Supermarkets are an important part of modern life, with most people in the UK and the western world visiting supermarkets on a regular basis to purchase food and drink. In recent years supermarkets have also started to sell a whole host of other items, including clothings, electrical goods, pet products, holidays and insurance policies.

Although supermarkets are extremely popular and useful places, they are unfortunately the scene for many accidents in the UK each year. Many of these accidents will be very minor, with no physical injuries. In fact many accidents that occur in supermarkets throughout the country will not even be reported. However, many accidents do result in injury to the innocent victim.

The most common type of accident that occurs in supermarkets are slips and trips. A person may slip in a supermarket for a variety of different reasons. Due to the number of products and vast number of people that visit supermarkets each day, there is always a risk that items will be dropped or spilt. This could include items of fruit and vegetables such as grapes, yoghurt, milk or other drinks. A slip may also be caused by an unattended wet floor following the routine cleaning process or the clean up of some form of food or drink spillage. Although it is not possible for a supermarket to prevent all spillages and wet floor from occurring, they can and should take steps to minimise the potential danger. This should include regular checks and placing wet floor warning signs whether there is a spillage or a wet floor due to cleaning.

If you one of the unfortunate victims of a supermarket accident in the UK, you could be entitled to claim personal injury compensation for any physical or psychological injuries that have been caused as a result of the supermarket accident. To be entitled to claim compensation under the UK laws of negligence, the personal injury claim must be initiated within three years of the date of the accident. This three year period can be extended, but only in exceptional circumstances and would normally involve making an application to the courts. However, if the accident happens to somebody that is under the age of eighteen years old, the three year period does not begin until the day he or she turns eighteen.

Following an accident in a supermarket you should report the accident as soon as possible to a member of staff. Ideally you should report it to the manager. If possible you should also try to take some photos of the area where you have slipped. Most modern mobile phones have a built in camera, so you could use this to take a photograph of the area. It is also essential that you visit a hospital, GP or other medical professional as soon as possible after the accident so that they can assess your injuries.

To start a personal injury claim for an accident in a supermarket or other shop, you should contact a personal injury solicitor for some initial advice. If you are successful in making a supermarket accident compensation claim, you should be entitled to claim compensation for your injuries, any treatment that you require, and any loss of earnings that you have had from being unable to work.