Claim compensation for tripping in a clothes shop

Question: I was shopping in Matalan when I tripped over clothes that had fallen from a rail, spraining my ankle. Can I make a compensation claim?

Answer: It sounds like you should be able to claim compensation – you should speak with Clearwater Solicitors as soon as possible to find out more. Dial 08000 430 430 or fill in our online enquiry form to get started.

All clothing stores have a duty of care towards their employees and their customers, and must take all reasonably practicable steps to prevent accidents from occurring in their premises. This will involve regularly checking aisles for trip hazards and picking up fallen clothes before they lead to accidents. When they fail to protect people’s safety and people are injured as a result of this negligence, the injured party can claim compensation against the clothes shop. However, not all tripping accidents in clothing stores could have been prevented, so the retailer is not negligent in all cases. For example, if another customer dropped the clothes on the floor and you tripped over them a few seconds later, it could be argued that Matalan could not have reasonably dealt with this hazard before the accident occurred.

There are a number of things you can do to support your clothes store tripping accident claim; these include:

–        Photograph the item you tripped over

–        Photograph the scene of the accident

–        Take down the names and telephone numbers of any witnesses

–        Report the accident to staff at the clothes shop and ask them to record the incident in the accident book

You should also have your sprained ankle looked at by a doctor or other healthcare professional and have it recorded in your medical records. Matalan’s insurers may offer you an unsolicited compensation settlement, but you should not accept this until you have spoken with personal injury solicitors.

Call us on 08000 430 430 to find out more information or to start claiming compensation against the clothes store today. Alternatively, fill in our online enquiry form and we will call you back as soon as we can.