Thompson v Woolworths (Qld) Pty Ltd

The High Court of Australia heard an appeal from the Queensland Court of Appeal in the matter of *Thompson v Woolworths (Qld) Pty Ltd*. The dispute concerned the appellant's claim for damages arising from injuries sustained while shopping at a Woolworths supermarket. The appellant alleged that she slipped on a foreign substance on the floor of the supermarket, leading to her injuries.

The central legal issue before the High Court was whether the respondent, Woolworths, had breached its duty of care to the appellant, a customer, by failing to take reasonable steps to prevent the slip and fall. This involved determining whether the presence of the foreign substance constituted a foreseeable risk of harm and, if so, whether the respondent's actions or omissions were reasonable in the circumstances to mitigate that risk.

The High Court considered the principles of negligence, particularly the duty of care owed by occupiers to invitees. The Court analysed the evidence presented regarding the condition of the supermarket floor, the nature of the substance, and the respondent's cleaning and inspection procedures. The Court ultimately found that the respondent had not breached its duty of care, as the risk of a customer slipping on such a substance was not reasonably foreseeable, nor had the respondent failed to implement reasonable precautions given the circumstances. The appeal was dismissed.