It’s traumatic enough getting lost in a grocery store, but imagine slipping into a slip and fall case after innocently searching for Captain Crunch on the shelves. I know—don’t go crying over spilled milk—but what if the milk causes an accident that leaves you drowning in medical expenses? This is when you know you are in need of a personal injury lawyer.
Businesses have an obligation to keep their stores safe so that you don’t have to worry about tripping, nails, spills, holes, etc. while you’re doing your weekly grocery shopping. Now—riding around in a grocery cart expecting a smooth transition across the store is a different story. That is what we would call reckless behaviour, and you would be at-fault in the accident.
However, if a slip and fall accident does occur in a business and the store is at-fault, then a personal injury lawyer will help you file your claims and build a case against the accused business.
Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents can occur before the customer even enters the building, as ice and snow can typically build up outside of these stores and cause danger for people entering the premises. Accidents can also happen because of dim lighting in a store—so dim that a customer trips and hurts himself or herself. It is the store’s responsibility to make sure that such hazards are cleaned up or taken care of so that customers are safe on the property.
Hartner Vs. Home Depot
In one particular case, a woman slipped in a Home Depot store and sued the store for her woes. When the woman asked the hardware store for a video surveillance tape, Home Depot retaliated saying that the section of the tape had been deleted. A judge ruled Home Depot responsible for the accident and the hardware superstore was ordered to pay $44,383.61 for her injury. Although Home Depot was not responsible for putting the nail in the coffin, they were responsible for cleaning up the store or making customers aware of the spill. If a slippery when wet sign was positioned in the location the woman fell, the business would not be responsible, as the woman would have chosen to ignore the sign.
Forklift at Lowes
While standing in line, waiting to checkout, a customer was injured after an employee ran into the man with a forklift. The man suffered many different injures, but by hiring a lawyer to help him with his case he was able to receive a $600,000 payment from Lowes.
Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
Hiring a personal injury lawyer after a slip and fall case will ensure that you receive the compensation you feel that you deserve for your injury. There are many different cases showing businesses that did not clean up spills when they should have, or make small repairs that could have saved the business far more money and time in the end. A personal injury lawyer will help strengthen your case against a business, and find the evidence you need to win the case.
Sources:
http://www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/personal-injury/stores-liability-slip-fall-accidents.html