Grocery Store Slip And Falls – Causes And Responsibility

There are circumstances that create negligent situations, which can cause you to fall while you are shopping for your groceries. Here is a list of possible things that can happen in a grocery store that cause you to slip and fall. Any one of these may be a reason to consult with an injury claims attorney to seek damages for negligence.

Equipment Malfunctions and Accidental Spills

In the refrigeration aisles, one of the units could fail mechanically, causing condensation to leak onto the floor. This could easily leave an unsafe puddle of water, or a damp spot. Occasionally, doors are not closed properly, or an item blocks the door from closing. If the door remains ajar for a long time, condensation will cause puddles on the floor.

Of course, there is always the possibility that a can could be punctured or a bottle broken and the liquid contents will leak onto the floor. Some packaged food items, such as rice or hard beans, could burst open and spill, causing you to slip and fall.

Accidental spills are the most difficult to legally pursue, while equipment malfunctions (if proven), will place a heavy burden of negligence upon the grocery store.

Employee Negligence

Following are three potential hazards caused by employee negligence that could create a slip and fall situation in a grocery store:

• If a staff member knows there is a wet spot on the floor and fails to cordon off the area for the safety of the customers
• An employee causes the spill, or otherwise leaves some type of obstruction or debris on the floor of the aisle during, or after stocking the shelves
• Poor maintenance of the floor surfaces, if the poorly maintained floors create an unsafe situation that causes a customer to slip or fall

Store Owner or Management Responsibility

No one can be expected to walk around the grocery store looking for moisture on the floors. It can be even more difficult to see wet spots or spills when pushing a shopping cart.

In light of the high probability in such an environment that spill type accidents can happen, stores need to be constantly monitoring conditions. Water or moisture can get on the floor, creating an unsafe situation, so store personal must pay close attention to the aisles and walk areas at all times.

The store owner, or acting manager if it's a large grocery chain, must be diligent in seeing that the floors in the store are kept as safe as possible. While there are a few gray areas that may relieve the store of guilt, faulty equipment, failure to attend to spills in a timely fashion, or employee neglect are common situations that create a level of prima facie evidence for a lawsuit alleging negligence.

Before contacting anyone other than a medical professional to deal with your injuries, present your circumstances to an injury lawyer. A knowledgeable attorney can advise you on how to proceed if you have fallen while you were grocery shopping due to potential store negligence. For more information, contact a firm such as Breslin & Breslin/lawyers.

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