joining blame culture or genuine case?

[CurtainTwitcher]

On tuesday my DD3 was in shopping trolley which tipped over when my 3+4yr olds tried to stand on one side. The 4yr old did stand on it but 3yr old was just trying to. Between them they probably weigh around 4 1/2 stone. Anyways the trolley tipped over with DD3 sitting in the seat strapped in and resulted in her knocking her head on the floor. Obviously carted off by ambulance and spending around 30hrs on a ward due to them being concerned about bleeding on the brain.
Anyways since telling people when asking about huge bruising around 90% have said that they dont think the trolley should have tipped. The store have phoned last night and said they will be conducting an investigation with it being such a serious incident. So what I am asking is whether there is any responsibility with the store or whether it is just one of those things? I am wondering if people are all on this band wagon of claiming for money or it if it is something that shouldnt have happened considering how many children will be in the store probably doing similair.

The store is conducting an investigation??
Why on earth do they feel the need to? WHat happened is surely pretty obvious

Letz and Sandybits, I'm with you two. Common sense prevails!!!

Or perhaps you don't mind paying a huge premium on your shopping so that tescos can implement a Child-proof "wonder" trolley especially designed for parents who might turn their backs for a second that will not tip even under the weight of a small elephant.

Also, it is a horrible accident so I hope your DCs make a full recovery and I am also NOT blaming you..it just seems a weird question to ask like you are looking for the OK to sue them or something?

The OP asked if there is responsibility with the store, and I said no. Is it just one of those things? Again, no. She had a lapse in judgement and supervision with her children.

Please note, I did say that we ALL have lapses at some point, but that it still is technically our fault. I've actually had a trolley tip with DD on the side years ago when she was 4 (she wasn't injured, but it was embarrassing as she fell into an open freezer bin - right into the chips section! ). I don't blame anyone but myself, as it was a similar situation. DD had a habit of climbing on the side, I knew it, and I told her off repeatedly but didn't take it any further. For me, that was a bit of a wake up call, as she could have been injured, especially if it'd fallen to the floor with her under it. I felt the same way about my own behaviour (irresponsible about not being proactive about the problem and not paying enough attention) that I do about the OP.

There are signs about what is considered safe trolley usage. One would think that common sense would suffice, but apparently not.

I'm by no means a perfect parent, but if you knew your child was doing something repeatedly that could potentially cause them injury, and they do it despite you telling them off on a number of occasions, common sense should tell you that further discipline or other methods to solve the problem need to be taken. I do think that as a parent, you have to take responsibility and use some common sense.

Hear, hear, Triggles!

I just don't see why you think the store has any responsibility when it comes to this. It's not liek you slipped on a wet floor or somehting fell off a shelf and knocked you out. Your children, who were under your supervision did something which directly caused the accident. Case closed. I really don't see why you are even considering persuing this. Forgive me, but if anyone was negligent here it was you, and not the store.

i can tell you that when some paving slabs fell on ds1 in b and q it took them a YEAR to pay out and that was with lawyers.

and it was deffo their fault and they accepted it..

so dont hold yer breath

ok Triggles...lets say we have a "lapse" and one of our children runs out into the road in front of a car giving the driver no opportunity to stop....as the responsible parent, is that your fault, no, it is the drivers fault!!!

And this wasnt a lapse, the mother was getting strawberries ffs, a supermarket must assume that she will take her eyes off her children for 1 second to shop

This shop should be looking to see if this trolley was faulty...godness knows enough of them are. And they should be correcting that fault.

I dont think OP is looking for a payout, she is looking to ensure that this doesnt happen again!!

it sannoying me this thread i ill have to hide it

stoppin at 2, actually I think given the driver had no opportunity to stop in your hypothetical example, that would indeed be the parents fault

but it was an accident. With the best intentions in the world, the supermrket cannot stop this happening again if people will misuse the trollies. They're not the friggin orcale, they don't know when an accident is about to happen

Sandy...speaking from experience, the driver was prosecuted......the parent although stood with the child and 2 others was seen to be blameless

Then tbh my heart goes out to the driver

Actually if you have a lapse and are not paying attention and your child runs out into the road in front a car giving the driver no opportunity to stop, it IS your fault. It's unfortunate, and probably would have tragic consequences. But it's still the parent's fault! It is NOT the driver's fault. (where in god's name would you think it's the driver's fault - as long as said driver is driving within the rules of the road such as within speed and with due care and attention)

I once had a trolley full (really full, it was 23rd december!!) almost tip over with me at 8 mths pg pushing it and DD1 almost 2 sitting correctly in it, because one wheel hit a broken drain cover in tesco car park. fortunately I managed to summon enough strength to right it and not hurt my bump/stomach muscles, but it was scarey

another poster is correct - the number of parents you see with kids not strapped in and doing all sorts of dangerous things is unbelievable.
only yesterday there was a baby of about 7/8 months not strapped in and while her mothers back was turned she was holding onto the handle and pushing so hard she stood up a couple of times with her bum higher than the seat and her head leaning over towards the floor. made by blood run cold but STILL the mother did not strap her in

another time i saw a flash of something moving at floor level and there was a child of 6/7 yrs laying UNDER the moving trolley, on the whels, grabbing at stuff as they passed - totally outrageous and just asking for an accident

OP - I hope your kids are ALL ok after this, nasty shock for you all, but juts goes to show you can't be too careful

nobody can tell unless they look at the trolley, that this was an accident....goodness me how may times doe we curse trollies for having a mind of their own....you are all assuming that is was a perfect trolley. It could have been poorly maintained and as such liable to tip

but that was not the op's point

stoppinattwo - that's unfortunate that they were prosecuted... but that's a specific situation where we don't know ALL the facts. So that's really not a good example. We don't know if there were some other mitigating circumstances.

stoppinat2, the trolley had 2 children climbing on it! Even if it is found to be in some way faulty, that is neither here nor there. It is not designed as a climbing frame and shouldn't be treated as such.

Triggles...I was in the car...the driver was prosecuted....completely at fault, my point is a parent is not blamed for lapse in concentration there or anywhere where someone else should have been aware

The driver should have seen the children stood on the kerb and been ready to stop

A supermarket should fully investigate why this trolley tipped and make sure that it doesnt happen again - that is the least they could do

people are probably assuming no issues with the trolley as the OP didn't indicate the trolley was wonky in any way, such as listing to one side or wobbly or anything. She focused on her children's behaviour, not the trolley itself. She states it was only after speaking to others that she even considered that there might be a problem with the trolley...so obviously she didn't notice any particular problem.

surely there must be more to that story of the child running out and being hit by a car though, for the driver to be blamed? speeding or over the limit or something? if as you say the kid ran out and the driver had NO TIME to stop, then that is the parents fault

you just CAN'T have "lapses" when waiting to cross a road with your DC, they are unpredicatable and MIGHT for lots of reasons one day make a serious mistake - if you are holding them or have a wrist strap it csnnot happen

Sandy....a shopping trolly is a ride waiting to happen for most children

peedoff...it is exaclty as I have told it, no more no less, he was not speeding but was unfamiliar with the road