Market Ordered To Pay RM52,000 After Woman Slips On Onion Skin And Breaks Wrist
The woman was hospitalised due to injuries she sustained after her fall.
A trip to the local vegetable market turned into a costly ordeal for a 62-year-old woman after she suffered a fall which resulted in fractures, joint injuries, and dental damage
The woman, Wang Juan, was shopping for groceries at a vegetable market in Nantong, China after picking up her granddaughter from school on 23 July 2023.
The incident, which was caught on CCTV, shows Wang Juan falling hard on her face after stepping on a foreign object. She remained on the ground, unable to get up. Her granddaughter rushed to her side and immediately contacted emergency services.
Image via @扬子晚报 (Douyin)
Wang Juan was hospitalised the same day and discharged more than ten days later, during which time she underwent surgery
She was diagnosed with a grade 10 disability due to a broken wrist, tooth damage, and wrist joint dysfunction. Her losses, including medical and nutrition expenses, and disability compensation amounted to more than 167,000 yuan (approximately RM101,741).
She later sued the vegetable market, demanding over 203,000 yuan (approximately RM123,673) in compensation for her medical expenses and pain and suffering.
However, the market refused to pay Wang Juan and blamed her for the accident.
They argued that she was not paying attention and she was wearing inappropriate footwear — "high-heeled slippers".
The market maintained that it had fulfilled its safety duties by implementing various measures, including warning signs about slippery floors, "beware of slippery floors" tiles in the aisles, regular safety announcements, and dedicated cleaning staff.
However, the court dismissed the market's claim about Wang Juan's footwear after reviewing photos taken by the police at the scene. She was wearing flat slippers with a small 3cm heel, which the court deemed was appropriate for summer wear in July.
Image via Yangtze Evening News/Ziniu News
Police investigations also found and took photos of a translucent, slimy substance on the floor near where Wang Juan fell.
The court reviewed the photographic evidence and determined that the irregularly shaped substance was onion skin and that it was highly probable this had caused her fall.
Image via Yangtze Evening News/Ziniu News
Ultimately, the court ruled that the vegetable market was liable for 50% of Wang Juan's losses
The market was ordered to pay her 86,000 yuan (approximately RM52,394) in compensation, a significant sum for a slip on a seemingly harmless onion slice.
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