Petrol Station Injury Claim Guide – I had a Accident In A Petrol Station Am I Eligible To Claim Compensation?

Many of us visit a petrol station at least once a week. We don’t think about it, it’s just a part of daily life. We certainly don’t think about being injured at a petrol station, but it can and does happen. This can mean that a petrol station injury claim needs to be made to compensate you for your injuries.

Here at Advice.co.uk, we offer free legal advice and can help you to make a personal injury claim. If you’d like to begin an injury claim today, please call us on 0161 696 9685 and speak with one of our advisers.

We’ll begin right away by offering a free, no-obligation, initial assessment of your claim and let you know if we think you could win compensation.

If you’d like to know more about making a claim first, please carry on reading this informative guide.

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A Guide To Petrol Station Accident And Injury Claims

Petrol station injury claims guide

Petrol station injury claims guide

There are many different types of petrol stations in the UK including supermarkets, village stores, motorway services and high street petrol stations. Most have shops and some offer other services like car washes and toilet facilities.

Whichever type of station you use, the owner will have a duty of care to protect you under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. This means that if you’re injured while using a petrol station, you could claim compensation against the owners if the accident was caused by some form of negligence or mistake.

This guide will explain some of the common accidents that happen at petrol stations, how much compensation you may be awarded, the time limits involved in making a claim and how to use a No Win No Fee service to reduce the risk of claiming.

When you’ve read this guide, if you still have any questions, please call one of our friendly team for free legal advice. We are personal injury specialists and can help with accidents in petrol station claims anywhere in the UK.

What Is A Petrol Station Accident?

The technical explanation of what can lead to a compensation claim following an accident is where:

  • The petrol station owed you a duty of care,
  • That they breached that duty in some way,
  • And, because of the breach, you were injured.

You, therefore, wouldn’t be able to make a claim if you were injured because you had an accident that was caused because you were not paying attention. The same is true if there was no way the petrol station staff would have prevented your accident from happening.

The petrol station has a duty of care to all visitors, customers and staff to ensure their safety while on their premises. Therefore, to make a successful petrol station injury claim, you’ll need to prove there was a breach of duty which caused your accident to happen.

Petrol Station Slip Trip Injury Claim Calculator

Here at Advice.co.uk, we don’t offer a personal injury compensation calculator that you may have seen advertised on other sites. This is because there are so many factors involved in a claim that a calculator couldn’t possibly work out a correct figure.

Instead, we have provided the table below which details potential compensation amounts for different types of injuries. These figures have been taken from the guidelines produced by a legal body known as the Judicial College, which reviews compensation awards made by the courts. Remember though that this is only one part of the claim (see the next section for more information).

Body PartSeverityCompensation Payment Range Further notes
Ankle ModestUp to £12,900Less serious fractures and other injuries such as strains and sprains which resolve within a few months.
Arm Permanent and substantial disablement£36,770 to £56,180Injuries where one or both arms end up with permanent disability or restricted movement.
Back Moderate£11,730 to £26,050Injuries such as soft tissue damage or ligament damage where there in some ongoing pain.
Back MinorUp to £2,300Mild injuries such as slipped discs and back pulls or strains. Full recovery within 3 months.
Finger SevereUp to £34,480The amount of compensation offered in this range varies depending entirely on which fingers are affected and how many
Foot ModestUp to £12,900The less serious foot injuries with relatively quick recovery.
Head Minor£2,070 to £11,980A head injury that may result in minimal brain damage, if any at all.
Leg Less Severe£16,860 to £26,050This range includes the more minor fractures through to the more serious where the leg never fully recovers.

Don’t worry if you don’t see your injury listed here as we’ve only provided a sample. If you’ve been injured in any other way, please call us to discuss your accident and we’ll let you know how much compensation that particular injury could receive.

When you contact us to assess your claim, we can also provide an estimate of your potential compensation amount once we’ve understood how your injuries were caused and how they affected you.

I Was Injured At A Petrol Station, What Can I Claim Compensation For?

When you begin a personal injury claim there are several elements (legally known as Heads of Loss) that a personal injury solicitor can use to build your claim from.

Each case is different, so a solicitor won’t use all of the elements in all claims. The elements that are commonly used are:

General Damages

This is the compensation that is awarded to cover the pain and suffering caused by the injuries. This can cover physical injuries as well as psychological injuries as well.

Special Damages

This is compensation for any financial loss that you incur because of your injuries. Special damages aim to ensure that the claimant is left no worse off financially than they were before they were injured. Some special damages that you can claim for include:

Medical Expenses

If you have to pay for any prescription medicines or treatment, then you can claim the cost back as part of your compensation.

Travel and Parking Expenses

There may be multiple trips to a hospital or doctor required following an accident. This can become costly when you consider petrol and parking prices. If you keep receipts for these expenses, you can claim the cost back.

Personal Property Costs

When your accident happens, if you damage any item of your own property, such as clothing, jewellery or mobile phone, then you can claim the cost of repairs or a replacement.

