Festive shopping can be dangerous, and not just for your wallet!

What to do if you’re injured in the crowds this Christmas, including slip and falls and car park rushes.

The festive season is a busy time of the year for every Australian, people are running to the shops to get last minute gifts and food. But with the Christmas crowds and stress, injuries can easily occur while you’re checking off the last-minute items on your list.

When you go to shops to pick up that extra packet of chips for everyone, or head out for the perfect Secret Santa you should expect to be safe. But what happens when a store doesn’t take reasonable steps to keep its customers safe?

Common shopping injuries

If you’ve suffered an injury, you should seek medical assistance immediately.

Slip and falls

You slip and fall injuring yourself because staff had failed to clean up a spill or, in the Christmas rush they didn’t put up a sign to warn shoppers of a slipping hazard.

Poor maintenance

You were injured because the store or shopping centre didn’t properly maintain things like their escalators, lifts, stairs and railings. For example, an escalator stopping working injuring people in the process, a dressing room hook falling on you, or a door shutting on you.

Unsafe for children

At this busy time people are juggling their to-do-lists and childcare, and often children can fall victim to a lack of care on a shop or supermarkets behalf. Having a safe environment for children can include working, child seats on trolleys or secured shelves or items.

Tripping hazards

Boxes obstructing walkways, hidden steps or poorly placed door mats can lead to injuries when people trip and fall over them.

Some injuries may be a minor scrape or bruise, but trips and falls can also cause more serious injuries such as broken bones, fractures, dislocations, and injuries to your back and neck.

What about in the car?

A shopping centres duty of care extends to the car park, and shopping centre operators are expected to take reasonable steps to ensure your safety on their premises.

While trying to find a car park in a sea of shoppers you could be injured due to poor maintenance (including potholes, or faulty gates), tripping hazards on the way to the shop, or poor or unmarked signage.

The festive season is a stressful time for all of us, and everyone deserves to get through it without being injured.

Remember to stay safe while ticking off your Christmas list!