Over £17,000 obtained for pregnant woman who slipped in supermarket

Louise Harper, a personal injury specialist at Ashtons Legal, has secured a settlement of over £17,000 for a lady who slipped in a puddle of water in her local supermarket and suffered an injury to her hip just a week before giving birth. The settlement includes over £5,000 for private physiotherapy.

Ms C was queuing up to pay for her goods when she was guided by a member of staff to a specific till. She did not see the puddle of water on the floor, caused by a leaking ceiling, and fell. She had been directed to walk to the till through the puddle. Obviously the store assistant was not paying attention and there were no signs in place and the area was not cordoned off. The supermarket offered her £500 as a goodwill gesture.

Ms C incurred a hip injury and severe bruising. The injuries did not directly impact the birth of her child the following week but she was obviously in more pain than expected. She also needed a significant amount of help from her family following her injuries and the birth of her child as she was severely restricted in providing childcare.

Louise Harper comments: “This was a classic example of an organisation realising they were in the wrong and hoping that an early goodwill gesture would prevent a claim. If she had accepted the £500, this would not have given Ms C sufficient funds to access privately the physiotherapy that she needs. As is generally the case, seeking professional advice was the right thing to do.”