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Supermarket Accident Claims
If you have been injured in a supermarket, our expert solicitors can assist you with all aspects of supermarket accident claims process
£100 million in compensation
Supermarket Accident Claims
If you have been injured in a supermarket, our expert solicitors can assist you with all aspects of supermarket accident claims process
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Last updated 25th March 2026. To make supermarket accident claims, you must prove that a third party breached their duty of care, directly resulting in your injuries. Supermarket accidents can occur in multiple ways, such as slips on spillages, falling objects from shelves, electric shocks from faulty fridges and trips on uneven flooring. You will also need to provide evidence to support your version of events, such as a copy of an accident form, witness statements and CCTV footage. A personal injury solicitor can help gather evidence on your behalf, and will operate on a No Win No Fee basis.
If you have been injured in a supermarket, your injury may have caused you immense pain. You may have also needed to take time off work and experienced other financial losses. In this guide, we explain who could be eligible to make supermarket accident claims.
Additionally, we share the different forms of compensation your final settlement could include should you make a successful personal injury claim. We also share how an accident in a supermarket could take place and the different injuries that could be suffered.
Furthermore, we explain whether you could still claim for an accident that took place in a supermarket car park. Following this, we share the various steps that could help support you when making your claim and how one of our expert No Win No Fee solicitors could assist you.
To discuss the circumstances of your case today, you can contact our advisors:
- Call 0151 375 9916
- Contact us online
Can I Make A Claim After An Accident In The Supermarket?
To pursue a supermarket accident compensation claim, the supermarket’s duty of care towards you must have been breached. Per the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, the occupier of a public space, such as a supermarket, must take steps and measures to ensure the reasonable safety of members of the public who are using that space.
For example, they should perform regular risk assessments and maintenance checks on supermarket shelves and fridges.
All supermarket accident claims must meet the following requirements in order to be considered eligible:
- The supermarket owed you a duty of care
- They breached this duty
- This caused you to become injured in an accident
To see if you could make a public liability claim following an accident in a public place, such as a shop, you can contact our advisors.
Who Is Responsible For A Supermarket Accident?
In the vast majority of cases, it will be the supermarket itself that is responsible for any accidents on its premises. The notable exception to this is if the driver of a car causes an accident in the car park. As we said above, supermarkets like Tesco, Aldi or Sainsbury’s, for example, are all considered occupiers per the Occupiers Liability Act and therefore have legal obligations to ensure the reasonable safety of any visitors to the store. You can find out if you are eligible to claim supermarket accident compensation today by speaking to one of the friendly advisors at JF Law today.
The Most Common Causes Of Supermarket Accidents
There are many ways that you could be injured while in a supermarket. Some examples that could lead to supermarket accident claims include:
- Products were stacked incorrectly on a supermarket shelf, causing them to fall on you while you are shopping and you suffer a head injury and a shoulder injury.
- A supermarket failed to regularly maintain their freezers, causing you to suffer an electric shock when reaching in to grab produce.
- An overhead aisle sign was not properly secured to the ceiling, causing it to fall on top of you and you suffer a back injury and crush injury to your chest.
- Empty packaging had been strewn across a walkway in a supermarket’s stockroom. While bringing a large trolley loaded with goods from storage to the shop floor, you failed to see the obstacle and tripped over one of the boxes, badly injuring your knee.
- A faulty freezer leaked water into the aisle and despite complaints from other shoppers, no remedial action was taken, nor was a wet floor sign placed. You slipped and fell while shopping, spraining your ankle and hitting your elbow during the fall.
- While cycling into a supermarket carpark, you hit a dangerously deep pothole and lost control of your bike. Despite attempting evasive action, you crashed into the trolley shed and suffered a serious shin fracture.
- Due to a lack of maintenance inspections, a damaged wheel on one of the trolleys was missed. While rounding a corner in the supermarket, the wheel snapped off, causing the trolley to collapse and land on your foot, breaking several toes.
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How Much Compensation For A Supermarket Accident?
The amount of compensation you could receive will depend on the various factors affecting your case, such as:
- What injuries did you suffer?
- How severe are they?
- Have you fully recovered from them?
- Did you suffer any financial losses?
Your final settlement could consist of two heads of loss. The first is general damages and compensates you for the pain your injury has caused you. This is always awarded in successful supermarket accident claims.
Those valuing your claim will refer to your medical evidence and the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This publication provides compensation guidelines for various injuries. We have used some of these when creating the following table.
