Supermarket Slip on Spilled Washing-Up Liquid — £6,000 Compensation Secured
WHAT HAPPENED?
Our client was walking towards the checkouts when they slipped on a spillage of washing-up liquid left on the supermarket floor. They fell, bruising both knees and injuring an elbow.
The consequences went further than the fall itself. Our client had already been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and the trauma of the accident triggered a flare-up that affected their day-to-day life well beyond the initial injuries.
HOW WE HELPED
Claims involving a pre-existing condition are frequently undervalued, because insurers argue the symptoms would have happened anyway. That argument needs answering with evidence, not assertion.
We established that our client was not at fault for the fall, and then focused on the medical picture: separating the effects of the accident from the natural course of our client's arthritis, so the flare-up their fall caused was properly reflected in the value of the claim rather than written off as pre-existing.
THE OUTCOME
We secured £6,000 in compensation, covering both the injuries from the fall and the impact on our client's existing condition.
COULD YOU MAKE A SIMILAR CLAIM?
Supermarkets are expected to have a reasonable system for spotting and clearing spillages during trading hours. Where a spillage has been left long enough that staff should have found it, a claim may follow.
Having a pre-existing condition does not prevent you from claiming. If an accident has made an existing condition worse, that worsening is something you can be compensated for.
COMMON QUESTIONS
CAN I CLAIM IF I SLIPPED IN A SUPERMARKET?
You may be able to, if the supermarket failed to take reasonable care to keep the floor safe. A key question is usually how long the spillage was there and whether the store had a proper system for checking and cleaning. CCTV and cleaning records often decide these claims, which is one reason it helps to get advice early.
CAN I CLAIM IF THE ACCIDENT MADE AN EXISTING INJURY WORSE?
Yes. You cannot claim for a condition you already had, but you can claim for the extent to which an accident has made it worse. In this case our client's rheumatoid arthritis flare-up was caused by the trauma of the fall, and that was reflected in the settlement.
HOW LONG TO I HAVE TO CLAIM A SLIP IN A SHOP?
In most personal injury cases in England and Wales the time limit is three years from the date of the accident. There are exceptions, including for children and for people who lack capacity. Evidence like CCTV is often deleted within weeks, so getting advice early matters even though the legal deadline is longer.
SLIPPED ON A SPILLAGE THAT SHOULD’VE BEEN CLEARED?
If a shop didn't keep its floor safe and you were hurt, you may have a claim. Call 0330 818 1202 for a free, no-obligation assessment.