High street fashion retailer Topshop have received a fine after a young girl was seriously injured whilst shopping in their store
It was recently reported that a well known high street fashion retailer was fined £450,000 after a young girl was left disfigured following an accident in their store at Silverburn shopping centre in Pollok, Glasgow.
The child, who was aged 10 at the time of the incident, had been shopping with her mother at the Topshop store in February 2017. A queue barrier which she had been swinging on had fallen onto her. She sustained a fractured skull and bruising to her arms and has been left permanently disfigured.
Following a hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Topshop admitted that they had failed to ensure that the barrier was sufficiently secured and fixed to the floor. The Court heard that the barriers had been removed from the store’s Argyle Street branch and taken to the Silverburn store, however they had not been correctly installed.
Occupiers’ liability accidents are common and can occur in places such as shops, supermarkets, shopping malls, and can extend to privately owned properties. If you have suffered an injury through no fault of your own, it may be possible for you to claim compensation for your pain and suffering from the owner of the property.
In terms of the Occupiers Liability (Scotland) Act 1960 an ‘occupier’ of land has a duty to show care to any person/s on that land. This duty of care is the level which it is reasonable to foresee any risks that could cause anyone to suffer injury or damage.
If you have sustained an injury in a public place, or public property, you need to ensure that you have reported the accident to the correct body, and that the accident is accurately recorded.
It would be helpful if you are able to obtain photographs of the area where your accident occurred, and photographs of what caused your injury. It is also useful to obtain the names and contact details of any witnesses to your accident.
As well as seeking compensation for the pain and suffering, we can seek to recover loss of earnings, cost of any care or support required and any out of pocket expenses you have incurred.
If you think that you may have a claim, please contact us to discuss the matter on 0800 988 8082 or complete our online enquiry form and a member of our team will get back to you right away.
