What to Do After Slipping in a Supermarket

Slipping in a UK supermarket is more common than most people realise — major chains including Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Lidl, Aldi, Iceland, Waitrose, and Co-op together handle billions of customer visits annually, and slip incidents occur regularly. The steps you take immediately after the slip substantially affect your ability to recover compensation. UK supermarkets have specific legal duties under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 — they must maintain reasonably safe premises for customers. Common slip causes include spillages not cleaned promptly, wet floors without warning signs, defective flooring, recently mopped floors, and external wet conditions tracked indoors. The leading case Ward v Tesco Stores establishes that supermarkets must demonstrate reasonable inspection systems to defend slip claims. Acting quickly to preserve evidence, particularly CCTV, is essential.

In this guide

Immediate Steps at the Scene
Reporting the Incident
CCTV — The Critical Evidence
Witness Details
Medical Attention
In the Following Days
The Legal Framework
What Compensation You Could Receive
Time Limits
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Engaging Specialist Solicitors
Common Questions After Supermarket Slip
Related Guides
Our Partner's Fees Explained
Check If You Could Claim Compensation For Your Injury

This guide walks through exactly what to do after slipping in a UK supermarket — at the scene, in the following hours, in the days afterwards, and how to start a compensation claim if appropriate.

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Immediate Steps at the Scene

Step 1: Stay Where You Are If Possible

Important for evidence:

Don’t move from the spot immediately unless dangerous
Other customers can witness
Staff can see what caused the slip
The hazard remains visible

Step 2: Get Help

Call for store staff
Ask for the duty manager
Get first aid if needed
Call 999 for serious injuries

Step 3: Document the Hazard

Before it’s cleaned up:

Photograph the substance/cause of slip
Photograph the area broadly
Photograph any warning signs (or absence)
Photograph nearby aisle markers for location

Step 4: Look Around

Note immediately:

Type of substance (water, oil, food product)
How long does it appear to have been there?
Dirty footprints or trolley tracks through it?
CCTV cameras visible
Nearby warning signs (or absence)
Time precisely

Reporting the Incident

Insist on an Incident Report

Critical step:

Ask the manager to complete an incident form
Don’t leave without it being completed
Read it carefully before signing
Get a copy if possible

What the Report Should Include

Date and exact time
Your name and contact details
Detailed description of what happened
Exact location in store (aisle, section)
Cause of slip identified
Your injuries
Witnesses
Staff involved

Be Careful What You Say

Don’t admit you were rushing
Don’t admit not looking where going
Don’t apologise
Describe facts only
Don’t accept characterisations like “trivial accident”

Major UK Supermarket Procedures

Major chains have established procedures:

Tesco — specific incident reporting
Sainsbury’s — specific procedures
Asda — specific procedures
Morrisons — specific procedures
All should have store-specific accident forms

CCTV — The Critical Evidence

Most UK Supermarkets Have CCTV

Coverage typically includes:

Most aisles
Specific high-risk areas (entrances, produce)
Checkout areas
Storage and back-of-house

CCTV Retention

Typically 28-90 days
Some chains shorter
After this period, automatically overwritten
Critical to preserve quickly

Preservation Letter

Specialist solicitors immediately:

Send formal preservation letter to supermarket
Request specific time period of footage
Ensure relevant footage retained
Failure to preserve may support negligence

What CCTV Shows

For slip claims:

How long the hazard was present
How frequently staff passed (showing inspection failures)
The slip itself
Staff response
Specific dispute resolution

Witness Details

Get Other Customers’ Details

Critical for claims:

Full names
Personal mobile numbers (not work)
Personal email addresses
Brief description of what they saw

Independent Witnesses Most Valuable

Particularly:

Other customers not connected to you
People who saw the hazard before you
People who saw staff response
People who can confirm timing

Staff Witnesses

Names of staff involved
Names on name badges
Roles (cashier, manager, cleaner)
Sometimes valuable witnesses

Medical Attention

Don’t Minimise Your Injuries

Common mistake:

Adrenaline masks pain initially
Some injuries develop hours/days later
Saying “I’m fine” can hurt later claim
Better to over-report than under-report

A&E for Serious Concerns

Particularly for:

Hip or thigh pain (potential fracture)
Head injuries
Back pain after impact
Wrist pain (very common breaking-fall injury)
Inability to bear weight

GP Within 48 Hours

Even for apparently minor symptoms:

Documented medical record critical
Note exactly how injury occurred
Specific symptoms reported
Treatment recommendations

Common Supermarket Slip Injuries

Wrist fractures (breaking falls)
Hip fractures (particularly elderly)
Back injuries
Head injuries
Knee and shoulder injuries
Soft tissue injuries

In the Following Days

Get Your Incident Report Copy

If not provided at scene:

Contact store directly
Request formally in writing
Subject Access Request under GDPR if needed
Specialist solicitors handle as standard

Document Everything

Detailed written account while fresh
Receipts for treatment
Lost earnings from time off
Care provided by family
Damaged clothing/possessions

Don’t Engage with Supermarket Insurance

Without legal advice:

Don’t accept early settlements
Don’t give recorded statements
Don’t sign documents
Refer to specialist solicitor

The Legal Framework

Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957

Supermarkets owe customers:

