Sainsbobs Accident

Takeaway_Addict

dickydonkin wrote: »

Perhaps not - but this thread is for praise, vents and warnings and it seems the OP is venting her spleen about an injury sustained in Sainsbury's which I believe she was justified in expressing her anger.

Of course all of those on here who are suggesting that the OP is after compensation would never dream of claiming compo if they or a member of their family received an injury at work or in a public place that was not their fault.

Wouldn't the OP have a certain amount of responsibility themselves for overloading themselves and unbalancing themselves?

just thinking really...

Spamfree_2

Azari wrote: »

Despite what the cynics may think (or are they judging everyone according to their own standards?) it's not always about money.

maybe not money, vouchers then?

I think the OP was horrified that someone as lowly as a person working in a shop dared to ask her to take the basket back so that someone wouldn't fall over it in front of the kiosk, or behind it.

She should think herself lucky that she was served in the first place.

Why didn't she put her shopping in the big bag she kept talking about?

thistledome

gravitytolls wrote: »

Um, does every vent, warning or praise, come to that, require witnesses or the accused to give evidence?

The OP gave her version of events, and we have no reason to suppose she's making it up.

Agree.

You always get the indignant shop assistants popping up with their little pills of poison when anybody has a complaint involving a rude or incompetent shop assistant. Some of their posts make me wonder why they're in the job in the first place. They seem to see customers as either a nuisance or something to make fun of when they're bored.

dickydonkin

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

Wouldn't the OP have a certain amount of responsibility themselves for overloading themselves and unbalancing themselves?

just thinking really...

No - although if she was carrying something ridiculously bulky or unwieldy that was beyond her physical capabilities, then potentially there may be an element of contributory negligence.

However, two bags of shopping, a bunch of flowers and an empty basket are hardly overbearing.

Look at the accident and then work backwards. The immediate cause of the accident (based on the OP's post) seems to be a slip caused by contamination on the floor.

The shop staff should have ensured that the floor surface was safe and clear.

Using your analogy, then if an elderly person who may not be all that steady on their feet also slipped and was injured on the same floor surface, I don't think that the shop could argue that well, the person was elderly and it is hardly surprising they slipped.

If the floor was indeed contaminated in a public area, then it could be argued that the incident was 'reasonably foreseeable' - an important element in determining negligence.

People (of all ages, shapes, sizes and some with ailments) carry shopping in and out of supermarkets all the time so it is essential that collective control measures (precautions that protect everyone - such as entrance mats and staff monitoring the floor surfaces during inclement weather for example) are put in place to reduce the risk of what happened to the OP.

If the floor was wet - what was the security guard doing as he was on duty near the entrance and should have notified someone of a potentially dangerous situation?

I accept I am in the minority on here in offering sympathy for the OP, however, I am responding in respect of the potential negligence of Sainsbury's and the reality of the situation relating to H&S legislation.

Hopefully the OP will recover from her injury and there are no long term repercussions - isn't that more important?

Pollycat

thistledome wrote: »

Agree.

You always get the indignant shop assistants popping up with their little pills of poison when anybody has a complaint involving a rude or incompetent shop assistant. Some of their posts make me wonder why they're in the job in the first place. They seem to see customers as either a nuisance or something to make fun of when they're bored.

I'm not an 'indignant shop assistant' and never have been (unless you count a Saturday job over 40 years ago).

We only have the OP's word that the SA was abrupt and spoke to her in a condescending manner.

I don't know about you but I don't always assume that what posters write on here is the absolute truth and in cases like this, I always think there must be another side to what's been written.

Pollycat wrote: »

No, I don't think every vent or warning requires witnesses or the accused to give evidence.

But I also think that we should not automatically take as fact what we are told by a poster.

It's quite possible that the SA has been saying to her friends and colleagues:
"My God! There was this woman who came to my till and she was so rude!
I said 'yes, I can serve you here but you'll have to take the basket back to the pile near the door' and she just went off on one.
She said I was condescending and told me to get on with serving her and not to argue with her'.

2 sides to every story.

I'm not saying the OP is making it up, my point is (reading through the original post - which I have done several times) that the OP may have taken exception to what is a normal (at least in my experience) response about returning baskets and that what she says afterwards is based on the fact that she was annoyed at the SA.

A number of people, including me, have said that they can see why the SA told the OP that she'd have to take the basket back. The OP couldn't see that reasoning and I think what happened afterwards (that is the alleged rudeness by the SA) was based on that.

I'm not disputing the fall or her injuries.

I agree with pulliptears.
I think the OP would have had a lot different response if she'd just explained how she slipped and injured herself in the shop.

pulliptears wrote: »

Don't see what this has to do with the issue in any way though, OP slipped on her way out, whether she'd been to the kiosk or not doesn't really come into it does it?

thriftymanc

Just two thoughts...

