Slipping and falling in public can be embarrassing – but it can also cause surprisingly serious injuries. Especially if you are elderly, disabled, or already suffering from an injury, a spill in a grocery store or some other hazard could cause you substantial injuries. In these kinds of cases, it is important to remember that the injury you suffered likely should have never occurred if the grocery store’s staff properly cleaned up spills and slippery floors and put out “Caution” signs to warn customers.
If you or a loved one fell and was injured in a grocery store in the Baltimore area, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras today. Our Baltimore slip and fall in a grocery store lawyer can help you understand your potential right to sue after facing injuries in a slip and fall. We can also discuss your options for claiming financial compensation and getting your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages covered. For a free legal consultation on your case, contact us today at (410) 694-7291.
Common Causes of Slip and Falls in a Supermarket
Grocery stores can become incredibly crowded at times, and staff may be so distracted keeping up with the demand to restock shelves and keep customers happy that they forget to focus on customer safety. the classic call for a “clean-up” in an aisle is the best way for grocery store workers to help prevent injuries from slip and falls, but these injuries still happen if workers fail to clean up or warn about spills and other hazards quickly enough.
The stereotypical cause of a slip and fall in a grocery store is a spill. If you walk into an aisle that has a clearly broken jar or fallen jug of liquid, you may see the spill and be able to avoid it. However, if there are no warning signs or the spill is left to linger there after the broken glass or leaking containers are removed, it may be impossible to see clear liquids, and you could easily slip and fall on the unseen danger.
Other spills and leaks may occur next to refrigeration units. Grocery stores use fridges and freezers in various shapes and sizes. If coolant or water leaks out of these fridges or out of packed ice in displays, you may not see the leaking water and could slip on it. Grocery stores need to put out warning signs and promptly clean up these hazards.
Other debris left on the floor could also cause a slipping hazard. Plastic bags, discarded receipts or flyers, and other trash or items on the floor that should be cleared away could be slipping or tripping hazards for customers, especially elderly or disabled customers.
Suing Grocery Stores and Supermarkets for Slip and Falls
As mentioned, grocery stores have an obligation to warn customers about potential hazards and clean them up before anyone can be injured. This is a legal duty for all property owners, and whether you are injured at a supermarket, a bodega, or any other market, the property owner has a duty to keep customers safe by warning them about potential dangers and cleaning up or repairing those dangers. If the property owner or grocery store staff failed to do this, you may be entitled to sue them for the damages you faced from your slip and fall.
Proving the grocery store’s negligence typically requires showing that they failed to uphold their duty to repair or warn about dangers on the property. In many cases, the grocery store is expected to discover dangers within a reasonable time to help prevent injuries. If a spill was lingering for hours undetected, the grocery store may still be liable for it even if they did not know about the spill. it is expected that they should have discovered such a spill if their workers were properly paying attention to the condition of the store, and you may be entitled to sue for the injuries you faced.
Typically, slip and fall injuries are not severe. You may suffer a minor bump or avoid injury entirely if you can catch yourself. However, it is not expected that everyone be superior athletes who can avoid injury during a fall. You can typically seek damages for any injuries you face from the slip and fall, no matter how severe they are. This means that broken wrists, concussions, or even serious brain trauma or spinal cord injuries can all be compensated.
The damages that you face in your case are tied to the severity of the injuries you received. Typically, damages involve the medical bills to treat the injury, lost wages if the injury caused you to miss work, and damages to pay you for your physical pain and mental suffering. This can include damages for mental and emotional distress as well. If you were already injured or disabled, you can still receive full damages for the injuries you suffered in this incident and the increased severity the slip and fall caused your existing condition.
Call Our Baltimore Grocery Store Slip and Fall Lawyers for a Free Case Consultation
Talk to a lawyer about how much your case is worth before accepting any money or settlement offers from the grocery store. the grocery store may not have your best interests at heart, and you could lose the opportunity to sue in court and seek full compensation if you accept a low settlement offer. Your case may also have strict deadlines you need to meet by filing your case quickly. Call the Baltimore grocery store slip and fall lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras today at (410) 694-7291 to discuss your case in a free, confidential legal consultation.