From Austria to America, to Slovenia to the UK, ALDI (Albrecht Diskont) is a popular supermarket wherever you go. The well-known discounted prices of this German retail chain have earned it a large and loyal customer base all over the world.
One of the guiding principles behind Aldi is offering the best working environment for their employees. Aldi is also known for being a no-frills supermarket that maintains neat and non-crowded shelves in all its stores.
Despite this, an accident leading to an injury is still something that can occur in an Aldi store. It comes down to the high number of people coming in and out of Aldi supermarkets on a daily basis, which can be hundreds of thousands on a busy day.
Since supermarket owners have a legal obligation to ensure the safety of both their customers and employees, suffering an injury in or around an Aldi supermarket is sufficient grounds to file for an accident compensation claim (dependent on the circumstances).
Below, we will be delving more into Aldi accident claims and what goes into filing for compensation after getting injured in a supermarket.
What Does UK Law Say About Supermarket Accidents?
Where injury-inducing accidents are concerned, the supermarket environment is bound by two laws. They include the Occupiers Liability Act 1957 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
The occupier’s liability act charges owners/occupiers of premises (such as a supermarket) with the legal obligation of taking reasonable care to maintain a safe environment for anyone who passes through.
On the other hand, the 1974 Health & Safety at Work Act is a piece of legislation that holds employers (supermarket owners in this case) accountable for the safety and wellbeing of employees and clients, and also outlines the duties that employees have to the public and each other.
Thanks to these laws, both customers and employees have the right to file a compensation claim when injured in or around the premises of a supermarket. The affected party has a time limit of 3-years from the date of the accident to take legal action.
However, in order to do this, the claimant has to prove that the accident was because of someone else’s irresponsible or negligent acts. Negligence can be anything from an employee failing to clean up a spill in good time, to a store manager acting irresponsibly by hiring untrained workers.
It could also result from a supermarket owner failing in their legal duty of maintaining a safe shopping and working environment.
Claiming Accident Compensation As An Aldi Customer
Whenever you walk into any supermarket, including Aldi, you will always find several attendants and they are there for a reason.
Apart from arranging items on shelves and pointing you to your preferred goods section, these employees are also there to ensure your safety. That is because there are many ways in which accidents can happen in a supermarket setting if not prevented.
The Most Common Supermarket Accidents Tend To Include:
- A slip, trip & fall: For instance, this could result from spillage of beverages, slipping on icy pavement, a wet floor brought on by leaking freezer or a cleaning residue that has not been dried.
- Falls outside: For example, these could happen because of a pothole or uneven footpaths in the supermarket car park.
- Losing your balance over a loose tile/carpet floor or tripping over floor space clutter – such as neglected trolleys, unpacked items, product packaging or empty boxes
- A heavy blow from an item that falls off a shelf, or from faulty supermarket built-in fittings and equipment such as lighting or product stands
Claiming Accident Compensation As An Aldi Employee
Most people assume that customers are the only ones that can suffer an injury in a supermarket setting.
The truth is that supermarket workers are just as vulnerable and can also fall victim to harm stemming from their employers’ negligence. A few common examples of this include:
- Falling off a rickety/unstable ladder whilst stacking shelves
- Suffering a back injury from lifting heavy or extremely bulky items
- Getting injured by supermarket machinery (e.g. forklifts)
- Having a stack of crates fall on you whilst taking products out of storage
- Cuts and bruises from not having the proper personal protective gear (e.g. heavy duty gloves) when handling or arranging supermarket products
Things To Do Before Pursuing A Supermarket Accident Claim
Whether you are a customer or employee who has suffered an accident in an Aldi supermarket, the process of making a compensation claim remains the same. You will need to demonstrate that a store owner/employee acted recklessly/failed in their duty of care, which then led to an accident that left you with injuries.
It is possible to have a strong case if you take the necessary pre-trial steps, to avoid losing or jeopardising your right to compensation.
As soon as the accident happens, you should try to:
Gather As Much Evidence As Possible
Try to take pictures of your injury as well as the accident scene, along with shots of what caused it. It is also helpful to collect details of any good samaritans at the scene, who saw what happened, who are willing to provide witness statements.
Ask To Have The Incident Logged
Supermarkets are legally required to have an official accident book. It is a record of any incident involving members of the public or employees, detailing when and where it happened.
