Supermarkets are more dangerous than most people realize. Wet floors, broken tiles, displays in the middle of an aisle, or falling objects could all injure an unsuspecting shopper. Many shoppers in the Baltimore area find themselves hurt due to no fault of their own after an accident at their local supermarket. We believe store owners, managers, and employees should be held responsible if their actions directly contributed to the harm of one of their customers.
If you were hurt due to the negligence of a supermarket owner or their employees, contact our Baltimore supermarket slip and fall injury lawyer. The experienced attorneys at Rice, Murtha & Psoras have represented hundreds of injured Baltimore residents. Call (410) 694-7291 to schedule a free case consultation.
Injuries in Baltimore Supermarkets from Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents in Baltimore supermarkets could result in injuries ranging from minor bruising to catastrophic or even permanent disabilities. A slippery floor could lead to injuries in the fall, including a bone fracture, severe cuts, or traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. Depending on the severity of the damage sustained, an injury victim might face long-term rehabilitation, expensive physical or occupational therapy, and costly medical bills. Furthermore, if the harm is serious or permanent, a victim might be unable to work, limiting their ability to provide financial support for themselves and their loved ones.
What to Do After Sustaining an Injury in a Baltimore Supermarket
If you sustained an injury in a slip and fall accident in a Baltimore supermarket, the most important thing to do is seek medical attention. Even the most minor injury could result in more severe medical complications if left untreated. Additionally, it is possible that the full extent of your injury is not readily apparent at the time of your accident, such as with lingering issues from head trauma.
After tending to your safety, there are some steps you should take. First, you should report the accident and make sure to get a copy of the accident report. If you are able, you should take photos of the area where you fell, capturing any conditions that contributed to your accident if they are still present. the testimony of eyewitnesses can be beneficial in establishing liability; therefore, you should be sure to collect statements and contact information from anyone who saw you fall. You should also contact our Baltimore supermarket slip and fall attorney as soon as possible so we can take immediate steps in building your case. To hold the responsible parties accountable, we will contact all eyewitnesses, secure any accident reports, and send a letter to the supermarket requesting that they preserve any video footage of the incident as evidence.
Holding Baltimore Supermarkets and their Employees Liable for Your Slip and Fall Injuries
Proving negligence is necessary for any injury claim arising out of a slip and fall in a Baltimore supermarket. the first element to establish is that the supermarket, the store manager, or the store owner owed you a duty. This is relatively simple, as store owners, managers, and employees have a general duty to ensure that customers are reasonably safe in their stores. Any dereliction of this duty could constitute negligence. On top of this negligence, our attorney must show that any injury was a direct result of the negligent conduct.
Whether the store had notice of the hazardous condition is crucial in determining liability. To establish negligence, we will have to prove that the store owner, manager, or another employee knew or should have known that a dangerous situation existed and failed to address the condition in a timely and reasonable manner.
For example, imagine a spill of several glass jars of peppers: peppers, shards of glass, and liquid now cover the aisle. A store employee immediately reports the situation to their store manager, who ignores the information. Sometime later, you walk through the aisle, lose your footing and fall, breaking your arm while suffering multiple cuts from the broken glass.
In this instance, the store manager was aware of the dangerous condition. While the employee who reported the hazardous condition may have acted reasonably, the store manager who neglected the spill committed negligence. the injury in this example was a direct result of the spill and the store manager’s failure to address a known hazard. Under these and similar circumstances, the supermarket and store manager could be held liable for your damages.
There are several other ways negligent conduct in a supermarket could lead to significant injuries, including the following:
- Failing to warn shoppers of a slippery or wet floor
- Not having policies for cleaning spills or conducting regular inspections of the premises
- Failing to address irregular or broken floor tiles
- Allowing large crowds without the ability to control them
- Not adequately clearing snow and ice from the parking lot and surrounding sidewalks.
If any of these conditions or other dangerous issues were present and directly led to you suffering an injury in a slip and fall accident, call our experienced Baltimore supermarket slip and fall attorney.
Call Our Baltimore Supermarket Slip and Fall Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Going to your local supermarket to buy groceries should not end in days, weeks, or months of rehabilitation and pain and suffering. If you suffered a severe injury due to the negligence of a supermarket employer or building owner, our seasoned Baltimore attorneys have the resources to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding your injury and fight to hold all responsible parties accountable. Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291 to schedule a free case consultation.