Supermarket Accident Claims – How To Get Injury Compensation

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Making a successful supermarket accident claim is not quite as simple as just being injured while shopping. Claimants need to prove that the supermarket was negligent and that in the case of an accident, it failed to uphold their duty to ensure the premises were safe for customers. This duty applies whether you were in a local corner shop, a store like Poundland, Asda or any other shop or Supermarket. Here we look at the circumstances in which you might be eligible to claim.

Table of contents

Supermarket health and safety responsibilities

We have successfully assisted many claimants who have had the unfortunate and embarrassing experience of suffering a very public accident in a supermarket. Like all shops, supermarkets have to follow safety regulations and adhere to the requirements of the Occupier Liability Act which requires them to keep their customers safe from injury and minimise the risk of accidents in their store. If the supermarket breaches this legal duty and fail to take every reasonable step to minimise the risk of an accident or injury in their store,  the injured person is very likely to be entitled to claim compensation.

In general, Supermarkets are required to:

  • Remove hazards and spillages within their store as fast as possible
  • Display warning signs to indicate any hazards, spillages or risk of injury
  • Keep the shop free from contamination or defects
  • Maintain structures within the store and ensure display equipment and stock is safely
  • Follow safety practices set by the Health and Safety Executive

The typical claim after an accident in a supermarket is for an accidental slip, trip or fall, causing soft tissue injuries, back pain and even bone fractures. There are of course many potential causes of supermarket accidents. If you’ve been injured in an accident in a supermarket and you’re unsure whether your situation will enable you to make a claim, contact us for help.  We’ll gladly discuss your situation, explain your rights after an accident and offer you friendly, professional helpful advice about making a claim.

Wet supermarket floors

With regular floor cleaning and the potential for spillages or leaks from fridges and freezers, floors in supermarkets can often be wet and slippery.  In wet weather conditions, the problem of wet floors increases as customers walk water into the shop. Supermarkets have to make sure that wet floors are dried quickly and that warning signs are displayed to indicate a potential hazard, with the aim being to reduce the risk of slipping on the shop floor.

Similarly, spillages should be identified and cleaned up as soon as possible, with the Supermarket having a responsibility to ensure that the aisles of the store are checked regularly for any spilt food, liquid or other slipping risk.

Falling stock and dangerous equipment

Supermarket shelves, racks, stock pallets and trolleys need to be regularly checked and serviced to make sure they are safe to hold products. Claims can arise should such equipment cause injury or allow stock to fall onto customers.

Forklifts are a common cause of workplace accidents and in frequent use in and around supermarkets, as such they should be regularly maintained and operated by qualified drivers to avoid injury to staff and shoppers.

Tripping hazards in a supermarket

Supermarket aisles may often be obstructed by boxes, pallets and cages used for restocking shelves. While this equipment is necessary, staff must ensure that any such items are positioned out of the way and they must not allow the aisles to be obstructed or littered with slip or trip risks.  The Supermarkets must also ensure that products and produce items are stacked properly to avoid the risk of items falling onto customers.

Hazard warning signs

Any potential hazard within the Supermarket should be clearly marked with a warning sign. The existence of a dangerous hazard does not necessarily mean it will cause injury, but if it does, and there was no hazard sign erected or steps taken to warn customers or prevent the hazard from causing injury, you are likely to have a valid claim for compensation. In this circumstance, the Supermarket is likely to be seen as having been negligent and therefore liable for your injuries by failing to provide a warning of a foreseeable risk to your safety.

However, even if a hazard sign is present you may still be able to make a successful claim. For example, the Supermarket has a leaking freezer unit in their store. The floor gets wet and they call out an engineer. If they erect the yellow hazard sign and believe that they’ve covered themselves and taken reasonable steps to warn shoppers of a potential hazard. However if they just erected a sign and didn’t bother calling the engineer and left the unit leaking for weeks and weeks, the sign would become redundant and they would still be liable for not removing a known hazard in a reasonable time frame.  Also, the hazard warning sign needs to clearly indicate where the possible hazard is situated.  If a hazard sign is place slightly out of view, or obstructed by stock or not exactly where the slip risk is situated, the sign is redundant and of no use.

