Can I claim compensation for slipping in a shop if I injured my hand and have been unable to drive or go to work?

The answer to “can I claim compensation for slipping in a shop?” is yes, you can; provided that it can be established that your injuries were caused due to the negligence of a third party. Shops have an obligation to provide customers with a safe shopping environment and can be deemed liable in a claim for slip in shop injury compensation if they are found to have breached their legal duty of care.

It must be noted, however, that a shop’s duty of care is not absolute and in order for the shop to be considered negligent, it must be established that the hazard on which you slipped had existed for an unacceptable length of time. If a shop can prove that they could not have “reasonably” identified and removed the hazard before your accident occurred, the injury from a slip in shop compensation claim may be contested.

There are some procedures that you should complete in order to support your claim that may help in establishing the shop’s negligence. Your health should always be your top priority and you should have been examined by a professional medical practitioner immediately following the accident; first aid or self-administered treatment do not count as medical attention as your medical records must be updated with details of your injury in order for your claim for slip in shop injury to be substantiated.

If you ask “can I claim compensation for slipping in a shop?” when there is a substantial gap between the date the injury was sustained and when it was finally examined and recorded by a medical practitioner, the answer may still be yes, but any delay in seeking medical treatment can lead to a reduction in the overall amount of compensation you are entitled to, as a reflection of your own lack of care.

Additionally, you should return to the shop and have your accident and injury reported in the shop’s “Accident Report Book”, if you have not already done so. This step can at least prove that your injury has been acknowledged as having been sustained on shop premises. You should also have collected the details of any witnesses to the accident, if possible. To aid in determining liability, it is possible to access footage recorded on CCTV where the length of time the hazard was present and efforts staff made to remove it can be determined.

Regardless of whether or not you have carried out these procedures, you would be well advised in speaking with an experienced personal injury claims solicitor who could answer your question “can I claim compensation for slipping in a shop?” in the initial consultation – which most solicitors offer without charge. Once your right to claim injury from a slip in shop compensation has been confirmed, your solicitor can assess your case, incorporating all essential factors including your inability to drive and attend work, and can offer you a preliminary estimation of how much compensation for your injury you are likely to receive.