Store Merchandise Injuries

There is a responsibility when a business welcomes customers on its property to keep customers essentially safe.

Any conditions that are unreasonable can result in a personal injury claim that can be used against the store when a customer trips over barricades or store merchandise.

For a host of reasons, slip and fall injuries can occur, such as items placed in a customer’s pathway, slick floors, or poor lighting.

Some scenarios of common personal injury lawsuits against retail stores due to store hazards, such as the following:

A west coast jury awarded a plaintiff $500,000, after a mother slipped on detergent soap in a wholesale store, and shattered her knee.

Several employees of the store ignored the spillage, as they walked by, according to the plaintiff.

An elderly woman sued a household store after she slipped on a liquid substance. Although the store claimed the vital part of the surveillance video tape had been erased, the woman was awarded by the jury for $45,000.

An employee operating a forklift in an east coast store crashed into a customer standing on line for checkout.

The customer sustained various injuries, and was awarded in damages $750,000.

If you sustained a catastrophic accident in a retail store caused by tripping over barricades or store merchandise, that store may be liable legally for the injuries.

You may receive injuries by tripping over carts, pallets, promotional materials, merchandise, or other obstacles left carelessly in the pathway.

On your behalf, your attorney can present evidence that the store owner or store employees knew, or should’ve known of the hazards in the store.

The hazards in the store, in other words, must’ve been present enough for an individual to become aware of its presence. The opportunity for an individual to move what is hazardous, and prevent injuries should be evident.

It is also important to prove that the store owner or store employee was aware, or should have been aware, that merchandise in the aisles, or other store spaces where it was a slip and trip hazard, and neglected to have a system set to prevent an accident.

You may be required, in some cases, to prove that the condition was not apparent. Otherwise, you will be questioned as to why you neglected to take necessary steps to prevent an unsafe condition.

If you sustain an injury from a slip and trip over barricades or merchandise in a retail store, it is crucial that you adhere to steps to ensure you possess a right to recover damages legally.

If you are not able to rise after your fall, ask the individual closest to you to contact 911, and the store manager.

The store manager must see the accident scene, which is important, exactly as it occurred during the fall; not subsequent to hazards being cleaned up or removed.

If possible, take photographs of the accident scene, or have someone with you take the photographs.

Contact us for a free consultation or call Anzalone Law Firm PLLC, at: 603.548.3797.