The average grocery shop is usually quiet and organized. But while worrying about the potential dangers at a grocery store might seem silly or trivial, numerous people are injured while grocery shopping every year, so it is very important for everyone to know how to handle this type of incident. Discover what you need to know about grocery store accidents, especially if you want to pursue a personal injury claim.
Accept Personal Liability
A business is not considered at fault for every accident that occurs on their property. The company cannot be held liable if someone is committing a crime like trespassing or if their own actions led to the accident. Additional examples include walking into an obvious display while texting or falling while climbing a shelf to reach a product. If any of these apply to you, speak to a personal injury attorney to see if your case has merit.
Know the Store’s Responsibility
Grocery store owners must, by law, keep their premises safe for their customers. This includes putting up signs when slippery conditions exist, performing routine checks of the cleanliness of the floors, and maintaining equipment like carts and shelving so they do not lead to an injury. The proper stacking and display of items is also a safety issue.
Security is another concern that grocery store owners and managers must consider. The law requires them to provide adequate safety from known risks.
A personal injury attorney will be able to determine what the store’s responsibilities were and if they were breached during your accident.
Consider Other Options
An illness from food that is purchased at the store may not always be a result of the store owner’s negligence. They are liable if the food was spoiled because it was sold past its expiration date or because it was improperly stored. The manufacturer would be to blame if the problem happened during the production process.
Similarly, most grocery stores operate out of leased buildings. The property owner, rather than the store owner, would be to blame if the injury happened due to poor building maintenance. For example, the property owner is often liable if a piece of siding comes loose and strikes a customer or if a customer slips and falls in the bathroom due to a broken pipe.
Handle Accidents Effectively
The actions taken immediately after an incident will determine the success rate of any claim. After an accident, it is important to speak to the manager and fill out an incident report. Seek immediate medical attention even if the injury seems minor. Many people discover they are in more pain several hours, days, or weeks after an incident.
Take photographs of where the accident occurred before leaving the store. Call a friend or family member to do this as soon as possible if the injury is too severe for you to do it yourself.
Make certain to get the contact information for the corporate office to deal with them directly. You should also seek legal advice about the case from a qualified personal injury attorney. They will be able to guide you on the ins and outs of the laws concerning personal injury, especially in cases surrounding grocery stores, their liability, and your responsibility toward your claim.
Keep Everything Organized
Following an accident, it is necessary to track all expenses including medical bills, lost work, and therapy services that are directly related to the accident. A claim is given more credence when it is proven to have caused pain and loss to the victim. Remember all expenses, including the need to hire a baby sitter or housekeeper due to the injuries.
Understand the Severity
Every year in the United States, over 800,000 people spend time in the hospital due to a slip and fall injury. Not all occur at grocery stores, but retail locations are where these accidents frequently happen. Along with falls, there are many other potential hazards, and being careful is not always enough to prevent someone from getting hurt.
Call the Personal Injury Experts
At Garrison Law Firm, we understand that people sometimes let the embarrassment of being injured in public cloud their judgment about filing a claim. They may want to simply brush themselves off and continue on like nothing happened. Sadly, many people later discover they are in more pain than they expected. Make the choice to protect your future. If there are complications, it is always beneficial to the victim to already be prepared.
Contact us to arrange a consultation to discuss your case. We look forward to speaking with you about your specific legal needs, as well as answering your questions about personal injuries in grocery stores or in any other situation where you might have a claim to compensation. Let us know how we can help you today.