Proving who is at fault for a supermarket accident

The courts have been very fair when considering claims against a Supermarket or shop.  Let’s be honest, a customer can easily drop an egg, knock a bottle from a shelf and spill some liquid on the floor. They don’t always report it to a staff member and often just walk off. The next customer could come round the corner within seconds and slip on the spillage and be injured. Would it then be fair for the supermarket to be liable and would you have a valid claim for the slip? In this scenario, you would not have a valid claim.  The courts have noted that Supermarkets have large premises to monitor and they can’t be expected to see every spillage as it happens, have a hazard warning sign erected instantly and the spillage or slip risk removed within minutes.

When defending a claim, if the Supermarket can show that they had taken every precaution to properly monitor their store by way of a cleaning and inspection regime and checked the area where you fell shortly before you did and located no spillage or hazard, the courts will find in favour of the Supermarket. For example, Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and the other main chains have a 30-minute cleaning regime in place. This is where a worker inspects the floors of the aisles every 30 minutes for hazards, spillages and other cleaning work. The staff member should then erect a warning sign if any hazards are found, before instructing a cleaner to remove the hazard. They will then sign an inspection report. This gives them adequate time to manage their often very large floor space and demonstrates that they have taken every care.

It is however, pretty easy for such reports to be forged or signed off without an inspection having taken place. Furthermore, it is often pretty easy to prove that the store didn’t follow a strict 30 minute cleaning regime due to it being busy, under-staffed or simply forgotten.

What to do if you have been injured in a supermarket

  1. Report the incident. Make sure that you report your accident at the earliest opportunity to a staff member and ensure that an accurate version of events is entered into an accident book. Make sure you note the cause of your injury and any lack of hazard warning signs etc. Though it is ideally best to do so, you don’t have to report it immediately – many people are shocked and/or embarrassed and just want to get out of the shop. It’s perfectly reasonable to report it later.  You can return to the store or email them to report the accident and list any injuries.  Provide as much information as possible including date, time and location – you may also want to request that they retain any CCTV footage of the accident.
  2. Witness details. If anyone helps you because you have been injured in a supermarket, try to get their name and contact number if you can. This will greatly help your claim and provide additional evidence to support it.
  3. Photographic evidence. If you are in serious immediate pain and discomfort, you’re unlikely to be thinking about taking a photograph of a wet floor or other hazard. However, if you can take a photo or two of what you slipped or tripped on, it may be really useful in forcing the 3rd party to admit liability.
  4. Medical treatment. Make sure that you see your GP, or attend A&E at the earliest opportunity. As soon as you are aware of any injury that is not simply a minor bruise, you should seek medical attention. To have the best chance of succeeding with a claim, it is important to be able to provide medical evidence.
  5. Expenses. Keep a record of any expenses you incur as a result of injuries. If you have receipts for costs such as prescriptions, taxi fares, parking, care or any other cost you have incurred, you may be able to claim those back. If you are unable to work because of your injuries and do not receive sickness pay, you may well be able to reclaim any lost income alongside a settlement to cover the pain and discomfort caused by your injuries.

How much can you claim for being injured in a supermarket?

The value of any final compensation settlement that you can claim after being injured in a Supermarket is calculated from the severity of the injury, your financial losses and the impact on your quality of life. Our specialist Solicitors will claim for the following on your behalf:

  • The pain and distress caused to you by the injuries sustained
  • Associated costs and losses
  • Lost earnings if you have been away from work as a result of the accident
  • Medical treatments, rehabilitation therapies and post accident care
  • Restrictions on your ability to fulfil your usual activities and social life
  • Miscellaneous expenses (bus fares, painkillers etc)

Compensation amounts for common injuries after a fall

Most Supermarket claims arise after someone is injured in a fall, so below we’ve listed some values for common fall injuries based on guidelines issued by the courts:

Type of injuryCompensation amount
Neck injury£2,000 - £140,000
Minor brain or head injury£2,070 - £11,980
Finger injury£4,000 - £85,000
Wrist injury£3,310 - £44,690
Hip or pelvis injury£3,710 - £24,950
Fractured forearm£6,190 - £18,020
Permanent back injury£11,730 - £26,050
Serious shoulder injury£11,980 - £18,020
Ankle injury£12,900 - £46,980

What do I need to make a supermarket accident claim?

