Petrol Station Accident Claims - JF Law Solicitors
Read our guide to learn how our specialist solicitors could help you with petrol station accident claims.
£100 million in compensation
Petrol Station Accident Claims - JF Law Solicitors
Read our guide to learn how our specialist solicitors could help you with petrol station accident claims.
AS SEEN ON
Petrol station accident claims are a type of personal injury compensation claim made following an injury at a petrol station that was caused by the negligent actions of a third party. This may include slips on fuel spills, vehicle-related collisions, or trips on damaged forecourt surfaces. As per the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, petrol station operators and owners have a legal responsibility to keep members of the public safe. At JF Law, if you’re eligible to pursue compensation, our solicitors will represent you on a No Win No Fee basis, meaning you’d have no upfront service fee payments for them to begin working on your case.
Being injured in an accident at a petrol station can change your life in an instant. Whether you were hurt by a faulty pump nozzle or were struck by a reckless driver, these incidents can leave you facing physical pain, lasting psychological trauma, and financial pressures. If your claim is successful, compensation can be reflective of both the physical and emotional impact of your accident, as well as any financial losses. This may include ongoing costs related to long-term physiotherapy or ongoing care needs.
At JF Law, our experienced solicitors have helped thousands of clients successfully claim compensation. We have recovered over £100 million in compensation, and have a full understanding of what it takes to prove negligence after a petrol station accident. From the first contact through to your settlement, our solicitors will guide you through the process with supportive and clear advice, whilst working tirelessly to secure the compensation you deserve. For an obligation-free case assessment, please contact our advisory team today.
Get In Touch
Our advisors are on hand to answer any questions you might have and check whether you might be eligible to pursue petrol station accident compensation. They can be reached by:
- Calling us on 0151 375 9916
- Contacting us online
What Are Petrol Station Accident Claims?
Petrol station accident claims are legal actions taken by individuals who have been injured due to a third party’s failure to protect their safety. These compensation claims can cover a wide range of incidents, including slips and falls, fuel spills, faulty or poorly maintained equipment, or vehicle collisions.
To make a successful petrol station accident claim, you will need to show that the accident happened because proper safety measures were not in place, and this led to injuries being sustained. If your case is successful, a settlement can account for both your pain and suffering, as well as associated financial losses.
Speak to our specialist advisors today for a free, no-obligation assessment of your claim. We will review your circumstances and guide you through every step of the process.
Can I Claim If I Was Injured At A Petrol Station?
Yes, you can claim if you were injured at a petrol station and can show that the operator or another road user caused your injuries through negligent actions. In order to demonstrate this, your case must usually satisfy the following criteria:
- You were owed a duty of care. This refers to a legal obligation that a third party, such as the operator or owner of the petrol station or another road user, has to ensure your reasonable safety. You may be owed a duty of care as an employee, motorist, or visiting pedestrian, depending on the circumstances of the incident.
- This duty was breached. We must then show that the responsible party breached their duty of care. This can occur if an employer fails to provide appropriate personal protective equipment, if a petrol station operator fails to ensure that the premises are reasonably safe for customers, or if a road user operates without taking due care around fellow motorists and pedestrians.
- The breach led to your injuries. Finally, you must show that you suffered physical or psychological injuries as a result of the breach. In petrol station accident claims, injuries often include broken bones, lacerations, and head trauma. However, you can be compensated for any harm you suffered, provided that it is medically recognised.
To find out in minutes whether you could make a claim with our solicitors here at JF Law, please get in touch with our advisory team today. They will listen and assess the grounds of your claim, and if eligible, then connect you with a dedicated specialist solicitor who can handle your claim from start to finish.
Petrol Station Accident Examples
Petrol station accidents occur for many reasons, from slips, trips and falls on fuel spillages to poor staff training and vehicle collisions.
Below, we discuss some examples in depth and explain the different pieces of legislation that may apply depending on the circumstances of your accident:
Petrol Station Customer Accidents
Under the Occupiers Liability Act 1957, owners or those in control of a public space (occupiers) owe members of the public a duty of care to ensure their reasonable safety. This includes petrol station owners and operators, owing their customers a duty of care.
