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What You Should Do If You Slip And Fall In A Grocery Store

Posted by James Aspell | Apr 09, 2022 | 0 Comments

Grocery shelves normally contain liquids, so it's not a surprise that slip and fall accidents take place in grocery stores. These accidents are commonly caused by spilled water or other liquids and substances that are left uncleaned in the aisles of grocery stores. It is possible for people who get injured on store premises to have a valid case against the store. However, this process is not always smooth. So what happens after you get injured in a slip and fall in a Connecticut grocery store? What do you do next? Read on for the full guide.

Grocery Slip And Fall Causes And Common Injuries

The most common causes of injuries in grocery stores are:

  • Damaged grocery carts
  • Bunched, improperly positioned, or missing floor mats
  • Slippery floors from leaks and spills
  • Faulty entrance and exit doors
  • Items falling from grocery store shelves
  • Aisle obstructions from boxes, pallets, and food
  • Cracked and uneven outside pavement
  • Tainted or spoiled food

The common injuries people can get at grocery stores are:

Grocery slip and fall accidents can be pretty bad for vulnerable people such as the elderly and children. A fractured hip can result in disabling a person for a long time. Children can get cuts, be pinched or scratched by shopping carts that are not properly maintained. They can also fall out of them and smash their heads into the concrete floors, resulting in every parent's nightmare.

Woman shopping in grocery store in Las Vegas

 

#1 Seek medical care right away

If you suffered an injury like a broken bone, seek medical care right away. This is key. It is possible that even if you're not in extreme pain you could have sustained a serious injury you weren't aware of.

#2 Identify what caused you to slip and fall

Try and identify what caused your accident. It could have been a liquid left on the floor, some electrical cords carelessly placed, or something blocking the walkway.

#3 Document as much as you can

Document yourself the cause of the accident. The shape, texture, and size of the substance left on the floor or how large was the dangerous condition. Write it down in great detail. You probably will forget these with the passage of time.

#4 Take pictures of the conditions 

Any pictures you take of the conditions will serve as evidence that you can provide to your lawyer to support your case. This will be helpful during the process.

#5 Request store security surveillance video

You should ask if your accident was caught on film. A video of it can provide enough evidence of the dangerous condition that the grocery store employees or owner should have been aware of. Proving foreseeability in a premises liability case is a necessary step in proving negligence.

#6 Get witnesses' contact information

If anyone witnessed the accident or saw you on the ground injured it is vital to get their contact information. Having someone who can speak about the conditions before and after the accident will be very helpful to your case.

#7 File a report

The grocery store must have a method for filing incident reports. But, they will try and get details from you that will work for them. They will try to fix the problem then and there. Don't let that happen. Most importantly, everything you say can be used against you in the claim process, so watch what you tell them.

#8 Contact an attorney

Find an attorney to look after your best interests. Slip and fall accidents can be an extreme pain that can be eased by an experienced and skilled attorney.

Compensation For Your Injuries

Certainly, you can be compensated for your injuries when:

  1. The grocery store owed you a duty of care
  2. You were injured because of the store's negligence
  3. The store breached its duty of care to you by being negligent
  4. The grocery store is liable for your injuries
  5. You have real and measurable injuries

Above all, it is important to know that when you file a claim with the grocery store's insurance company, you can't just sit around and wait for the check to come in the mail. It is up to you to prove that the store was responsible for injuries. That is what we call the burden of proof.

Duty of Care

Connecticut laws require grocery stores and supermarkets to have a duty of care. This means an obligation to make their premises safe for customers. For example, being aware of common hazards and fixing them before they make someone get hurt. That is to say, not every single hazard has to be removed from the grocery store, this would be almost impossible. On the other hand, if an employee ignores a broken glass jar in an aisle and you get injured, you might be eligible to file a premises liability claim. But, if the jar just dropped and an employee hasn't cleaned it yet, you might not have a case because they were not aware of the jar falling in the first place. To clarify, you have to prove that the grocery store was negligent in a way in order to get any compensation for your injuries. 

Should you have any questions, feel free to call us at 860-523-8783.

About the Author

James Aspell

Principal since August 1, 2006 James F. Aspell is the principal and managing attorney of the firm which he started in 2006 following 20 years of litigation practice in a mid -size firm in Hartford, Connecticut. Jim focuses his practice in the areas of worker's compensation and personal injury l...

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