Step-By-Step Guide To Petrol Station Accident Claims

Last Updated On 23rd March 2026. Petrol stations are full of hazards, ranging from fuel spills to defective pumps. When their owners and operators fail to keep customers and staff reasonably safe, life-changing injuries can result. If you’re navigating the fallout of such an accident, you may be unsure of your next steps amidst a difficult recovery and financial uncertainty. We’re here to help explain how one of the solicitors here at Advice could help you start the petrol station accident claims process.

Key Points

• Common causes of petrol station accidents include defective work equipment, faulty pumps, potholes, inadequate lighting, and spillages.
• Slips, trips, and falls on a petrol station forecourt can result in head trauma, spinal injuries, and bone fractures.
• Burns may also be caused by petrol station accidents, while poorly maintained nozzles and other equipment may cause soft tissue damage.
• Car accidents can also occur at petrol stations, often due to speeding or distracted drivers.
• Petrol station accidents may be prevented through regular risk assessments, appropriate staff training, hazard warning signs, and timely cleaning of spills.

If you’d like to see whether you can make a petrol station compensation claim on a No Win No Fee basis, our advisors are available around the clock to help you take your first steps. They may be able to put you in touch with one of the specialist personal injury solicitors at Advice, who would tirelessly work to support you from start to finish. You can find out more about their services via one of the following options:

• Phone 0161 509 2856
• Click to contact us.
• Talk to us online now.

Jump To A Section

• Can I Claim For An Accident In A Petrol Station?
• What Duty Of Care Do Petrol Stations Have?
• Causes Of Accidents And Injuries In Petrol Stations
• What Should You Do If Injured At A Petrol Station?
• How To Start Your Petrol Station Injury Claim
• Are There Time Limits For Making My Injury Claim?
• Why Make A Petrol Station Injury Claim With Advice’s Solicitors?
• Can Petrol Station Accident Claims Be Made On A No Win No Fee Basis?
• Additional Advice

Can I Claim For An Accident In A Petrol Station?

You can claim as a customer, employee, or visitor if an accident in a petrol station causes you to suffer injuries as a direct result of a third party’s negligent actions. This involves establishing the following:

• The petrol station operator or owner owed you a duty of care. This is essentially the responsibility of a third party to protect others’ safety.
• This party breached this duty.
• You consequently sustained an injury.

Petrol Station Workplace Accident Claims

In the UK, staff can make petrol station workplace accident claims for injuries caused by an employer’s negligent conduct. These injuries might be caused by inadequately maintained work equipment, an absence of appropriate PPE, or a lack of regular risk assessments.

Petrol station workplace accident claims must meet the same eligibility criteria as other personal injury claims. However, the legislation under which an employer owes a duty of care differs, as we discuss below.

Find out if you could claim compensation for an accident at a petrol station by getting in contact with our team.

What Duty Of Care Do Petrol Stations Have?

Petrol stations have a duty of care towards the safety of workers, customers, and other members of the public. This duty of care is primarily governed by 2 pieces of legislation:

• Petrol station employees are owed a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. This requires all employers to take reasonably practical steps to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their workforce.
• Members of the public are owed a duty of care under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. This requires occupiers of public spaces, such as petrol station operators, to take practical measures to ensure the reasonable safety of visitors to their premises.

Petrol station operators and owners must also comply with additional regulations pertaining to hazardous substances.

• The Petroleum (Consolidation) Regulations 2014: Applies to workplaces where petrol is stored and dispensed by manual or electric pumps.
• The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR): Requires employers to assess and control fire and explosion risks at work.
• The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH): Governs the safe handling of hazardous substances.

Our advisors can provide further guidance on how a duty of care applies to petrol station accident claims.

Causes Of Accidents And Injuries In Petrol Stations

Common causes of accidents and injuries at petrol stations include fuel spills, wet floors, trip hazards, collisions, and poor lighting. They may also be caused by inadequate workplace training, the absence of risk assessments, and insufficient PPE. These accidents may harm customers, delivery drivers, contractors, and employees.

In the following sections, we examine 2 of the most common types of petrol station accidents.

Slips, Trips And Falls In A Petrol Station

Slips, trips, and falls in petrol stations can be caused by petrol or oil spills, car wash runoff, and broken paving. These hazards can cause serious falls, leading to head trauma, spinal injuries, and other harm. An employer or petrol station operator may be liable for an injury caused by a slip and fall in scenarios like the following:

• A petrol station toilet has a serious leak due to the drainage being in disrepair. This causes a customer to slip and break their leg.
• A sizable pothole has been neglected by petrol station management for some time. As a result of this, a pedestrian trips over the pothole and falls heavily, suffering a serious back injury.
• Petrol station management ignores a serious fuel spill, failing to attend to it or mark it with appropriate signage. A worker subsequently slips on the fuel, sustaining multiple fractures and a severe neck injury.
• Despite a risk assessment highlighting a significant hazard posed by broken flooring, management repeatedly delays repairs. This failure results in a customer tripping, breaking their arm and dislocating their shoulder.

Petrol Station Car Accidents

There are several common reasons petrol station car accidents occur, including poor traffic flow or signage, inadequate lighting, potholes, and driver error. They may affect drivers, motorcycle riders, pedestrians, and employees. Let’s take a look at some scenarios that might give rise to a valid claim:

• A driver speeds through the forecourt while on their phone, hitting a pedestrian who was walking to the station entrance. This accident leaves the pedestrian with catastrophic injuries and long-term paraplegia.
• Markings are no longer visible to drivers or pedestrians, and no attempt has been made to repaint them. This causes a car to go the wrong way, leading to a head-on collision that leaves both drivers with multiple fractures.