Reasonable safety in using premises
“Common duty of care”
Higher duty for known vulnerable customers
Specific consideration of foreseeable customer behaviour

Ward v Tesco Stores (1976)

The leading UK case:

Establishes reverse burden of proof in slip cases
Once claimant proves slip on supermarket-controlled substance, burden shifts to supermarket
Supermarket must show reasonable inspection system
Substantial UK precedent

What Supermarkets Must Prove

To defend slip claim:

Reasonable inspection regime in place
Inspection actually carried out
Hazard would not have been visible at last inspection
Specific cleaning procedures
Adequate staffing

Why Claims Succeed

Hazard present too long without detection
Inspection records inadequate or absent
Staffing inadequate for inspection requirements
Specific failures despite procedures

What Compensation You Could Receive

Typical Settlement Ranges

Minor soft tissue injuries (full recovery) — typically £1,500-£5,000
Moderate injuries (significant sprains, minor fractures) — typically £5,000-£20,000
Significant injuries (substantial fractures requiring surgery) — typically £20,000-£75,000
Severe injuries (hip fracture, head injury) — typically £75,000-£250,000
Catastrophic injuries (severe head injury, multiple fractures) — typically £250,000-£3 million+

Special Damages

Lost earnings
Treatment costs
Care costs
Damaged personal items
Future treatment

See our supermarket accident claims guide.

Time Limits

Standard 3-year time limit from accident date. For children, time runs from 18th birthday. Important: CCTV preservation is time-critical (typically 28-90 days), so quick action substantially helps. See our time limits guide.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

At the Scene

Leaving without reporting
Saying “I’m fine” when not sure
Apologising for being clumsy
Not photographing the hazard
Not getting witness details
Accepting verbal assurances

Afterwards

Delaying medical attention
Accepting first insurance offer
Not engaging specialist solicitor
Discussing case on social media
Posting about activities that could undermine claim

During the Claim

Speaking to supermarket insurance without legal advice
Giving recorded statements without solicitor
Signing documents without review
Missing medical appointments

Engaging Specialist Solicitors

When to Get Legal Advice

Promptly, particularly for:

Any injury beyond very minor
Time off work
Substantial property damage
Disputed liability
CCTV preservation needs

No Win No Fee — Standard for supermarket claims:

No upfront fees
Success fee capped at 25% of general damages and past losses
ATE insurance arrangements
Specialist firms with supermarket case experience

See our how no win no fee works guide.

Common Questions After Supermarket Slip

The staff said it wasn’t their fault. Can I still claim?

Often yes, despite verbal positions. UK law (particularly Ward v Tesco) places substantial burden on supermarkets to defend slip claims. Staff assertions don’t determine liability — what matters is:

How long the hazard was present
Whether reasonable inspection systems were operating
Whether the hazard would have been visible at last inspection
Whether staffing was adequate

Specialist solicitors regularly succeed despite staff defensive positions. Don’t accept verbal denials.

There was a wet floor sign nearby. Does that defeat my claim?

Not necessarily. Wet floor signs create rebuttable presumption rather than complete defence. Key questions:

Was the sign appropriate for the actual hazard?
Was it placed correctly?
Was it adequately visible from your approach?
Was the hazard adequately marked?
Was cleaning appropriately conducted?

Many claims succeed despite warning signs. Specialist legal review needed.

I slipped on something but I don’t know what. Can I claim?

Often yes, where you can prove a slip occurred on a supermarket-controlled substance. Once you prove the slip occurred on something that should have been controlled by the supermarket, burden shifts to them to demonstrate reasonable inspection. Photographs and incident reports help establish the slip occurred. CCTV often shows the specific cause. Specialist solicitors handle these cases regularly.

How quickly do I need to act?

Quickly for CCTV. While the legal time limit is 3 years, CCTV is typically deleted after 28-90 days. Specialist solicitors should:

Send preservation letter within days of accident
Specify the relevant footage
Confirm preservation
Use specific procedural protections

Most specialist solicitors offer free initial consultation — call promptly to enable evidence preservation.

What if the supermarket says the floor was inspected recently?

Examination of inspection systems often reveals weaknesses:

Inspection records — when, by whom, what found
Staff training adequate?
Frequency appropriate for risk?
Did inspection actually occur as claimed?
CCTV often shows whether inspection happened

Many “we inspected” defences fail under specific scrutiny. Specialist solicitors regularly defeat these.

When should I engage a solicitor?

Within days, for CCTV preservation. Free initial consultation with specialist solicitor — no commitment needed. Specialist solicitors:

Send CCTV preservation letter immediately
Handle insurance communications
Arrange specialist medical examination
Calculate full compensation

No win no fee available for most cases. Substantial expertise with supermarket cases (major chains have established claims handling processes). See our how no win no fee works guide.

What to Do After an Accident UK Guides

Supermarket Accident Claims

Slip, Trip & Fall Compensation Claims UK

Wet Floor Slip Compensation Claims

How No Win No Fee Works

Personal Injury Claim Time Limits UK

Wrist Injury Compensation Amounts

Check If You Could Claim Compensation For Your Injury

If you were injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to compensation. Start a free claim check in minutes — no upfront cost. No win, no fee if your claim is accepted.