Court of Appeal heralds death knell for the Compensation Culture

In both cases, a leading supermarket chain appealed an award of damages against two of their employees. In the first case, the employee had slipped on a wrapper which had somehow become torn from rubbish bags. In the second, the employee had tripped on some plastic wrapping paper which was on the floor of a freezer he was entering to get food.  

 

In both cases, the claimants received a substantial award of damages from the High Court.  

 

However, the Court of Appeal overturned both awards and dismissed the claims. In both cases, the Court of Appeal said that employers are not the insurers of their employees’ welfare at work. Provided they take reasonably practical precautions to ensure their employees’ welfare, they cannot be responsible for what might be termed “accidents”. 

 

In the wrapping paper case, an employee had been in the area less than five minutes previously on cleaning duties and had not seen the wrapping paper, and in the plastic wrapping case, the employee in question had received training in how to clean up as they went along, and it was obvious that the wrapping paper was a clear and present danger which they should have cleaned up. 

 

A series of decisions taken by the Court of Appeal in the last twelve months clearly shows that people bringing personal injury claims can no longer expect to receive what might be termed “easy” money from the Courts, but rather they must show that the person whom they are suing was the person who caused the accident, and that there was clear negligence on that person’s part. The days of every trip and fall leading to a successful claim for compensation are, I’m afraid, gone.