These are the main criteria you need to check to see if you can claim with our no win no fee Supermarket accident Solicitors:

  • Was the accident the Supermarket’s fault?
  • Did you report the accident and your injuries?
  • Have you sought medical treatment from your GP or hospital?
  • If not, are your injuries still presenting symptoms that your GP can diagnose?

If you haven’t done any of this already, don’t worry, we’re here to help. To see if you can claim after your Supermarket accident, please call our team on 01225 430285, or if you prefer, we can call you back.

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Comments & Questions

Read on for questions and advice about claiming, plus supermarket injury claim examples...

A huge amount of large water bottles fell on me as i was trying to retrieve one and it hurt my arm, i have a photo, they were bellowing at a lower level

Ian Morris

Supermarkets and shops have a duty of care under the Occupier Liability Act that requires them to take every reasonable precaution to ensure that customers and visitors are safe from hazards or accidents whilst on their premises. This duty of care extends to safely displaying and stacking stock so that customers can view and access the goods of their choice safely.

In this case, it would seem that the water bottles had been stacked dangerously and in a way that may lead to injury – as has been the case for you. With this in mind, our view is that you appear to have a valid basis upon which to start a claim for compensation.

For further help and to find out more about your rights and how our No Win No Fee service can assist you, please call us on 01225430285 or use our website to request a call from us.

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I had collected a trolley from the bay outside the store and completed my shopping and paid for all the items. I was leaving the store when the trolley suddenly locked and my right leg and ankle cracked off the trolley giving me immediate pain. I was approached by a staff member asking for my receipt. When it transpired that I had paid he asked if I was okay. He explained that this happens where a customer leaves without paying so he couldn’t explain why it had happened. This was on 22nd December. I reported it as an incident to the store and was told the CCTV would be looked at and the matter would be passed to the ASDA head office. Next morning I received a call from a different manager telling me that the matter was being reported to head office but that there are warnings on signs at the door. I asked him if the only reason he called was to tell me about the signs as I had already been advised about the matter being reported. I have since been to A & E for an x-ray as the pain is getting worse but nothing is broken. I believe I may have a bruised bone affecting my foot, ankle and lower shin.

Ian Morris

Please call us on 01225430285 as we would like to speak with you and assist with your claim for compensation. Alternatively, you can request a call by using our website claim form or emailing your contact number to us.

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My husband sliced his big toe wide open on a metal outer strip of on a door matt at the entrance of co op.
He reported it the incident and it was entered into the accident book.
His foot is bandaged and in terrible pain. Tomorrow he will be seeking medical treatment. He can not wear shoe as it is too painful. Can he claim for loss of earnings as he can not walk/drive?

Ian Morris

We believe your Husband has a valid basis upon which to pursue a claim for compensation for the injury to his foot and the impact on his mobility, independence and day-to-day activities as a result. We can assist with a claim on a No Win No Fee basis which if successful, would see a settlement obtained for the pain and discomfort caused to him by the injury and also recovery of any lost income or costs incurred as a result of the incident.

Your Husband has strengthened his position by ensuring that his details were entered in to the accident book within the store and if he does seek medical attention, that will further improve his prospects of succeeding with this matter.

Please call us on 01225430285 or use our website to request a call from us in order to take this matter further.

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Can you claim against a supermarket if there have left a broken jar on the shelf and I’ve gone to pick it up not knowing it was broken and it’s sliced my thumb open ..staff was rude to myself while I was bleeding all over the floor but the first aiders was lovely.. there was no cctv on that lane but ive got photos

Ian Morris

We have undertaken a number of claims of this nature and can assist you.

