Slip and Fall Accidents at a Store: What You Need to Know

Are you one of those people who enjoy shopping during summer? Prices tend to be lower than usual and there are many new designs for you to choose from! As fun as it might be to spend this time in stores, there’s still a possibility that you might slip, fall, or otherwise get injured while shopping. If this is the case, you may have a valid legal claim against that store.

Generally, any store that welcomes their customers onto their premises automatically has a legal duty to keep them reasonably safe. It doesn’t matter how big or small the business is, it is still their obligation to take certain steps to ensure their customers’ safety at all times.

Duty to Maintain Safe Premises

Like all other businesses that provide services or products to the public, stores are legally obligated to maintain reasonably safe premises for their customers’ protection. When a slip and fall accident takes place at a grocery store or a department store, the business may be liable for injuries especially if the slip and fall occurred due to unsafe conditions on the said property.

In-Store Slip and Fall Accidents

Casualties from slip and falls at a store can happen for different reasons. A customer might fall due to an accumulation of ice or snow in the entryway, or could trip over an errant floor mat. The store’s items on display might be placed haphazardly and can fall in the pathway of customers. The store might have poor lighting which leads to poor visibility, or a prior customer’s spilled latte could have left a messy puddle in an aisle. There are many possibilities, but regardless of the cause of the accident, the legal responsibility of the store still lies on whether or not it noticed the unsafe condition and failed to take appropriate actions to fix the problem.

Store Liability

A store or business may only be liable for a slip and fall accident on its property if:

• the business or store was negligent, and

• that negligence caused a customer’s accident.

Simply falling in someone’s store does not necessarily mean that anyone will be found negligent. An unsafe condition should be proved. Also, in order to prove that the defendant was negligent, it must be proved that it knew or should reasonably have known about the unsafe condition.

If you have an experience of a slip and fall accident while at a store, call our office today at 1.855.905.9222 for a free consultation. It is better to know if you have a right for compensation as soon as possible.