Can a compensation claim for slipping on yoghurt in Aldi be made for a knee ligament injury, or is the accident unlikely to be considered to be the fault of the grocery store?
It is possible to make a compensation claim for slipping on yoghurt in Aldi for a knee ligament injury, provided the grocery store staff can be shown to have been negligent for failing to clean the slip hazard in time to prevent your accident. However, we cannot tell you if you if the grocery store staff were to blame for the accident based on the information you have provided.
Slip injury claims against grocery stores are usually complicated by the fact that the duty of care owed to customers is not absolute. Although all reasonable efforts should be made to keep customers safe while shopping, the grocery store is not automatically liable for all accidents and injuries which occur on the premises.
The reason for this is it would be unreasonable to expect even the most diligent member of staff to be able to identify a slip hazard the second it appeared. The staff must therefore be allowed a reasonable amount of time to inspect the aisles, identify hazards and arrange cleaning as appropriate.
If a customer dropped the yoghurt seconds prior to you having slipped on yoghurt on the floor in Aldi, it is unlikely that your accident could have realistically have been prevented. The grocery store would therefore not be responsible for your injury and, in this scenario, a compensation claim for slipping on yoghurt in Aldi would not be possible.
However, you will be entitled to make a claim against Aldi for a slip and fall on yoghurt if it can be established and proven that the spillage had been present for on the floor for an unacceptable period of time, and no attempt was made to warn customers of the risk of slipping or for cleaning to be arranged.
In order to establish whether a duty of care has been breached, you will need to allow a personal injury lawyer to investigate your case. A lawyer will contact the store and will request cleaning rotas, and an access request will be made to release CCTV camera data; it may be clear from the recording how you slipped on yoghurt on the floor in Aldi as well as the length of time the hazard was present. The staff that came to your aid after your fall will also be contacted, in addition to the section manager and the member of staff responsible for monitoring the aisle to find out if a duty of care was breached.
Unfortunately, until the investigation has been conducted, it will not be possible for a lawyer to confirm if a claim against Aldi for a slip and fall on yoghurt will be possible.