Accident in shop

Legacy_user

Hello, sorry if this is the wrong board for this post.

Without giving too much detail, my child fell over in a well known supermarket and landed on a metal trolley type thing used for moving large items, which had been left in an aisle. She bruised her cheek and was very upset. The store manager admitted a staff member had left it there because they had to go on the tills because it was busy. He wrote this on the accident log. It was sent off to head office with CCTV of what happened. It wasn't handled well, with my toddler screaming and the manager not once apologising or showing any sort of empathy.

Their solicitors have now been in touch saying they are investigating what happened and saying we can get legal advice for compensation etc. I have no idea what to do. They said they have a deadline of 90 days to investigate. What is likely to happen? I don't want to go to court, we were just really angry at their negligence! If it had been an inch higher my daughter could have lost an eye.

Any ideas on what steps to take or shall we just wait to hear what happens?

Thank you

neilmcl

Did she fall over because of the "trolley"?

What exactly do you want from this?

marliepanda

Your child fell over. They didnt trip on the item, she just landed on it. She could have landed on a shelf, or smack bang on the floor.

Of course your toddler was screaming, she is a toddler and she had hurt herself... Im sure she screams a lot of the time and you don't claim compensation from people for it. Why should he apologise to your child for her falling over...

Sorry but get over it. Its a bruised cheek. All children have hundreds of bumps and bruises.If it was an inch lower maybe her arm would have been sliced off. Maybe if she fell in the road a car would have ran over her and she would have been killed.

Its a bruise. She fell over.

robatwork

EastEmerald wrote: »

Without giving too much detail, my child fell over in a well known supermarket

...

we were just really angry at their negligence! If it had been an inch higher my daughter could have lost an eye.

You'll get a lot of people telling you to get on with your life. I am one of them.

Life in fact is made up of "could have and should have". I fell as a child in my house and still have a scar on my eyebrow from the sharp bannister finial. I didn't sue my parents, nor did they sue the housebuilder. I was messing about and fell over, it's what children do. 2 cm lower I would have lost an eye.

The supermarket were perhaps a bit negligent in leaving something sharp in the aisle. You were also negligent in letting your daughter fall over out of your control. Your OH should sue you, by your logic.

You haven't given detail of how your daughter fell over, and that is pretty crucial information.

FWIW I hope she makes a speedy and complete recovery, and that lessons have been learnt all round.

System

If she had landed on the floor it would have been a lot less painful than a metal trolley.

The shop has a duty of care to keep customers safe. The floor was quite slippery which is why she fell.

I want a proper apology from them which we still haven't received. Not for her falling over obviously but for leaving a large trolley out where it shouldn't have been?

My question is more about the process, do we have to do anything or just wait and hear from them.

Hermione_Granger

EastEmerald wrote: »

Any ideas on what steps to take

Would it be un PC of me to suggest that you take more responsibility for and ensure that you have more control of your children when out in public?

Hermione_Granger

EastEmerald wrote: »

The shop has a duty of care to keep customers safe.

As do parents regarding their children.

System

I had a 2.month old newborn in a sling and was.on my own. Thanks for the rude assumption though

[Deleted User]

EastEmerald wrote: »

She bruised her cheek and was very upset.

You want to get solicitors involved for that? :eek:

EastEmerald wrote: »

It wasn't handled well, with my toddler screaming and the manager not once apologising or showing any sort of empathy.

Again, hardly any cause for litigation.

EastEmerald wrote: »

I don't want to go to court

I'm glad to hear it.

EastEmerald wrote: »

If it had been an inch higher my daughter could have lost an eye.

You can only expect "compensation" for what did happen, not for what might have.

So you are left with a complaint only that your daughter suffered a bruise which upset her and that the manager concentrated only on filling in a log of the accident instead of being apologetic and admitting liability.

If my post does not show empathy with your situation, that will be because I'm appalled at the compensation culture we live in.

marliepanda

EastEmerald wrote: »

If she had landed on the floor it would have been a lot less painful than a metal trolley.

The shop has a duty of care to keep customers safe. The floor was quite slippery which is why she fell.

I want a proper apology from them which we still haven't received. Not for her falling over obviously but for leaving a large trolley out where it shouldn't have been?

My question is more about the process, do we have to do anything or just wait and hear from them.

If she hadn't have fell over, then she wouldnt have hit her face.

Why do you want an apology? Things will be left in shops, display stands, other trolleys, there are hazards everywhere! You say the floor is slippery, if there was no water on the floor or a substance making it slippery then your child needs shoes with better soles to help her not 'slip over'

powerful_Rogue

EastEmerald wrote: »

If she had landed on the floor it would have been a lot less painful than a metal trolley.

The shop has a duty of care to keep customers safe. The floor was quite slippery which is why she fell.

I want a proper apology from them which we still haven't received. Not for her falling over obviously but for leaving a large trolley out where it shouldn't have been?

My question is more about the process, do we have to do anything or just wait and hear from them.

So you knew the floor was slippery but decided not to hold your childs hand?

Very rarely do I see parents that have control of their children in supermarkets. They wander around aimlessly and you have to dodge them with your trolley.

The supermaket in my opinion has nothing to aplogise for. Control your child better in future.

I'm guessing you're just seeing ££ signs and that's why you're making a fool of yourself.