However, the first entry has not come from the JCG.
| INJURY | SEVERITY | COMPENSATION | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries with Special Damages | Severe | Up to £500,000+ | Compensation for suffering multiple severe injuries and special damages for lost earnings and medical expenses. |
| Pelvic/Hip Injuries | Severe (i) | £95,680 to £159,770 | Extensive fractures involving the dislocation of the low back joint. |
| Knee injuries | Severe (i) | £85,100 to £117,410 | Considerable knee pain due to disrupted knee joint and needing lengthy treatment. |
| Leg injuries | Severe (ii) Very Serious | £66,920 to £109,290 | Leading to permanent mobility problems and needing crutches for the rest of the person’s life. |
| Back injuries | Severe (ii) | £90,510 to £107,910 | Nerve root damage with associated loss of sensation and impaired mobility. |
| Foot injuries | Severe | £51,220 to £85,460 | Fractures of both feet or heels restricting mobility. |
| Ankle injuries | Severe | £38,210 to £61,090 | Injuries needing a long period in plaster and causing instability in the ankle. |
| Shoulder injuries | Severe | £23,430 to £58,610 | Damage to the brachial plexus resulting in a significant disability. |
| Arm injuries | Less Severe | £23,430 to £47,810 | A substantial recovery despite suffering with significant disabilities. |
Special Damages Vs General Damages
The secondary head of loss you could receive is special damages. Whereas general damages compensates you for your psychological and physical suffering, special damages compensates you for the monetary losses your injury has caused you. Additionally, they are not always awarded.
Some examples of financial losses you could claim for include:
- Medical costs and treatment, including private medical treatment.
- Transport to and from appointments.
- Medical expenses, such as crutches or a walking stick.
- At-home care.
- Loss of earnings for time off work recovering.
Evidence must be presented when claiming special damages. This could include bank statements and payslips.
To learn more about how compensation is calculated in personal injury claims, you can contact our advisors.
Can I Make A Claim As A Supermarket Employee?
Just as supermarkets have a duty of care to customers, they also have a duty of care to their employees. Under the Health and Safety At Work etc Act 1974, employers have a duty of care to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of their staff members.
For example, employers should:
- Provide necessary training when needed, such as manual handling training.
- Perform regular risk assessments.
- Provide suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) when needed.
If your employer does not adhere to their duty of care, and this causes you to suffer an accident at your supermarket job where you are injured, you could be eligible to make an accident at work claim.
Contact our advisors today to discuss your case and receive free advice.
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We pride ourselves on providing the best service possible for our clients.
Can I Claim If My Accident Took Place In The Car Park?
The answer to this question depends on if the car park is owned by the same occupier as the supermarket. If it is, you can proceed as you would if you were injured in a supermarket.
However, if the car park is owned by a different occupier, such as a car park firm, your claim will be against that occupier and not the owner of the supermarket.
For example, if you tripped and fell, injuring your arm, due a pothole in the carpark that had been reported but was not signposted or repaired within a timely manner.
However, if your accident was caused by another road user in the carpark, you would make your claim against the road user. Anyone who uses the roads, including car parks, must do so in a safe manner. They must also adhere to the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code.
For example, a car did not check if it was clear before pulling out of a parking space, causing them to crash into your vehicle and you suffer a wrist injury.
Contact our advisors today to learn more about supermarket accident claims made for accidents in the supermarket’s car park.
How Long After A Supermarket Accident Can I Claim?
The supermarket accident claims time limit is 3 years, as per the Limitation Act 1980. This means that you have 3 years starting from the date of your accident in a supermarket to begin a claim. However, this does not apply to children or adults who lack mental capacity, as these parties cannot manage their own claims.
Therefore, the 3-year time limit will be put on hold until either:
- The date of their 18th birthday.
- The date the injured person recovered their full mental capacity.
While the 3-year time limit is put on hold, a loved one could begin a claim on behalf of a child or those without capacity. In these cases, the loved one will act as a litigation friend. Litigation friends can step in at any point up until the injured is able to make their own claim.
To find out more about the supermarket accident claims time limit, please contact us today. We can also give you more information on how to become a litigation friend if you would like to begin a claim on a loved one’s behalf.
How To Start Your Compensation Claim
There are various steps that could be taken and should be known about when making a personal injury claim. We have set these out below.
Compiling Your Evidence
Evidence is key for supermarket accident claims. This will need to prove what injuries you suffered, how they occurred and who was responsible for them.
Examples of evidence you could gather include:
- CCTV footage of the accident taking place.
- Photographs of the accident scene.
- The contact information of anyone who witnessed your accident.
- Medical records that show any treatment you have or are currently receiving due to your injuries.
Finding The Right Solicitor
Although you are not obligated to work with a solicitor when making a claim, doing so can come with various benefits. For example, they could help you with:
- Gathering evidence.
- Communicating with the defendant.
- Negotiating your compensation settlement.
Our personal injury solicitors have years of experience working on supermarket accident claims and could help you with yours.
Additionally, our solicitors offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis.
What You Should Know About No Win No Fee Agreements
As aforementioned, our experienced solicitors offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis, specifically under the terms of a Conditional Fee Agreement.
Under this agreement, you will not have to pay for your solicitor’s work:
- Before the claim starts.
