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.

True, a huge box of soap powder would make a difference, as would wine.

OP - so sorry about your DD. It sounds like a horrible accident.

But thank you for posting, because sometimes in order for me to get my shopping done as quickly and tantrum-free as possible, I have allowed my DD (nearly 4) to stand on the side, kind of on top of one of the wheels by the handle, when DS (1) has been in the trolley seat.

I must seem really stupid, especially as I always inwardly tut at parents who let the kids stand up in the trolleys, or who don't have young toddlers strapped in. But it has never occurred to me for one minute that the trolley would tip.

I will not be allowing DD to do anything of the kind every again. Thanks again for the warning OP.

Interesting thread, for many reasons.

OP, I'm sorry your DD was hurt and hope everybody is ok. You mentioned "blame culture" in your thread title, and it would seem that the thread has developed into an excellent example of that phenomenon.

A blame culture often develops as a part of a psychological defense mechanism after a negative event. When people hear about an "accident", they often feel the need to identify a guilty party and then mentally seperate that guilt from themselves. (for example: mother's trolley overturns -> mother was being irresponsible -> I am not irresponsible -> therefore it couldn't happen to me -> I am safe) Injury lawyers like to play on our feelings of guilt and fear by promising to take that guilt and hand it to another party.

I don't think you would have a good case for an individual lawsuit, because the supermarket does provide signage to illustrate proper trolley use and states that children are the parent's responsibility.

However, just from this thread I can see that

• a significant number of mums are not aware of the warning signs
• many would not anticipate a trolley tipping over
• many have observed their own or other children attempting to climb on a trolley
• at least 4 posts so far have identified a tipping trolley, with some additional near misses.

I think that adds up to a worrying state of affairs, and think supermarkets SHOULD be looking into solutions. Telling mums to just shop online isn't going to cut it.

Once again...I have stood on the side of a very nearly empty trolley and no topple!

PS. I am no light thing
PPS. I only have a C in A level Physics...

Oops, my last post was typed at 9.30, only just got to press the post button now.

I would rather a bit of rain, products leaking etc. than dog poo on a shoe or heaven forbid a leaking dirty nappy. Thank you!

Getting rather off-topic now but I agree with melika - I really don't like seeing children in the actual trolley - big difference between dirty potatoes and dog poo!