You can share your own experience, day or night, with one of our helpful advisors. They would also be happy to provide a free consultation to see if one of our personal injury solicitors could support you through the petrol station accident claims process.

What Should You Do If Injured At A Petrol Station?

If you are injured at a petrol station, you should make sure to report the accident and seek immediate medical care. Taking the following steps can help to create a formal record of your accident, the injuries you sustained, and the treatment you’ve needed:

• Seeking medical care, this may initially be first aid provided on site, followed by care at an A&E, hospital, GP surgery, or walk-in centre.
• Report the accident to the petrol station occupier. You should ensure it is recorded in the accident report log.
• Request the names of anyone who witnessed the incident.
• Keep records of financial losses, such as for medical costs.

You can discuss these steps further with one of our friendly advisors, who would be more than happy to provide more tailored guidance on what to do after a petrol station accident.

How To Start Your Petrol Station Injury Claim

To start your petrol station injury claim, you will need to gather photographs, CCTV footage, and other evidence that can support your version of events. Having a strong body of evidence can show what happened, who is responsible for your injuries, and the overall impact on your day-to-day life.

Some of the most common evidence used in petrol station accident claims includes:

• Medical records, including treatments and prognoses.
• Copies of any accident report made.
• Photographs of the accident scene. If a pothole caused the accident, you’ll want to use a ruler to illustrate its dimensions.
• For car accidents, you’ll need the driver’s contact information, their insurance details, and the vehicle registration.
• CCTV footage from the petrol station’s cameras. You can request CCTV from the petrol station itself, or from cameras overlooking the forecourt.
• Witness contact details, which a solicitor could use to gather supportive testimony.

If you’re unsure where to start with proving a claim, don’t worry. Our solicitors have extensive experience gathering evidence for their clients, and one of them could help you next. You can find out more by chatting with one of our advisors.

Are There Time Limits For Making My Injury Claim?

In most cases, there is a 3-year time limit for starting petrol station injury claims, counted from the date of the accident. This is governed by the Limitation Act 1980, but there are 2 notable exceptions to this timeframe:

• Individuals who are under 18 are too young and, therefore, the time limit does not begin till the date of their 18th birthday.
• No time limit is placed on adults who lack the mental capacity to claim for themselves. Instead, the standard 3 years would only take effort from the point that a recovery is made (if one happens).

In either case, a suitable adult may act as a litigation friend and bring a claim for petrol station injuries while the time limit is on hold. This role is usually filled by loved ones or solicitors, and requires the eligible adult to act in the claimant’s best interests.

An advisor could provide you with a free consultation, during which they can assess how long you have to file your claim.

Why Make A Petrol Station Injury Claim With Advice’s Solicitors?

At Advice, our solicitors offer a bespoke service on a No Win No Fee basis, which is one of the first reasons why you should claim with their support. This support starts from the moment you speak to our team of advisors to the settlement of your case (should you be eligible and wish to proceed). Our solicitors have decades of combined experience securing successful payouts.

Moreover, our solicitors will place a focus on your health and wellbeing, ensuring that your recovery from injuries sustained in a petrol station accident is prioritised. If you’re put through to one of our expert solicitors, you could also enjoy the following:

• Arrangements of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and counselling sessions to aid your ongoing injuries.
• Help with gathering evidence that may be difficult to obtain, including CCTV footage, medical records and accident report books.
• Expert advice on petrol station accident claims, ensuring that details such as inadequate training or broken flooring are not ignored.
• Help with arranging an independent medical assessment to support the injuries you suffered.
• Explanations of legal terminologies to give you a full understanding of the petrol station accident claims process.
• Assessing your losses in detail, ensuring that your compensation is maximised to reflect your physical, mental and financial harm.

To find out if you could be connected with one of our experienced solicitors, please get in touch with our team today.

Can Petrol Station Accident Claims Be Made On a No Win No Fee Basis?

Yes, petrol station accident claims can be made on a No Win No Fee basis if you’re connected with one of our expert solicitors. Offering their services under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), you could enjoy the following:

• No solicitor service fees at the beginning of your case, as it progresses, or if it’s unsuccessful.
• If your petrol station accident claim is successful, you will pay a success fee to your solicitor. Please be aware that this fee will be taken from your compensation and the percentage is capped by the law.

How Our Experts Can Help You

Our expert advisors are available 24/7 to help you get the information you need to start the petrol station accident claims process. If you’re ready to take advantage of our free consultation service, please:

• Phone 0161 509 2856.
• Click here to contact us.
• Talk to an advisor online about the No Win No Fee services one of our solicitors could provide.

Additional Advice

Here, you can find additional advice on how to make a personal injury compensation claim:

• Look at how a lack of manual handling training could cause a workplace accident.
• Find out what to do if a car accident is caught on dashcam.
• Learn more about pedestrian accident solicitors.

References:

• You can learn more about health and safety procedures for the owner of a petrol station in this resource from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
• Check how to request CCTV footage of yourself in this government report.
• Get guidance from the HSE on staying safe when using fuel.

Get additional advice on petrol station accident claims from a member of our team.