Last Updated 24th June 2025. When we do our weekly shop, most of us don’t think much further than getting what we need and getting home. However, even in a supermarket, there can be potential risks to both customers and our employees. This guide looks specifically at making Sainsbury’s accident claims, and is part of a series on claiming after a supermarket accident.
We cover all the important areas of making a claim, including the eligiblity requirements, how to prove your injuries were caused by the supermarket’s failings and how compensation payouts are calculated in public liability cases. You will also see a table with some guideline award figures to give you an idea of the types of injuries for which compensation could be sought.
In our final section, we look at the No Win No Fee contract offered by our expert personal injury solicitors, paying particular attention to how you can benefit when choosing to claim with us.
To ask any questions you might have, and we are fully expecting you to have some after reading this guide, get in touch with our team for further advice, or a free eligibility assessment. You can reach us at any time by:
- Calling 0800 073 8804.
- Contact us online.
- Use the live chat feature on your screen now.
Select A Section
- How Much Compensation Will I Get After An Accident At Sainsbury’s Causing Injury?
- I Had An Accident While Shopping At Sainsbury’s Can I Claim Compensation?
- Sainsbury’s Accident At Work Claims
- What Are The Time Limits In Sainsbury’s Accident Claims?
- What To Do If You Are Injured While At Sainsbury’s
- The Most Common Types Of Accidents At Sainsbury’s
- Sainsbury’s Slip Trip Fall Claims
- No Win No Fee Personal Injury Claims
- Why Choose Us As Your Claims Service For A Personal Injury Claim?
- Call For Free Advice And To Start A Claim
How Much Compensation Will I Get After An Accident At Sainsbury’s Causing Injury?
How much compensation you get after an accident at Sainsbury’s that causes injury will depend on how serious your injuries are and the impact they have on your daily life. There are two heads of claim that compensation in a successful personal injury claim can be awarded under:
- Physical and psychological harm are compensated under general damages.
- Financial losses and expenses are compensated as part of special damages. More on this below.
When determining a possible general damages figure, solicitors will make reference to your medical evidence in conjunction with the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The JCG publication sets out the guideline payout brackets for various injuries. We have used the JCG figures, apart from the first entry, in the table here.
Compensation Table
Please note that this information has been included to serve as guidance only
| Type of Injury | Severity | Guideline Payout Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Very Severe Injuries as well as Substantial Financial Harm | Very Severe | Up to £1,000,000 + |
| Brain Damage | Very Severe (a) | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Moderately Severe (b) | £267,340 to £344,150 | |
| Neck injuries | Severe (a)(i) | In the region of £181,020 |
| Moderate (c)(i) | £30,500 to £46,970 | |
| Severe Leg Injuries | Severe (ii) Very Serious | £66,920 to £109,290 |
| Severe (iii) Serious | £47,840 to £66,920 | |
| Elbow Injuries | A Severely Disabling Injury (a) | £47,810 to £66,920 |
| Less Severe Injuries (b) | £19,100 to £39,070 | |
| Wrist Injuries | Less Severe (c) | £15,370 to £29,900 |
Special Damages
Financial harm due to your injuries may be compensated under special damages. As injuries can have significant knock-on effects in your daily life, it is common to see injured people lose income, require lengthy medical treatment, as well as care in their home.
Special damages apply to both past and future losses so it’s often the case that this head of claim greatly exceeds general damages. Examples of costs that you could be compensated for include:
- Loss of earnings.
- Medical bills.
- Care costs.
- Home modifications.
- Travel expenses.
Make sure you keep hold of your payslips, bills, receipts and any other documents that show what costs you have incurred.
This section is intended to provide guidance only. To learn more about Sainsbury’s accident claims, and to find out what you claim in your particular circumstances, talk to our advisors today using the details given above.
I Had An Accident While Shopping At Sainsbury’s Can I Claim Compensation?