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While shopping in tesco’s a member of staff dropped two glass jars of sauce i felt something hit my eye and had splashes of sauce on my shirt. i went to there opticians they said although they could see anything i should go to hospital which i did a couple of days later again they where unsure and now i am waiting to see the someone at the eye clinic, do i have a case even if everything is clear?

Ian Morris

Much will depend on what the specialist Ophthalmologist at the Hospital has to say. If they can identify the cause of your eye problem being linked to the dropped glass jars, it may then be possible to pursue a claim. However, unless the incident was recorded in the Supermarket’s accident book, listing your details it will be very difficult to succeed with any action.

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My daughter fell in toilets in a supermarket and was wet. She bit her lip and caused a nasty open lip with her bleeding lots and her two front teeth bleeding around her teeth an gums. Is this enough to sue them or not?

Ian Morris

The accident scenario that you describe would certainly indicate that making a claim for personal injury compensation is a viable option. To give any potential claim the best possible prospects of succeeding, it is important that the accident details are on record with the business in question. As such, if the staff didn’t complete an accident book entry at the time, you should contact the company in question and seek to have the details recorded in writing. Also, if the injuries are sufficiently serious, ensure that medical attention is obtained. Alternatively, you can document any initial injury and subsequent scarring with photographs.

Our Solicitors would be more than happy to further pursue this matter on a No Win No Fee basis for your Daughter. For further help, please either call us on 01225430285 or use our website form so that we can start the ball rolling for you.

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A cashier broke a bottle and I got cut what should I do?

Ian Morris

You need to make sure that there is a written report (accident book entry or similar) listing the incident and that any injuries are treated by a Doctor or at an NHS walk-in-clinic/A&E. If an accident book wasn’t completed at the time, you should write to the shop or company in question outlining what happened.

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Whilst visiting Sainsbury’s on Sunday 12th February, I had a nasty fall in the car park as a result of tripping over a damaged rainwater grille which had been left sticking up. I grazed both my palms trying to break my fall and then fell onto my left side, grazing and bruising my left elbow. The force of the fall has also resulted in a sore left wrist and left knee (think it may have twisted as I fell) and a very tender top of my left arm which is painful when I lift my arm above shoulder height (no bruising so not sure if a result of the impact of hitting the floor or a pulled muscle from how I fell). My shopping was thrown out of my bag with a couple of items burst open. I collected up my shopping and returned to the store and went to customer services to report the accident. They just took a not of my name and my phone number on a piece of paper. I took photo’s of the trip hazard and my hands.

Whilst explaining what happened I did get very upset and was visibly shaken, I think the shock of what had just happened hit me quite hard. The young man at customer services offered me a tissue and called for a manager. My damaged items were replaced and he came out to the car park to see what I had tripped over and placed a traffic cone over what was obviously a safety hazard. He apologised for what had happened. Still upset I got into my car and left. 3 days on I’ve had no follow-up call and whilst I’m still a little stiff with a few marks on my palms I don’t think any long term injuries, only the embarrassment of such a public fall. Is there any case for a claim?

Ian Morris

There is certainly a case to pursue a claim in this matter and we would be happy to assist you in doing so. Please call us on 01225430285 or request a call via the simple form on our website and we’ll be more than happy to explain your rights and how we can help you on a No Win No Fee basis.

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Shopping in aldi there was a lot of stock piled up being put out 4 boxes fell off on to me hitting my leg

Ian Morris

Subject to the severity of your injury meeting the required threshold, you have a valid claim for personal injury compensation. Please contact us in order that we can further discuss the incident with you and the injuries sustained so that we can advise you further and help you to make your claim for compensation.

