Unfortunately, it is a common occurrence for slip and fall incidents to occur. Usually some sort of food or liquid is spilt on the floor and has not been cleaned up by the centre in a reasonable time. People are busy shopping, looking for items to purchase and do not notice that something is on the floor. At other times, the food or liquid is difficult to see as it may be clear and unnoticeable.
A person may unknowingly walk in the substance, slip, loose their balance and fall. At times they fall directly onto the floor and at other times they fall into something. Either situation can cause serious injuries.
Always seek help and report any incident of this nature to the centre. Do your best to take note of the names of those who assist you and those who have witnessed the incident. Also take note of the substance on the floor, where it may have come from, what it looks like and whether there are any indications to suggest how long it may have been on the floor for (trolley marks going through the substance, prior skid marks/shoe prints around the substance, dirt on/in the substance etc). If you are able to, take a photograph of the substance on the floor and a photograph indicating the location of the substance within the centre.
At times, centres may offer you minimal compensation to settle the matter, sometimes in the form of vouchers. However tempting this may be, it is always wise to first seek the assistance of an experienced lawyer to guide you. You may be entitled to a lot more.
We can help you navigate the process of establishing liability against the centre. This can be a complex process and involves verifying when the spillage occurred and whether the centre had a reasonable cleaning system in place, functionable at the time of the incident. If it is not possible to verify when the spillage occurred, the Court may decide against a centre if on the balance of probabilities your injury would not have occurred had the centre complied with its duty of care.
McAuley Lawyers has accredited specialists who act in matters of this nature on a ‘no win, no fee basis’.
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