If you had an accident while shopping at Sainsbury’s, you could claim compensation if you can show that the supermarket did not meet their legal obligations for your safety, known as a duty of care. Under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, the party in control of a public place must take steps to ensure the reasonable safety of anyone visiting the premises.
The eligibility criteria have been summarised below:
- You were owed a duty of care by the occupier of a public place, in this instance, Sainsbury’s.
- There was a breach of this duty.
- The breach resulted in you sustaining injury.
Our team can answer any questions you have about making public liability claims. Call today.
Sainsbury’s Accident At Work Claims
You could also make Sainsbury’s accident at work claims if you were injured as an employee. However, you must meet the same personal injury claims criteria discussed above.
In the case of employees, the duty of care is set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. This act requires employers to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of their workers. Failure to do so would be considered a breach of duty. Should this breach cause an injury, then you might be eligible to make an accident at work claim.
For example, due to insufficient training, you injure your back and shoulders lifting heavy boxes incorrectly. Your employer should ensure that you have appropriate manual handling training if part of your work duties include lifting and carrying.
To discuss how to claim for an accident at work, speak to a member of the team using the contact details above.
What Are The Time Limits In Sainsbury’s Accident Claims?
Generally, the time limits in Sainsbury’s Accident Claims are 3 years from the date of the accident. This was established by the Limitation Act 1980 although there are instances where exceptions can apply.
If the following circumstances arise, then the time limit will be extended.
- Injured children have to wait until they turn 18 before they can claim for themselves. The 3 years are counted from their 18th birthday in these cases.
- Persons who do not possess sufficient mental capacity to claim for themselves will have the time limit paused altogether.
To begin any potential claim for Sainsbury’s accident compensation claim much sooner, a litigation friend may be appointed. Litigation friends are given decision-making authority over the claim, under the conditions that they do everything they can to keep the injured person informed and act in accordance with their best interests.
You can find out about the time limits in Sainsbury’s injury claims by talking to one of our advisors. Our team is available 24 hours a day to provide further guidance, free legal advice, and assess the validity of your potential claim. Get in touch at a time that suits you using the contact information provided below.
What To Do If You Are Injured While At Sainsbury’s
If you have been injured while you were shopping or working at Sainsbury’s, it is important to take the necessary steps to gather as much evidence as possible to support your claim. This includes:
- Making a note of what happened – As soon as you get the opportunity, you should make a note of everything that happened. This will make sure that you do not forget any critical details later down the line. Something may not seem important right now, but it could turn out to be vital when building a case.
- Visiting your doctor – It is important to visit your doctor or take a trip to the local hospital. Of course, this is necessary in terms of your health, but it is also important for building a strong case too. This is because the medical report that your doctor puts together will be used to determine how much compensation you receive.
- Gathering photographic evidence – If applicable, you should take photographs of the scene and your injury. It’s also worth enquiry ‘how long does Sainsbury’s keep CCTV?’ After all, accessing CCTV footage would really help to strengthen your case, as you may be able to show exactly what happened.
- Getting contact details – Firstly, you need to get contact information from the person that is responsible for the injury. In this case, it will usually be Sainsbury’s themselves that are to blame, and so it should not be too difficult to find a company number. Next, you should get the contact information of anyone that witnessed the accident. Witness statements act as great evidence.
- Keeping proof of expenses – Last but not least, keep proof of any expenses that you have encountered as a direct consequence of what happened. Common examples include: loss of income, the cost of medication, childcare expenses, travel costs, the cost of counselling, and much more. So long as the cost occurred because of your injuries, you can claim for it. Nevertheless, you will need to have proof, so make sure you do not throw away your receipts or any other important documents.
The Most Common Types Of Accidents At Sainsbury’s
There are many different types of accidents and injuries that could take place in Sainsbury’s or any other type of supermarket. Here are some examples:
- Cuts from defective or damages shelves or fixtures
- An object falling on top of someone
- Falling in the car park because of potholes and uneven surfaces
- Injuries that have happened as a result of negligent store staff
- Food poisoning
- Accidents caused by defective products
- A fall, slip, or trip due to a wet floor or spillage
- Injuries due to misplaced products that have obstructed a person’s path
- Injuries from faulty lifts, doors, and escalators
As you can see, there are many different ways someone could be hurt while working or shopping at Sainsbury’s. If you cannot see the injuries you have sustained in the list below, don’t panic. The main factor is being able to prove that someone else is at fault for the injuries you have sustained.