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I parked my car in a morrisons carpark on Tuesday, it was 5pm so it was dark and wet. I got out of my car a walked to the end of the carparking space when I turned my right ankle over having stepped down a drainage hole which had the large metal grill that allows water to pass through completely missing. I managed to avoid falling over completely but in doing this i have pulled my shoulder and my lower back has been aching not to mention my right ankle which has caused me pain since Tuesday. I went into the store and mentioned straight away to the security guard on the door that i had just nearly fallen having gone over on my ankle stepping down and uncovered hole, on my inspection of the parking space there were a further 2 other uncovered drainage holes on either side of my space. The security guard asked if i was okay and that the complaint about the same holes had already been made to head office but they still had not got them fixed. I really feel these 2 spaces should have had some cones and tape to close them for public use as i fear someone will snap their ankle or leg soon if this matter is not dealt with soon. I have never put a claim in about anything, however i really feel this is dangerous and irresponsible of the company to have not sectioned off the spaces.
If you could advise in this matter i would be most grateful. Kind Regards Kate

Ian Morris

We believe you have a valid claim against the company in question as they appear to have been negligent. Please call us on 01225430285 or use our website to start your No Win No Fee claim for compensation.

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I was hit by a large click and collect trolley in Asda, I made an accident report and have been dealing with DACBeechcroft for over 8 months now they said I need a solicitor

Ian Morris

Please email further details (along with your contact information) to us at justice@direct2compensation.co.uk – we can then further consider the matter and have our specialist Solicitors act for you on a No Win No Fee basis.

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I was in aldi and was at the milk carton shelf as I pulled the carton of milk out of the shelf the milk fell down some on the floor and one on me. I moved pretty fast and hurt the top of my shoulder and neck because of this the assistant manager was alerted and wrote my information down on the system.

I’m seeing a gp about this as I’m in abit of pain. This obviously wasn’t my fault and was due to the milk carton area being stacked the way it was. Is this something I can put a claim in for?

Ian Morris

We can certainly pursue a claim for compensation for you. The fact that the assistant manager recorded your details in their accident book and that you have made an appointment to see a GP means that there will be appropriate evidence in place to support your claim and our Solicitors can act on a No Win No Fee basis for you.

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I was in Lidl and a worker pushed a crate into my hip, at the time I was confused and just accepted her apology and left without telling manager. Since bring home I’ve seen bruises and pain, can I still claim?

Ian Morris

In short, the right to pursue a claim remains open to you. In order to protect your rights, you should make sure that Lidl are made aware of the incident in writing. Depending on how long ago the incident happened, you can either return to the store (if it was recent, this is perhaps the best course of action) or make contact with the company via email. You should state clearly what happened and list the details of any injuries or symptoms caused to you.

You should also document your injuries. The best way of doing so is by seeing your GP, but an alternative initially is to photograph any bruising or visible injury.

Reply

Hi on Saturday I was shopping in Asda. As I walking past the freezers, I slipped on something wet on the floor. 2 members of staff saw and I told them what happened and showed them my knee which had skin off it. I then left as I felt rather silly, but as I was walking out I told the security guy who monitors the cctv footage and he said he would look into it.

My knee was a bit sore at the time, but today as I was walking around the town my knee was hurting and is very sore to touch.

Ian Morris

It is important that you follow up your verbal report of the incident to the staff members and security guard by ensuring that a written report of the incident is made. You can either return to the store in person or make contact with the company via email or telephone to outline what happened, giving as much information as possible in terms of time, location etc.

We can assist you in claiming compensation for the injury to your knee. You should seek medical attention – whether that be a GP appointment (telephone consultation will suffice) or by attending a walk-in-clinic, in order to ensure that medical evidence is available to support any future claim.

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Hi there, I fell in Tescos last Tuesday. There was water on the floor. A staff member tried to suggest it was because I was wearing flip flops. Management came and were very efficient. I have two photos and in one the staff member can be seen wiping the floor. It was very upsetting. My knee swelled and I had to attend minor injuries unit where I was given pain killers, antiiinflamatories, and support for the knee. Tesco rang the following morning to see how I was and said they would cover any medical costs incurred. Thankfully I am fine, just annoyed with the attitude of the staff member. There was no signage up and it was a warm dry day

Ian Morris

Given the cause of your accident being a wet floor with no hazard sign on display, to pursue a claim for personal injury compensation would be an appropriate course of action. Tesco’s failure to have a hazard warning sign on display may well constitute negligence on their part and they would therefore be liable for any losses or costs you incur (as well as injury compensation), should you then succeed with a claim.

