Coles loses court case: Canberra woman awarded $27,000 for slipping on a grape in Woden store

A woman who slipped on a grape while shopping at the grocery store was awarded more than $27,000.

The ACT Court of Appeal ordered Coles to pay the Canberra woman compensation of $27,309 for the expenses she suffered after she slipped on a grape in her Woden shop.

The money will cover your general damages, domestic assistance and out-of-pocket expenses.

The court heard that the woman was shopping in the fresh meat section of the store when she slipped on a grape.

Coles was initially found not to have breached his duty of care by not noticing the grape, but the Court of Appeal found that the discarded grape was the result of an inadequate cleaning system.

“That system carried the potential for spills and items on the floor to be overlooked because there was no dedicated attention given to that issue at any particular time,” he said.

“Inevitably, it made detection of spills and dangerous goods subservient to the performance of the other duties of staff members.”

The court previously heard from employees who said grapes are one of the products with the greatest slip hazard.

The ACT Court of Appeal found that Coles should have a dedicated system to remove slipping hazards, such as the grape that caused the woman to fall.

They said customers, particularly with young children, often bring grapes around the store to eat while they shop.

Therefore, grapes can be disposed of on the floor almost anywhere within a store rather than just in the produce section.

The court determined that Coles should have a dedicated system to prevent slip and fall hazards around its stores.

“A dedicated inspection system would have detected a grape or other spill or slip hazard in the area,” their ruling said.

“Therefore, if a reasonable system had included an hourly (or more frequent) inspection, such a system would most likely have prevented the damage that occurred.”