Supermarket injury claims: how to claim if you slipped or fell in a shop

Supermarkets are legally required to keep their premises safe for shoppers. When they fail to do that and someone is injured, the supermarket may be liable to pay compensation.

Slipping on a wet floor, tripping over stock left in an aisle, or falling on a broken surface in a car park are all situations where a claim may succeed. This guide explains the law, what you need to prove, and how to make a claim against a supermarket in England and Wales.

---

The law: Occupiers' Liability Act 1957

Every supermarket is an "occupier" of its premises. Under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957, occupiers owe a duty of care to all lawful visitors, which includes customers. That duty requires them to take reasonable care to ensure the premises are reasonably safe.

This does not mean supermarkets must prevent every possible accident. It means they must take reasonable steps to identify and deal with hazards. When they fail to meet that standard and a customer is injured, the 1957 Act provides the basis for a claim.

---

Common causes of supermarket injury claims

Wet floors and spillages

The most frequent cause. A product leaks, a freezer unit drips, or a cleaner mops a floor and leaves it wet. If the hazard is not dealt with within a reasonable time, or a warning sign is not put out, the supermarket may be liable.

Courts look at how long the hazard existed before the accident. A spill that happened moments before you slipped is harder to attribute to the supermarket than one that had been there for 20 minutes.

No warning sign

A wet floor sign does not automatically protect the supermarket from liability. It is one factor the court considers. If the sign was placed but was inadequate (too far from the hazard, knocked over, or not visible from the direction you were approaching), liability can still be established.

Equally, the absence of a warning sign where one should clearly have been placed is strong evidence of a failure to take reasonable care.

Stock and equipment in aisles

Pallets, boxes, delivery trolleys and loose stock left in customer walkways are a regular cause of trips. Supermarkets have control over their operations and are responsible for ensuring that restocking and delivery activities do not create hazards for shoppers.

Broken or uneven flooring

Cracked tiles, raised floor edges, damaged mats, and uneven thresholds at entrances can all cause trips. These are conditions the supermarket should identify through regular inspection and repair.

Car park accidents

The car park is part of the supermarket's premises for the purposes of the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957. Potholes, broken surfacing, raised kerbs, poor lighting and inadequate drainage causing icy patches are all grounds for a claim if they caused your injury.

---

Which supermarkets does this apply to?

The duty of care applies to all supermarkets and food retailers operating in England and Wales, including:

• Tesco
• Asda
• Sainsbury's
• Morrisons
• Lidl
• Aldi
• Waitrose
• Co-op
• Iceland
• M&S Food
• Marks & Spencer (full stores)

It also applies to smaller convenience stores, petrol station forecourt shops, and other retail premises.

---

What you need to prove

A successful supermarket injury claim requires you to establish three things.

1. The supermarket owed you a duty of care As a paying customer or visitor on the premises, this is straightforward: the 1957 Act applies.

2. The supermarket breached that duty You need to show that it failed to take reasonable care: a hazard existed that should have been dealt with, and the supermarket knew about it or should have known about it had it been carrying out reasonable inspections.

3. That breach caused your injury The hazard caused your fall, and your fall caused the injury you are claiming for.

---

Evidence: what to gather at the time

The strength of a supermarket claim depends heavily on the evidence available. Supermarkets have experienced legal teams and will look for reasons to dispute liability. The more evidence you have, the better.

Photograph the hazard immediately Before anything is cleaned up or moved, take photographs of the floor, the spillage, the hazard, and whether a warning sign was present. Note the time. If you cannot do this yourself because of your injury, ask someone with you to do it.

Report the accident to the store Ask to speak to a manager. Ask them to make an entry in the accident book. Request a copy of the entry or take a photograph of it. Note the names of any staff you speak to.

Request CCTV preservation Tell the store manager at the time of the accident that you want the CCTV footage preserved. Supermarkets typically overwrite footage after 28 to 31 days. Once your solicitor is instructed, they can send a formal preservation request, but the sooner this happens the better.