Lost Income 

If your injury requires you to take time off from work to recover or need time off for medical appointments, you could claim any lost earnings. This would usually happen if your employer doesn’t offer full sick pay.

With any special damages, you should try and provide evidence such as receipts or bank statements. You should also be able to justify why the expense was linked to your accident.

Your solicitor will be able to claim for any future losses you might incur as well as those that you’ve already paid out for. Therefore, if you’re likely to need more time off for medical appointments you could also claim for future lost income as well.

How Many Petrol Stations Are There In The UK – Statistics

The number of petrol stations in the UK has actually fallen in the last 25 years. Currently, there are around 8,500 stations whereas in 1992 there were more like 18,000.

This is probably because there are larger supermarket-type petrol stations now and less need for village stations.

Many are operated by big brands like BP, Shell and Esso and all of the major supermarkets have petrol stations on most of their supermarket sites.

Causes Of Accidents And Injuries In Petrol Stations

Visiting a petrol station is part of everyday life and something which you don’t really think about. You certainly don’t expect to be injured at one, and most visitors aren’t. There are, however, some risks at a petrol station, including:

  • Spillages (on the forecourt or in the shop)
  • Fires
  • Loose drain covers
  • Leaking liquid gas
  • Potholes (forecourt)
  • Uneven flooring (shop)

Any of the above which causes an accident can lead to a petrol station injury claim being made. This will usually be against the owners of the petrol station. If your accident was caused by anything else, we can still help, so please call.

I Slipped In The Toilets At A Petrol Station, Can I Claim Compensation?

Most modern petrol stations have clean and safe toilet areas, with regular cleaning inspections scheduled. Staff will clean the facilities and ensure that any spillages are dealt with but if they fail to do so, any spillage could become a hazard.

If you’ve tripped or slipped in a toilet at a petrol station because of spillage, leaking water pipe or leaking toilet, you could make a claim. Please call us to discuss your options.

I Slipped In A Car Wash, Can I Claim Compensation?

Usually, you won’t leave your car while it’s in the car wash. However, when purchasing the tokens or code to use the car wash it’s possible you could slip on the surrounding area.

If there is any petrol, grease or ice (in wintery conditions) which causes you to slip and fall, you could have a claim against the garage as all spillages should be dealt with promptly.

I Was Hit By A Car At A Petrol Station Forecourt, Can I Claim Compensation?

If you’re injured in a car accident within a petrol station, you could make a claim against the other driver.

If it is clear that the other driver was to blame entirely, you can claim compensation against them. If the accident is the fault of both parties, you could still claim under a split liability agreement.

If there is any doubt about liability for a car accident at a petrol station, please get in touch so we can assess the details.

Slips On Petrol, Oil, Or Other Liquids

Any spillage in a petrol station—whether it be petrol on the forecourt, a spillage in the shop or a leak in toilet facilities—should be cleared up. The owners of the station have a duty of care to ensure the safety of customers and staff, so this should be done promptly.

They should also highlight the risk of slipping by placing warning signs around the affected area too.

If you’ve slipped over in a petrol station and either of the above hadn’t been done, you could seek compensation for any injuries sustained. Contact us to clarify the chances of successfully making a claim.

Slips And Trips Caused By Potholes Or Broken Floors

There are, potentially, many trip hazards within a petrol station. The owner should reduce the risk of them as much as possible.

They do this by providing adequate lighting and using warning signs where necessary. If, however, you’ve tripped over because of a pothole in the forecourt, a damaged paving slab or uneven flooring within the shop, you could be entitled to compensation.

Try to photograph any defect that caused you to fall and ask any witnesses for their contact details.

Petrol Station Workplace Accident Claims

If you work in a petrol station, either on the forecourt or in the shop, and have slipped on petrol or had any other type of accident, you could make an accident at work claim.

All employers have a duty of care to ensure staff are safe at work. This means they should be properly trained and provided with adequate safety equipment. If you’ve had an accident that was caused by a petrol spill, some sort of defect or by another member of staff’s mistake, you could claim.

Your employer, whether a large chain of petrol stations or an independent, cannot penalise you for making a truthful claim by law. They will have employers’ liability insurance in place that covers both them and you in these very circumstances, so don’t be put off from claiming what you could be entitled to. If your employer does happen to take action against you for claiming, you may be able to pursue a separate claim against them under employment law. This could come in the form of unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal, or discrimination. Contact us today to learn more.

What Duty Of Care Do Petrol Stations Have?

The owner of a petrol station has an obligation (a duty of care) to ensure the safety of customers, visitors and staff while on the grounds of their station.

They should ensure that risks are identified, and action is taken to reduce them. They should have health and safety procedures in place in the event of any new risk occurring (such as a spillage). Staff should be trained fully and follow the training provided.

If you believe you’ve got a valid petrol station accident claim because staff failed to act properly, please contact us for further advice.

