Thank you for reading our guide to making shop accident claims for accident in a shop compensation.
In this final section, we’ve provided links to some other guides you may find useful, as well as the answers to some frequently asked questions.
Compensation after an accident or injury
Advice for when using specialist solicitors to deal with your personal injury case.
Shops and stores must have insurance for personal injuries to protect customers and the public.
Slip, Trip and Fall Claims
Have you had a slip trip or fall in a supermarket or been injured in any way contact us today.
Other guides you may find useful:
- To learn more about how to claim compensation for an injury, head here. You can find answers to questions, like how long you have to claim, and offers potential compensation payouts.
- Back Injury Claims
- Pub and Bar Accident Claims
- Can I Claim For An Allergic Reaction After Drinking Starbucks?
- How Much Compensation Can I Claim For A Tesco Accident?
- Restaurant Accident Compensation Claims
If you still have any questions about accident in a shop compensation claims contact Legal Expert for advice