Sainsbury’s Slip, Trip, And Fall Claims
Slip, trip, and fall claims are the most common out of all of the supermarket cases we handle. Examples include:
- Aisle spillages. The supermarket should have in place a policy to put up a wet floor sign or otherwise notify shoppers of a spillage until it can be cleaned. Should they fail to do so, you could slip, trip and fall resulting in a broken wrist.
- Supermarket car park accidents. For example, an unmarked pothole that the occupier of the car park was made aware of. The supermarket did not repair or otherwise notify car park users of its existence. You could trip and break your ankle.
- Icy or wet pavements and entrances. The supermarket should ensure that shoppers do not slip and fall in bad weather. For example, by gritting icy surfaces and putting rugs to absorb water in the entrance.
- Aisle clutter. Poorly stocked shelves could lead to items falling into the aisle or employees may leave empty boxes in heavy foot traffic areas, leading to trips and falls causing injury.
If any of these situations sound familiar, we can help you to get the compensation you deserve. All you need to do is give us a call to get started with one of our slip and fall solicitors.
No Win No Fee Personal Injury Claims
One of the main features of our service is the fact that we only offer Sainsbury’s No Win No Fee claims. This makes it possible for anyone to launch a personal injury claim, irrespective of his or her current financial situation. This is because you only ever need to pay legal fees if your case is successful when it comes to the No Win No Fee payment structure. Therefore, if something goes wrong and we do not manage to secure compensation for you, you will not have a huge legal bill to fund. In fact, you won’t need to pay a penny
This gives you a degree of financial protection that simply is not available with other types of claims. It also provides a number of knock-on benefits too. For example, you can have the peace of mind that your lawyer is working hard for you and doing everything in their power to secure a payout for you. Furthermore, you know that we will only ever take on cases that have a genuine chance of success – we won’t waste anyone’s time. Sadly, the same cannot be said when it comes to solicitors that charge per hour. This is because there is always going to be the worry that they are merely taking on your case in order to take your money.
Why Choose Us As Your Claims Service For A Personal Injury Claim?
There may be many personal injury law firms in the UK, but it is important to choose with care. You need a company that genuinely cares about you and the horrible situation you have experienced. You need lawyers with the expertise and dedication to secure you the maximum possible compensation. And, that is why you need us! We have worked on many supermarket compensation cases before, from accident at work claims to slip wet floor Sainsbury’s claims, and we have always worked hard to guarantee the highest possible payouts for everyone we have worked with. We won’t try and confuse you with complicated legal jargon, nor will we leave you in the dark throughout the claim process. We will be with you every step of the way to ensure the process goes as smoothly, efficiently, and successfully as possible.
Call For Free Advice And To Start A Claim
If you want to make a claim for Sainsbury’s compensation, all you need to do is give us a call on 0800 073 8804. You will speak to one of our polite and experienced advisors, who will happily answer any queries or concerns you have. If you are ready to proceed with filing for compensation, the advisor you speak to will match you to the best No Win No Fee solicitor from our team based on the ins and outs of your case. All of our solicitors work in-house, and they are all dedicated to securing the maximum amount of compensation for their clients.
Helpful links
Use this link to access a range of NHS services following an injury in a public place.
This link takes you to the Government’s Health and Safety Executive website, where you will find information on sensible long and short-term actions for businesses to take when tackling slip risks on a supermarket’s smooth floor.
For more information on health and safety in the retail industry, check out the information provided by the Government’s Health and Safety Executive website. This includes details on a wide range of health and safety topics.
Thank you for reading our guide about supermarket injury compensation and Sainsbury’s accident claims.