If the store manager refuses to make a record of the accident, speak to your HR department or ask a senior colleague to note down the accident details and keep a signed copy. Having an official record of the accident will help your claims case immensely.
After Leaving The Scene Of The Accident, You Should:
Seek Medical Attention
It is essential to get the correct treatment, even if you think the injury isn’t all that serious (e.g. a slight blow to the head) as some injuries can worsen unexpectedly. See your GP or other medical professional, so that your medical records will capture the degree of injury sustained and how it occurred.
Avoid Signing Any Medical Release Or Liability Waiver Forms
Don’t do this without seeking independent legal advice, even if the supermarket legal representative promises to take care of your medical bills and offers some form of compensation.
Get In Touch With A Solicitor
A legal expert hired by you is the only person that will truly have your best interests at heart in an Aldi accident claim.
A personal injury solicitor will have an idea of the amount of compensation that is due to you and will, therefore, work hard to get you the maximum settlement.
What Can Negate An Aldi Accident Claim?
Proving that there was negligence (or inaction in the face of a risky situation) is crucial to winning an Aldi accident claim. Therefore, this means there are some instances where you may not have a winnable case, even if you were injured in a supermarket setting.
For example, this can be the case if the accident happened in the face of:
1. Extraneous Circumstances
Sometimes, a supermarket accident can result from the injured party being in the wrong place at the right time.
For instance, a customer can accidentally drop a bottle of soda just as another individual is walking by, resulting in a slip accident. Accidents that happen due to unavoidable bad luck are unlikely to be valid in a compensation claim.
2. Any Form Of Timely Warning
Despite a store having the very best of health and safety policies in place, spills can happen or boxes/trolleys abandoned along customer pathways. It is up to the supermarket attendants to act immediately and get rid of safety hazards, before they can cause harm.
For instance, wet floors and spillages ought to be dealt with as soon as they occur. Additionally, customers should be kept away from the area with the use of a warning sign. As long as a supermarket takes all the necessary precautions, it could be free of blame.
3. Personal Fault
A supermarket accident can be of your own making. Perhaps you ventured into an area that is not meant for customers (e.g. the storage room) and got hurt.
Or maybe you missed a step and fell down a flight of stairs due to walking whilst texting. Contributory negligence (i.e. being partly to blame for the accident) may be enough to have a case dismissed, or a potential compensation payment greatly reduced.
What Is The Average Payout For A Supermarket Accident?
The consequences of a supermarket accident vary in severity. A slip and fall accident alone can result in a sprained ankle, broken arm, fractured vertebrae, broken wrist or a host of other possible injuries.
Similarly, individuals who suffer a blow-related accident can find themselves facing minor bruising or something a little more serious like a gash or open wound. Because of this, it is hard to put a specific number on expected compensation from an Aldi accident claim.
Every case is different and will receive a unique compensation amount. The court, however, follows the guidelines set by the Judicial College when awarding damages for personal injury.
Based on past cases, Aldi accident claims could receive the following ballpark figures when it comes to compensation amounts.
- £525 to £1,050 for minor injuries such as bruising, cuts, or mild concussion where full recovery takes 7 to 10 days
- £1,050 to over £5,000 for a slightly more serious injury such as sprained muscles or a shoulder injury that takes weeks or months to heal
- £5,000 and above for broken/fractured bone injuries
- £15,000 to £100,000+ for severe traumatic injuries, with back, neck, and brain injuries receiving the highest payouts
These figures can increase when you add the payout for recovering all the additional expenses. For instance, you are entitled to claim for out-of-pocket costs for treating the injury (medication, physio, transport costs etc) as well as compensation for lost wages.
It is important to note, however, that these figures are only a representation of possible amounts and are in no way guaranteed or specific to your claim.
Whether your injury is minor or serious, the bottom line is that you do not visit a supermarket as a customer, or work in one as an employee, and expect to be involved in an accident.
If you have been injured in a supermarket setting in the last 3-years and it was someone else’s fault, see below.
Need Help Starting Your Aldi Accident Claim?
You can start you claim on your own however, if you would like some advice to help with an Aldi accident claim (or any other supermarket for that matter), we can help you get in touch with someone ready to assist and get your claim started on a no-win-no-fee arrangement.
Simply fill in the form below and an experienced claims advisor will contact you to discuss your case and offer free, no-obligation advice.