Can You Use CCTV Evidence In Petrol Station Injury Claims?

CCTV footage of an accident is usually a good tool to have if it clearly shows the accident and what caused it. Most petrol stations have CCTV recording the forecourt and the shop, but may not be able to release it to you because of their data protection policies.

It is more effective to ask a solicitor to obtain the footage. Therefore you should contact Advice.co.uk as soon as possible. This is because the retention period for CCTV isn’t usually very long.  It’s, therefore, a smart move to contact a solicitor quickly so they can request the footage.

What Should You Do If Injured At A Petrol Station?

If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident, there are some steps that you should take to increase the chances of winning compensation:

  • Photograph where the accident happened, including the cause of the accident.
  • Seek medical treatment at a doctor’s surgery or A&E for serious injuries. This will ensure you have medical records to base your claim on.
  • Ask any witnesses for their contact details.
  • Report the accident to the petrol station staff so it is logged in their accident report book and ask for a copy if possible.
  • Contact Advice.co.uk and let us know what’s happened.

Any petrol station injury claim you make will be much easier if you have taken the steps above.

Are There Time Limits For Making My Injury Claim?

Any petrol station injury claim must be lodged in accordance with time limits set by UK legislation. If you fail to issue the claim in time, it may be rejected.

The current time limits are:

Type of accidentTime Limit
Slip, trip or fall at a petrol station3 years
Workplace accident3 years
Any other personal injury claim3 years

To give your solicitor enough time to prepare the claim and gather any supporting evidence required, it’s recommended that you contact them as soon as possible after your accident occurs.

How To Start Your Petrol Station Injury Claim

The easiest way to begin your claim is to gather as much supporting evidence as you can.  Then get in touch with us by calling the number below. It’s that easy.

Our specialist advisers only work on personal injury claims. Therefore they know what they need from you (and what they don’t) so won’t waste your time.

We can assess the likelihood of you successfully claiming compensation once we’ve heard all of the details. If we agree that you have a strong chance of winning, we’ll put you in touch with a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel who will get to work right away on your case.

No Win No Fee Petrol Station Injury Claims

We’ve heard many accounts of how people were put off from making a personal injury claim because they were worried about the cost. This is why we only work with solicitors on our panel who offer a No Win No Fee service.

When you instruct a solicitor, there are types of solicitor’s agreement you can use:

  • Solicitors who charge an hourly rate. You keep 100% of any compensation awarded if the case is won. However,  you have to pay your solicitor for their time and services even if they lose the case (which could be expensive).
  • Solicitors who offer No Win No Fee services. You pay for your solicitor’s service and time out of any compensation that is awarded. The amount you may is legally capped, meaning you won’t lose a hefty chunk of your compensation. The main benefit is that if they lose the case, you don’t have to pay them anything at all. You won’t be asked to pay any costs upfront either, nor during the life of the case.

Feedback from our experts suggests that many of our clients wouldn’t even make a claim if we didn’t offer No Win No Fee. This is why we only work with solicitors that offer it for all cases they take on.

How Our Experts Can Help You

The first thing our team of specially trained advisers can do for you is to provide you with free legal advice. We can do this no matter what stage you are at with your claim. We believe that you should have the correct information which is why we’re happy to provide it for free.

When you speak with our team, you’ll see how friendly and professional we are.  Furthermore, we are driven to getting the right amount of compensation for our clients so they will be thorough when assessing your claim.

When you contact us, we’ll follow this process for all enquiries:

Step One: You contact the team by phone or emailStep Two: We'll assess your claimStep Three: If you're happy to proceed, we'll start your claim.

Calling Our Experts

Advice.co.uk offers free legal advice and is a specialist in personal injury claims. We can help with accident claims for an accident in a petrol station anywhere within the UK. Also, as mentioned earlier, we only work with a panel of No Win No Fee solicitors.

If you’re ready to begin your claim, contact our team of specialists today by:

  • Calling us directly on 0161 696 9685 and speak with one of the team straight away.
  • Emailing details of your claim to [email protected] – we’ll get back to you at an agreeable time for you.
  • Or by filling in this online form to start your claim.

When you get in touch with us, we’ll happily answer any questions you may have and provide you with free legal advice.

Once we’ve done that, we’ll assess the credibility of your claim. Then we’ll let you know if we believe you’ve got a good chance of winning compensation for your injuries. If you do, we’ll put you in touch with a No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor from our panel.

Additional Advice

We hope that this guide detailing how to make a petrol station injury claim has provided you with enough information to help you decide whether to claim or not. For further information, we’ve added some more relevant guides which you may find useful:

Guide on Falls – A guide from the NHS about the prevention and treatment for injuries caused by falls.

The Occupiers Liability Act 1957 – This is the piece of legislation that protects visitors, such as customers, from injuries within a retail environment.

Workplace Rights – our guide to rights in the workplace.

No Win No Fee Claims – our guide to making a No Win No Fee claim.

 

Guide by TE

Edited by DEG