They can uphold this by regularly inspecting the forecourt and shop areas, repairing any damaged surfaces and making sure that any equipment is properly maintained. If their failure to take such steps results in you being injured, then you may have grounds to make a public liability claim.
Accidents In The Petrol Station Forecourt
Petrol station forecourt accidents can happen if:
- A customer accidentally spills fuel on the floor and informs staff, but they fail to signpost and clean it up. This causes you to slip on the spillage and fracture your forearm.
Accidents In The Petrol Station Store
An accident in a petrol station store could occur if:
- Forecourt staff do not properly secure stock, resulting in heavy boxes being stacked unsafely. One of these boxes later falls, blocking the store’s walkway. You subsequently trip on it, leading you to sustain a serious head injury in the ensuing fall.
Petrol Station Workplace Accidents
For staff members of a petrol station, their employer owes a legal duty of care to take all reasonable steps to ensure that their health and safety are protected at work. This duty is established under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
An example of how an employee could suffer a petrol station accident at work could be if:
- Due to inadequate training in handling hazardous chemicals and a lack of protective safety gear, you suffer chemical burns to both your hands when cleaning up a petrol spill. The full-thickness damage leaves you with extensive, permanent scarring.
Vehicle Accidents In A Petrol Station
All road users must operate in a way that avoids causing harm to others, and must adhere to both the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code.
A road traffic accident could occur in a petrol station if:
- A driver reverses into you while you are walking across the forecourt after the motorist fails to check their blind spot. This causes multiple severe injuries, including a dislocated shoulder and a sprained neck.
The examples we’ve provided are by no means exhaustive, and just a few of the ways that you could have grounds to make petrol station accident claims.
To discuss the circumstances of your own accident, please get in touch with our solicitors today.
What Injuries Could Be Sustained In A Petrol Station?
Injuries that could be sustained in a petrol station range from sprains and strains to broken bones and severe neurological trauma. Due to the varied nature of accidents that occur on forecourts, inside kiosks, and at car wash areas, many other injuries may arise, including:
- Dislocations, particularly to the back region and neck
- Head trauma, such as a concussion or another traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Soft tissue damage, such as deep lacerations and ligament ruptures
- Chemical burns, especially if petrol is mishandled or fuel pump nozzles are defective
- Psychological impacts, including driving anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Even injuries that initially seem minor can have long-lasting effects, particularly if they restrict your ability to work or carry out your usual everyday tasks.
Get in touch with our advisory team today to talk about your own injuries and learn how we provide expert legal support throughout the petrol station accident claims process.
We pride ourselves
on providing the best service
possible for our clients.
We pride ourselves on providing the best service possible for our clients.
How Much Petrol Station Injury Compensation Could I Claim?
The amount of petrol station injury compensation that you could claim depends on the type of injuries sustained, their severity, and the wider impact on your daily life and finances.
In successful claims, compensation can consist of 2 heads of loss: general damages and special damages. The first compensates you for the physical pain, suffering and any loss of amenity (the reduction in quality of life) caused by your injuries. This encompasses both physical harm and psychological distress.
If your injuries result in financial losses, special damages may be awarded. We will discuss this in further depth in our section below.
When calculating general damages, our solicitors can refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to inform their assessment. They may do so because this document outlines compensation guidelines for specific injury types and severities.