1) When I worked in a supermarket, if a customer left a basket on the floor in front of the tills I would have to stop serving and go put the basket back in its proper place myself so no one tripped over it, I don't understand why any customer thinks it's acceptable to leave a basket there - the people that do this are usually the same people who'll threaten to sue the crap out of the supermarket if they actually tripped over one.

2) Considering the nature of the OP why the cutesy nickname for Sainsbury's?

Spamfree_2

thriftymanc wrote: »

Just two thoughts...

1) When I worked in a supermarket, if a customer left a basket on the floor in front of the tills I would have to stop serving and go put the basket back in its proper place myself so no one tripped over it, I don't understand why any customer thinks it's acceptable to leave a basket there - the people that do this are usually the same people who'll threaten to sue the crap out of the supermarket if they actually tripped over one.

2) Considering the nature of the OP why the cutesy nickname for Sainsbury's?

It's often other customers who cause trouble for customers. It's usually them dropping produce on the floor, or dropping something that spills and walking off as if nothing has happened. The shop workers only have 2 eyes in their head like the rest of the population.

blossomhill_2

Hi OP
If you contact the store about the incident (ie the fall, which is all that is relevant) bear in mind that they have access to CCTV footage

That footage will in all liklihood show how long anyone took to come to your aid - although this seemed like ages in your distressed state, it was probably seconds and it could well show the guard was looking the other way and assisted you as soon as he became aware

I was shown on footage on court once; an incident that I thought happened in slow motion in fact took 11 seconds and I was amazed. The judge commented on the speed of my reactions, but still in my mind I was too slow

If you decide to comment to the store about the attitude of the female assistant, also bear in mind that the footage is likely to show her wearing a "have a nice day" smile, even though you found her condescending

dickydonkin

Spamfree wrote: »

It's often other customers who cause trouble for customers. It's usually them dropping produce on the floor, or dropping something that spills and walking off as if nothing has happened. The shop workers only have 2 eyes in their head like the rest of the population.

You are abslutely right, but the reality is that if someone did slip on something that a customer has dropped (bottle of sauce, eggs etc), then potentially the supermarket could be deemed as negligent.

It can happen where someone has slipped on something immediately after it has been spilled and the staff are not even aware of it, however, that is why regular monitoring of aisles and floor surfaces are vital.

I have contacted Morrison's on numerous occasions regarding safety issues in their stores (the unsafe stacks of tat in the aisles is an accident waiting to happen to a child), but despite the responses keep telling me they take H&S very seriously, the cases below arguably disprove that assertion.

Many may suggest that they don't even care for their staff - let alone their customers.

http://www.shponline.co.uk/incourt-content/full/supermarket-giant-failed-to-address-slip-risks

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Morrisons-punished-horrific-injuries/story-12545381-detail/story.html

http://www.usdaw.org.uk/adviceresources/healthsafety/news/2010/september2010/majorsupermarketchainfined.aspx

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/around-yorkshire/local-stories/morrisons-fined-15-000-after-accident-cost-worker-a-toe-1-3363831

Spamfree_2

dickydonkin wrote: »

You are abslutely right, but the reality is that if someone did slip on something that a customer has dropped (bottle of sauce, eggs etc), then potentially the supermarket could be deemed as negligent.

It can happen where someone has slipped on something immediately after it has been spilled and the staff are not even aware of it, however, that is why regular monitoring of aisles and floor surfaces are vital.

I have contacted Morrison's on numerous occasions regarding safety issues in their stores (the unsafe stacks of tat in the aisles is an accident waiting to happen to a child), but despite the responses keep telling me they take H&S very seriously, the cases below arguably disprove that assertion.

Many may suggest that they don't even care for their staff - let alone their customers.

http://www.shponline.co.uk/incourt-content/full/supermarket-giant-failed-to-address-slip-risks

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Morrisons-punished-horrific-injuries/story-12545381-detail/story.html

http://www.usdaw.org.uk/adviceresources/healthsafety/news/2010/september2010/majorsupermarketchainfined.aspx

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/around-yorkshire/local-stories/morrisons-fined-15-000-after-accident-cost-worker-a-toe-1-3363831

If a shop has footfall of 1000+ customers per day, it is not possible to see every single tiny incident where a CUSTOMER has dropped something, left something frozen to defrost on a clothing shelf which then puddles on the floor and becomes a hazard, or left a basket at the front of a serving desk. Like I've said before, the staff only have 2 eyes like the rest of the population. In certain circumstances people will sue the pants off a store before of a customer causing the problem. Shop staff must try their hardest to spot all of these potential hazards, but seriously people, get real!