Compensation for an Accident in a Supermarket Car Park

Do I have a claim for compensation for an accident in a supermarket car park if the wheels of the trolley I was pushing back to my car got trapped in a drain and toppled over? I fell at the same time as the trolley and badly cut my head.

Eoin P. Campbell, LL.B., Solicitor

Editor in Chief

Eoin P. Campbell

Question:

Do I have a claim for compensation for an accident in a supermarket car park if the wheels of the trolley I was pushing back to my car got trapped in a drain and toppled over? I fell at the same time as the trolley and badly cut my head.

Answer:

The likelihood is that that you will be able to claim compensation for the accident in a supermarket car park, but there are certain procedures that you may need to complete first if you have not done so already.
After sustaining a cut to your head after a fall in a supermarket car park, the first thing you should have done is have your injury professionally administered to. Supermarkets such as Tesco, Dunnes Stores, SuperValu and Superquinn often contain pharmacy departments with trained first aiders, but even if you received preliminary medical attention at the scene of your accident, it is still important that you undergo a professional medical examination at a hospital or your family doctor. Not only is this important for the good of your health but, before you can make any claim for compensation for an accident in a supermarket car park, an injury has to be recorded on your medical notes.

Once you have received professional medical attention, you should return to the supermarket and report your accident and injury to the supermarket management. A record of your accident and injury should be made in the supermarket´s “Accident Report Book” and you should keep a copy for yourself to support your fall in a supermarket car park compensation claim. The supermarket management may acknowledge there and then that they are liable for your accident in their supermarket car park and make you an offer of compensation. Although their offer of compensation may be fair and adequate, it may be in your best interests to next speak with a solicitor and establish how much compensation for an accident in a supermarket car park you may be entitled to.

Many solicitors offer an initial consultation without charge and it may be that the solicitor is able to use his or her experience to maximise the value of your accident in a supermarket car park compensation claim. Factors such as how your injury affected your quality of life and whether your fall in the supermarket car park has left you with a visible scar will be discussed as well as the supermarket´s willingness to acknowledge their liability for your injuries. Although speaking with a solicitor may still mean that your claim for an accident in a supermarket car park has to be processed by the Injuries Board Ireland, it may result in you receiving a higher injury compensation settlement than you may otherwise have got, and in a shorter period of time.