Note whether a warning sign was present Was there a wet floor sign? Where was it positioned? Was it visible from the direction you were approaching? Was it still standing? These details matter.

Get medical attention promptly Attend A&E or your GP as soon as possible. A medical record showing the date, the injury, and the mechanism (a fall in a supermarket) is important evidence. A gap between the accident and medical attention can be used to challenge the severity of your injury.

Gather witness details If other shoppers or staff saw the accident or the hazard, take their names and contact details.

Keep your footwear Do not throw away the shoes you were wearing. If contributory negligence is raised, your footwear may be relevant.

---

The goodwill payment trap

Supermarkets and their insurers sometimes contact injured customers shortly after an accident and offer a payment, often described as a "goodwill gesture." They may ask you to sign a document to receive it.

Do not accept this without speaking to a solicitor first.

Accepting a goodwill payment and signing a release typically ends your right to bring any further claim, even if your injuries turn out to be more serious than they appeared at the time. Soft tissue injuries can take weeks to fully develop. A fracture that was not obvious immediately may only become clear after an X-ray.

The initial offer from a supermarket or insurer is almost always significantly less than the full value of a properly presented claim. A solicitor can tell you quickly whether what is being offered is fair.

---

What happens when the CCTV is gone?

If the CCTV footage has been overwritten before it could be preserved, your claim is not automatically lost. Courts do not require CCTV as a condition of success. Other evidence, including maintenance and inspection logs, accident book entries, witness evidence, and the absence of a warning sign, can all establish liability.

Your solicitor can request the supermarket's cleaning and inspection records as part of the pre-action process. If the records show the hazard area had not been inspected for an unreasonable period before your accident, that is often decisive even without footage.

---

Compensation amounts

Compensation for a supermarket injury claim is made up of general damages (for your pain and suffering) and special damages (for your financial losses such as lost earnings and medical costs).

The amounts depend on the nature and severity of your injury. Common injuries include:

Injury	Typical general damages range
Minor soft tissue (full recovery within 3 months)	£1,000 to £3,710
Moderate soft tissue (3 to 12 months recovery)	£3,710 to £9,500
Wrist fracture (moderate)	£7,430 to £22,430
Ankle fracture (moderate)	£26,590 to £46,980
Knee injury (moderate)	£14,840 to £30,580
Hip fracture (significant)	£26,590 to £55,930

Special damages for lost earnings, care provided by a family member, private medical treatment and travel costs can add considerably to these figures. See our full guide to slip and fall compensation amounts for more detail.

---

Time limits

You have three years from the date of the accident to bring a claim against a supermarket. This limit is set by the Limitation Act 1980 and applies strictly.

Do not assume that because time has passed there is no point making an enquiry. If you are approaching the three-year mark, contact a solicitor immediately.

For children injured in a supermarket, the three-year period does not start until their 18th birthday.

---

How to start your claim

Edward & Amaury Solicitors handle supermarket injury claims across England and Wales. We act on a no win no fee basis: if your claim fails, you pay nothing. If it succeeds, our fee is capped at 25% of your compensation.

We will handle the CCTV preservation request, the pre-action correspondence with the supermarket's insurer, the gathering of medical evidence, and the negotiation of your settlement. You do not need to deal with the supermarket or its legal team directly.

Contact us for a free claim assessment

Call us or fill in our contact form. One of our solicitors will assess your situation at no cost and advise you on whether you have a claim and what it is likely to be worth.

---

Summary

• Supermarkets owe a duty of care to customers under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957.
• Wet floors, spillages without warning signs, stock in aisles, damaged flooring and car park hazards are all grounds for a claim.
• Photograph the hazard, report the accident, request CCTV preservation, and get medical attention promptly.
• Do not accept a goodwill payment from the supermarket or its insurer without speaking to a solicitor.
• You have three years from the date of the accident to make a claim.
• Edward & Amaury Solicitors offer a free initial assessment and handle all claims on a no win no fee basis.

---

Edward & Amaury Solicitors is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. This article provides general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice on any specific case.