Our client intended to buy a spare part for a car. She walked into the showroom through the main entrance, collected and paid for the spare part. She then turned to walk back out of the showroom. She had nearly reached the main entrance again when she slipped. She jarred her back and hip as she landed and banged her elbow. As her feet had slipped forward and she fell backwards, she didn’t have chance to try and break her fall. A member of staff advised her not to move and then assisted her to sit up. Eventually, our client left the showroom, still feeling sore.
Lawson West began a personal injury claim for compensation for our client against the showroom. The showroom was at fault because staff:
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failed to take reasonable care to see that customers would be safe when visiting the showroom.
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caused or permitted the floor to become a danger to people walking across it.
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caused or permitted a slippery substance to cover part of the floor.
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failed to clean the substance up.
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failed to ensure the floor was no longer slippery.
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failed to have an adequate system for inspecting and cleaning the floor.
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failed to give any warning that the floor was slippery.
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permitted our client to walk on the floor when staff knew or should have known that is was unsafe and dangerous for her to do so.
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failed to place a barrier around the slippery area.
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failed to discharge common duty of care in breach of their statutory duty under Section 2 of the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957.
As a result of her slip, our client injured her back causing her back and hip pain, suffered a whiplash type injury to her neck and severely bruised her elbow.
The garage admitted liability and our client was awarded nearly £4000 general damages in accident compensation for the whiplash-type injury to her neck and the injury to her back. She had not taken any time off work as she was in process of searching for a job. Since the accident she has found employment. Lawson-West also recovered additional compensation for physiotherapy, which helped our client recover from her injuries.