- As the claim progresses.
- If the claim is unsuccessful
You will pay a success fee to your solicitor if you are awarded compensation. The law limits the percentage this fee can be, and it is taken out of your compensation.
How Long A Claim Can Take
There is no set timeframe for how long your personal injury claim will take. Various factors could affect the length of the claiming process, such as:
- What injuries have been suffered and their severity.
- Whether you have recovered from your injuries yet or not.
- If the defendant disputes liability.
- Whether the case needs to go to court.
Regardless of how long your claim may take, our solicitors could help you through every step.
Contact our advisors today to see if you could work with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors:
- Call 0151 375 9916
- Contact us online
How Our Solicitors Can Help You
JF Law solicitors have seen it all, and those aren’t words we use lightly. To date, we have helped thousands of clients recover over £100 million in compensation, representing extensive experience and knowledge across multiple areas of legal practice. Our “client first” approach prioritises your needs above all else, we believe in people not just the numbers on a spreadsheet, and we work hard to ensure the particulars of your claim are carefully considered and that your specific needs are met.
Here are just some of the ways we can assist and support you throughout the supermarket accident claims process:
- Getting you the required medical care, rehabilitation and other treatments you need to recover from your injuries.
- Assisting you with gathering the right evidence, including footage from the supermarket’s CCTV cameras and any store records of the incident.
- Organising professional site photographs of the supermarket aisle or car park to document the cause of your accident.
- Take witness statements from both the supermarket staff and other shoppers to build a better picture of how the accident unfolded.
- Calculating a compensation figure that reflects not only the seriousness of your injuries, but also your financial losses and the impacts on your day-to-day life.
- Keeping you informed of how the claim is progressing and ensuring you understand all the technical terms.
- Meeting all court instructions and deadlines, as well as the claims limitation period.
- Negotiating a final settlement with the supermarket’s solicitors.
JF Law comprises much more than our excellent solicitors. An entire team of other legal professionals ensure paperwork is filed appropriately, evidence is properly organised and that you receive key information and updates as and when required. Our approach enables us to handle even the most complex of cases, where liability is unclear and the injuries severe. So why not talk to one of our dedicated advisors and find out what we can do for you today?
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to some common questions have been provided here. Remember, more detailed inquiries can be put to our advisory team.
Can You Claim If You Were Partly At Fault?
Yes, you can claim if you were partly at fault through what is known as a split liability claim. In these cases your compensation payout, should you win, will be reduced by the percentage you were deemed responsible for the accident.
How Long Does A Supermarket Injury Claim Take?
A supermarket injury claim will typically take a matter of months up to a few years, as even the most straightforward cases require sufficient evidence to be gathered, documents to be submitted to the courts and a final settlement negotiated.
What Duty Of Care Do Supermarkets Owe?
Supermarkets owe a duty of care to all customers, as well as other visitors, to take steps to ensure their reasonable safety per the Occupiers’ Liability Act. To protect employees, as well as anyone else coming to the supermarket for work such as maintenance contractors and health inspectors, a supermarket must take reasonable steps to ensure their safety per the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.
Can I Claim Against Tesco, Asda Or Sainsbury’s?
Yes, you can claim against Tesco, Asda or Sainsbury’s, or any other supermarket, if you can show that a failure to take steps to ensure your reasonable safety is what caused you to be injured.
Do Supermarkets Have CCTV For Accidents?
Most supermarkets do have CCTV to watch for accidents, shoplifters and other incidents, yes. During the claims process, a request for a copy of the footage can be made.
Should I Report An Accident In A Supermarket?
Yes, it is always best to report an accident in a supermarket at the time of the incident. Speak to a member of staff and inform them what happened so appropriate action can be taken.
Can I Claim For A Child Injured In A Supermarket?
You can claim on behalf of a child injured in a supermarket if you are appointed as their litigation friend.
Can I Claim If Something Fell On Me In A Supermarket?
Something falling on you in a supermarket could cause serious injury so yes, a claim could be made if it can be shown that the object fell due to action such as overloading a shelf or failing to conduct maintenance work.
More Information
More types of claims we could help you with:
- Learn when you could make a road traffic accident claim.
- Advice on medical negligence claims.
- Learn about how to make a fatal injury claim.
External resources:
- Learn how to request CCTV footage of yourself from Gov.UK.
- Advice on when to administer first aid from the NHS.
- Guidance on when to call 999 from the NHS.
Thank you for reading this guide on supermarket accident claims.
More Information
More types of claims we could help you with:
- Learn when you could make a road traffic accident claim.
- Advice on medical negligence claims.
- Learn about how to make a fatal injury claim.
External resources:
- Learn how to request CCTV footage of yourself from Gov.UK.
- Advice on when to administer first aid from the NHS.
- Guidance on when to call 999 from the NHS.
Thank you for reading this guide on supermarket accident claims.
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