Slip and fall accidents in stores like Dollar Generals, or any discount store, may be common. You may be injured if you do have an accident and will be wondering whether you can claim compensation.
This all depends on who was at fault. If the store’s management or employees had failed to clean up a mess on the floor or warn store users of an obvious hazard which they knew about then this could be regarded as negligence on their part, i.e. it was the fault of the store. You will still need to prove that the store workers were at fault if you intend filing a personal injury claim against Dollar General, or any other discount store.
How to Show That Discount Store Negligence Caused a Slip and Fall
The main way to show that a discount store company was at fault in a slip and fall injury case is to show that the employees or at least the management was aware of a potential hazard and had sufficient time to do something about it but had failed to do so. A hazard could have been attended to by posting a warning that the floor was potentially slippery, or cleaned it up after a spill of something liquid or sticky.
Store managers have a duty to provide safe conditions for store users but cannot be held responsible if someone slips over immediately after a hazard occurs. Proving that the staff /management knew about a hazard but didn’t do anything about it in time can be difficult, but not impossible.
Evidence to Show a Slip and Fall was a Discount Store’s Fault
There are three main ways that fault can be established for a slip and fall injury at Dollar General, or any other discount store:
- Ask any eye witnesses, e.g. other store users, even one of the store workers to confirm what they saw happen and how long they knew the hazard that caused the slip and fall had existed.
- Take photos of the place where the accident took place. This should show what actually caused the accident, e.g. something spilled on to the ground and also that there was no attempt at closing off the area to store users or a warning sign present.
- Find out if there was a security camera present. Many stores are equipped with these to prevent shoplifting. A camera may have recorded the incident. It may also provide a history of the cause of the accident, e.g. how long the hazard had been in existence before the accident happened.
Get Help Proving Fault
Proving that a store management was at fault can be difficult. Like any discount store, Dollar General will have insurance to cover these sorts of accidents, but insurers may take a tough line and challenge your evidence. It is sensible to find a PI lawyer to discuss the case before filing a PI claim.
Get a Free Case Evaluation to get in touch with a PI lawyer who can help prove Dollar General, or any other discount store, was at fault for your slip and fall injury.
*Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Dollar General, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