We’ve taken some figures from the JCG for our table below, but please be aware that these figures are guidelines only, and not a guarantee of compensation. Each claim is valued on its merits, and the top figure in our table has not been taken from the JCG, as it considers both heads of loss.
| Injury | Severity | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| A Number of Severe Injuries + Financial Losses | Multiple very severe injuries and financial losses such as lost income, professional care costs and travel expenses | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Brain Damage | Moderately Severe (b) – the injured person will be very seriously disabled with an impact to physical or cognitive ability requiring a large dependence on others for care | £289,420 to £372,570 |
| Back | Severe (i) – damage to the spinal cord and nerve roots | £120,340 to £212,670 |
| Severe (ii) – nerve root damage with associated reduction in sensation and impaired mobility | £97,980 to £116,820 | |
| Neck | Severe (ii) – fractures or damage to cervical spine discs | £86,860 to £172,970 |
| Arm | Injuries Resulting in Substantial and Permanent Disablement – serious fractures impacted either 1 or both forearms | £51,750 to £79,080 |
| Leg | Severe (iii) Serious – compound or comminuted fractures or injuries to joints or ligaments | £51,790 to £72,440 |
| Wrist | Serious b) – significant ongoing disability where some useful movement remains | £32,370 to £51,750 |
| Ankle | Moderate – fractures or ligamentous tears which cause less serious disabilities | £18,150 to £35,130 |
| Knee | Moderate (ii) – lacerations, bruising or twisting injuries | Up to £18,150 |
Can Petrol Station Accident Claims Cover Financial Losses?
Yes, petrol station accident claims can cover financial losses resulting from an injury. These costs fall under a head of loss referred to as special damages, and can include:
- Loss of income if your injuries have restricted your ability to work in your current job, particularly if you have a physically demanding forecourt or courier role
- Future lost earnings if mobility restrictions limit your career prospects by preventing you from driving or carrying out manual labour
- Medical expenses encompassing ongoing prescriptions and private medical treatments, frequently necessary due to the severe physical trauma often sustained in forecourt falls
- Care costs, including professional assistance and unpaid help from family and friends to assist you with everyday tasks
- Specialist rehabilitative therapies to assist with mobility, or psychological support to manage the trauma of the petrol station accident
- Travel costs for mobility-friendly transport, fuel, or taxis getting to and from medical appointments
As well as those listed above, you could claim for damage to personal belongings that were broken in a fall or ruined from contact with spilt fuel. However, in order for you to claim special damages, you will need evidence that shows these financial losses. This usually includes payslips, bank statements, and receipts.
One of our specialist petrol station accident claims solicitors could help you gather these documents to track your losses. If you’d like to learn more about the costs you could be reimbursed for, please contact our solicitors today.
How Can I Bring A Claim For Petrol Station Injuries?
In order to bring a claim for petrol station injuries, you will need evidence that shows how the petrol station owner failed to ensure your reasonable safety and how this led to your accident and the following injuries. In addition to evidence, you will need to ensure that your claim is brought within the limitation period, which we discuss below.
Before you start your claim, there are some steps that you can take to optimise your legal position, whilst also prioritising your health and wellbeing. Below, we’ve created a streamlined step-by-step breakdown of the process to help you get started:
Get Medical Assistance
After any accident at a petrol station, whether minor or serious, your physical and mental wellbeing is the priority. Make sure to visit your GP, A&E, or an urgent care clinic to ensure your injuries are fully examined, as some symptoms may not be immediately apparent.
Seeking medical help also creates an official record of the visit and any treatments, which can be used as evidence to strengthen your petrol station compensation claim.
Report The Accident
You should report the accident to a member of staff or the station manager as soon as possible. This should be recorded within the petrol station’s accident book to formally note the incident. You can use this official record to support your claim.
Additionally, if your accident involves a vehicle, you should report it to the police and your insurer.
Begin Collecting Evidence
Once you have sought medical assistance and ensured that the accident was recorded, you can then begin to obtain evidence. In petrol station accident claims, this can include:
- Photographs of the accident scene, such as fuel spillages or other hazards
- CCTV footage from the petrol station
- Repair or maintenance records, such as fuel pumps or forecourt surfaces
- Receipts or proof that you were on the premises at the time
- Medical records documenting your injuries and any treatments
Gathering evidence as soon as you can after the accident can strengthen your claim and demonstrate that unsafe conditions caused your injuries.
Keep A Personal Diary
Tracking daily pain levels, symptoms, and medical treatments or appointments can be really helpful in showing the personal impact your injuries have had. This can provide valuable insight for your solicitor if you decide to pursue a petrol station accident claim.
