Coles forced to pay $300,000 to customer who slipped on iced coffee
Coles has been forced to pay $293,597.30 in damages to a tradesman who was injured after slipping on a puddle of iced coffee.
The New South Wales District Court heard Paul Mansell, a self-employed glazier, explain how he fell over in a Coles store in Vincentia on the south coast.
Paul was wearing thongs during the time of the incident and after slipping on the puddle, landed on the floor.
“His right should and right side of his neck came into contact with the floor or a support post or his shopping basket, or perhaps all of those things,” said court documents viewed by Nine News.
“Only one foot slipped. He had no opportunity to put out his hands to break his fall.”
After the fall, Paul gave his contact details to the junior manager and was contacted the next day by a Coles manager who had watched the CCTV footage.
The manager told Paul there was footage of another customer spilling iced coffee on the floor after taking the drink from a fridge inside the store.
Paul asked for a copy of the footage at least five times but never received it and was later told the video had been deleted.
Medical examinations revealed Paul suffered an “extensive tear” in his right shoulder, making him no longer able to run his business, which he was then forced to sell.
Justice David Russell heard Coles employees were supposed to do floor inspections every hour and a half.
He found Coles failed to uphold their duty of care to Paul and ordered Coles to pay him $293,597.30.
The damages cover loss of earnings and past and future out of pocket expenses.
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