Slip and fall accidents are some of the most common accidents in buildings. They tend to be caused when there are slippery floors or loose or badly fitted floor surfaces.
If you slip and fall over and injure yourself in a Home Depot, or any other home improvement store, you may be able to claim compensation if the accident was caused by negligence on part of the store management or one or more of its employees. Proving fault, i.e. that the company was negligent, is an essential part of a personal injury claim. This can be difficult, even though store owners and managers are expected to provide safe conditions in their stores for store users.
How to Show That Home Improvement Store Negligence Caused a Slip and Fall
Like most home improvement stores, Home Depot might have all sorts of potential hazards that can cause slip and fall or trip and fall accidents. Store managers are expected to maintain a look out for potential hazards and do something about them when these are noticed, even if it is just cordoning the area off or posting a warning sign. To show that negligence has occurred for a personal injury claim, it must be shown that:
- the injury was definitely caused by a hazard inside the store;
- the hazard could have been prevented but wasn’t;
- the hazard was known about by the store employees / management;
- the store employees /management had ample time to remove the hazard or post a warning about it.
Evidence to Show a Slip and Fall was a Home Improvement Store’s Fault
The main difficulty with a slip and fall claim against Home Depot, or any other home improvement store, is to show that they knew about the slippery floor or whatever it was that caused your accident and had enough time to do something about it but hadn’t.
At the very least you may be able to take photos of the place you slipped over. An ordinary cell phone can be used as most have camera apps on them. This should show what the hazard was and that there was no warning present.
You may be able to ask anyone in the vicinity, even a store worker, to verify what happened. They may have seen the hazard previously and this could be useful evidence to show that the store management / employees had enough time to do something about the potential danger.
If you are lucky, there may have been a security camera pointing in the direction of the accident location. This may have taken video footage of the accident and could also shed light on exactly when the hazard was created.
Get Help Proving Fault
Just like any other store, Home Depot’s insurer is responsible for evaluating a claim and making a payment. Insurers tend to be cautious about compensation payments and may challenge your evidence. Talk to a PI lawyer about your injury and obtain legal help with your claim.
Get a Free Case Evaluation to get in touch with a PI lawyer who can help prove Home Depot, or any other home improvement store, was at fault for your slip and fall.
*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 Home Depot, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
