Petrol stations can be obvious hazards due to petrol being spilled and splashed on to the floor. Over time, even the smallest of puddles could accumulate in to a larger puddle of petrol that’s capable of being a slip hazard. Given petrol is generally clear, it’s not easy to spot spillages on the ground.
So what happens of you slip over because of spilled petrol and you end up with an injury as a result? Can you claim for personal injury compensation?
Read on for more!
The Law
As a visitor to a petrol station, the health and safety law that will normally be in force is the Occupiers Liability Act. This states that the owners of the station, or those in control of the station, need to take all reasonable steps to prevent someone being injured.
Petrol is obviously going to end up on the floor – so what steps can they take? Common examples are:
- Signs and cordons
- Regular systems of inspection to clear away any spillages – normally by deploying sand
- Acting quickly on reports of spillages on the grounds
If the above is not done, and reasonable steps are not taken, you may be able to make a successful claim for personal injury compensation. If they have taken reasonable steps, it could end up being difficult to win the claim though.
What to do
Speak to us about making a claim as soon as possible. Hopefully you’ve already reported the accident, but if not, report it right away.
Time is of the essence – the vast majority of petrol stations should have CCTV footage for security reasons. This can be used to see if any claims by them that they have taken all reasonable steps are indeed true or not. We could review some footage and see if they really do inspect the area as they say they do. Most places only keep footage for a short period of time – sometimes it’s erased after a few short weeks. So it’s best to contact us ASAP to let us take steps to secure the footage before it is destroyed.
For this type of claim we should be able to offer you a 100% compensation agreement, and we should be able to help you on a No Win, No Fee basis. So contact us today for help and advice on 0800 634 75 75.
