A clear liquid like water, certain types of soap, or petrol can be very hard to spot, if not impossible to spot, on the floor. As such, they pose an obvious but often unseen slipping hazard in places like shops, supermarkets, halls, or places of work.
So if you slip on a clear liquid, can you make a claim for compensation?
The same rules apply as they do for any other slip type claim – there are health and safety rules and regulations that people in charge of a premises must adhere to. General systems of inspection and maintenance can be used to spot hazards and ensure they are cleared away or cordoned off as soon as possible.
Even if you could have potentially seen the liquid, you are not expected to be looking at your feet all of the time, so you are not penalised for not spotting certain hazards. A clear liquid of course will likely not be spotted at all, so slipping on it may be completely unavoidable.
So if you are the victim of a slipping accident on a clear substance on the floor then you may be able to pursue a claim for personal injury compensation. Here are some things to make sure you do and take heed of when looking at making claims like this:
- Report it – and complete an accident report form where possible
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible
- Take photos of the area where it happened if possible
- Seek legal advice as a matter of urgency
The latter one about getting legal advice right away is important – there could be vital CCTV footage that could help prove your claim, but most places will only keep it for a few weeks or so, and once it’s gone, it’s gone!