As you have been to minor injuries and have inflammation within the knee, your injury would meet the required severity to pursue a claim for compensation and our specialist Solicitors can assist you in doing so on a No Win No Fee basis.

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Hello, I fell In Tesco’s today on some sort of liquid that was on the floor no signs were showing to be careful, until I fell then Tesco put a notice up. I landed on my bum/back. As this happened as member of staff was right behind me and saw the whole thing. I reported this incident with Tesco’s. My back is still hurting now and this happened today at about 18:10 today. Do you think I have a claim ?

Ian Morris

We can certainly help you to make a claim in this circumstance.

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I was shopping in marks and Spencer’s In Scarborough on Saturday 6th aug 2022 looking at clothes. Suddenlly a sale sign above my head fell on to the corner of my head. It was hard thick plastic and clearly not secured on top of the rail. It made a red mark and drew a bit of blood and I felt really dizzy. I text my daughter who was shopping with me but had taken her daughter upstairs to the toilet.

She came down straight away and went to the cashier to tell them what had happened. All they did was take my details and said sorry. The shop assistant took the sign back over to where it came from and was trying to fit it back on.

I could not drive back home for a few hours has I had a headache and felt dizzy. I sat on a bench outside the store and everything around me was spinning. My daughter got me a drink and some paracetamols then after a few hours I drove slowly home. This is the second day that I have had headache.

Ian Morris

As the details of the incident were recorded within the store by the staff who took your details, we can help you to make a claim for personal injury compensation.

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I was pushing my 1 year old daughter at Aldi in a trolly, my other daughter 5yrs of age stood on the side of the and the trolly tipped over and my daughter has smashed her lip, there was no handle on the trolly! I didn’t realise there was no handle on it. It was a faulty trolly and I have reported it to Aldi and they have said it’s a serious matter and they will be taking it further, it was all on camera and they didn’t do an accident form. My daughter was pouring out of blood from the mouth and they took the faulty trolly away. Is this a claim on there half as there shouldn’t of been a faulty trolly on display ?

Ian Morris

You can pursue a claim on behalf of your daughter and we can help you to do so on a No Win No Fee basis.

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In the tesco car park whilst loading the car my partners arm was cut open by a screw hanging out of a sign in the car park. It was dark and there were no lights and we have photos of the open screw and his injury (bleeding cut). Do we have a case?

Ian Morris

The injury and importantly the cause of the injury that you have described, indicates that there are valid grounds to pursue a claim for personal injury compensation. Ideally, the incident was reported to the Supermarket company at the time – but if not, it would be prudent to make a written report to them.

We would like to hear further from your Partner and given that there are photographs to support the claim, it would be best to email them to us at justice@direct2compensation.co.uk along with a name and contact details so that we can review the matter and contact you to further discuss a No Win No Fee claim for compensation.

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My lace got caught on a travelator at an Asda (my laces were fully tied) and I face planted on the floor and cut my right elbow. I had pain and discomfort for a few days after and swelling, so I went to hospital to be told I had an infection which was caused by a foreign body entering the wound when my arm was cut connecting with the floor.

Asda are denying liability, because no one asked me to do a claims form? However I did email their customer care about the incident a few days after. Asda have showed no compassion and just told me I had to do a 100mile trip to complete an accident report form, but offered no travel expenses to do so. Do I have a case?

Ian Morris

Not withstanding the severity of your injury or otherwise, we need to look at the cause of your fall and ascertain whether or not liability could attach (were the business in question negligent and could the accident have been avoided if they had done things differently?). In this case, it would appear that there is no fault or disrepair with the travelator and that your lace simply caught in the travelator by chance. Our initial assessment is that you are unlikely to have a valid claim for personal injury compensation given the circumstances of your fall.

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