Speak To A Personal Injury Solicitor
Getting in touch with an expert solicitor as early as possible can be really useful. Our team at JF Law are experts in personal injury law, allowing us to determine whether the station’s operator or another road user is liable for your injuries and handle all legal intricacies on your behalf.
At JF Law, our services are offered on a strictly No Win No Fee basis. This provides our clients with complete transparency and ensures the majority of the compensation goes to them when a claim is successful.
Start Your Claim Within The Time Limit
In most situations, petrol station accident claims must be started within 3 years of the date of the accident, per the Limitation Act 1980. While there are some exceptions to this time limit, it is important that you begin the legal process within this period to prevent it from becoming time-barred.
If you have any questions about what steps to take, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our advisors today. They are available to answer any questions you might have about pursuing compensation after an accident at a petrol station.
Petrol Station Injury Compensation With JF Law
At JF Law, our expert personal injury solicitors have decades of experience helping claimants with their own petrol station accident claims, whether by connecting them with rehabilitation specialists or gathering evidence on their behalf.
Below, we discuss how we can utilise our expertise to support you in your own claim, and how a No Win No Fee claim could benefit you:
Why Choose Our Expert Solicitors To Claim For Petrol Station Accidents
Our expert solicitors at JF Law offer a fully comprehensive service personalised to your individual situation. Drawing on our years of experience handling complex cases involving accidents at petrol stations, our solicitors will ensure that your emotional and physical needs are met from the start. Having a legal team at your disposal who understands how to support these needs can be invaluable, especially after a traumatic experience on the forecourt or elsewhere.
Whether this includes working alongside you to develop a bespoke recovery plan, obtaining and preserving vital evidence to prove how the petrol station owner or operator acted negligently, or handling all legal intricacies such as communications with third parties during the process, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
If you choose to work with us, JF Law will:
- Support your recovery by connecting you with orthopaedic specialists, physical therapists and occupational therapists.
- Provide regular updates about how your claim is progressing, and explain the legislation governing health and safety for petrol stations.
- Arrange independent medical assessments with clinical experts to evaluate the long-term impact of your physical and psychological trauma
- Request and secure internal records from the station’s operator, such as fuel spillage reports, cleaning logs, and safety training documents.
- Gather relevant video footage to strengthen your case, including security camera recordings from the forecourt or petrol pumps.
- Ensure that your settlement reflects your immediate needs as well as any future care costs, such as physiotherapy, home adaptations, or personal belongings damaged by fuel.
No Win No Fee Petrol Station Accident Claims
At JF Law, we understand that you may have concerns about how to fund legal representation. We believe that everyone should be able to pursue justice, which is why our services are offered on a No Win No Fee basis. In practice, this means our solicitors do not charge any fees for their work before or during the claim. These service fees are also not payable if we are unable to recover compensation on your behalf, reducing your financial risk when starting a petrol station accident claim.
If your claim does win, then a predetermined percentage would be taken as your solicitor’s success fee. This is discussed before your claim begins, ensuring you understand how this fee works and giving peace of mind that the majority of the compensation will go straight to you.
Contact Us To Begin A Claim
Get in touch with us today for a free case consultation, where one of our advisors will listen to your experience, offer support and advice and assess whether you would be eligible to seek compensation with us. If your claim is valid, they can then connect you with a dedicated solicitor who will handle your claim from start to finish.
To get in touch, you can reach our advisors by:
- Calling us on 0151 375 9916
- Contacting us online
Learn More
Why not read our other guides about:
- Frequently asked questions about making a public liability claim
- Navigating the car park accident claims process
- How to make a pothole accident claim with our solicitors
Helpful external resources:
- Information from the Health and Safety Executive for dispensing petrol as a fuel
- Legislation information for operators of petrol stations
- Find out if you could claim Statutory Sick Pay from GOV.UK
Thank you for reading our petrol station accident claims guide today, and please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions.
Contact Us
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