While visiting an Aubuchon’s store or any other hardware store, it is possible that you could suffer an accident of some sort. If you are badly injured you may be wondering how you are going to pay for medical bills and cope with lost earnings if you cannot return to work quickly. It is best to talk to an attorney before fling a personal injury lawsuit against the store owners or employees.
Hazards That Could Occur in a Hardware Store
Slip-and-fall accidents are particularly likely in a store. Statistically, they are the most accident type after traffic accidents. Listed below are some of the more common reasons why you might be injured through no fault of your own in a store.
- Bad weather events can play havoc before you actually get into a store. Store owners are usually responsible for any part of their property including the access to the store’s entrance doors. Piles of snow and ice can make the conditions particularly slippery and large puddles of rain water or melted snow can hide uneven ground surfaces and holes that you could slip or trip over in.
- Maintenance work and repairs to the infrastructure inside the store should be clearly advertised and preferably cordoned off so customers are not affected. A lack of warnings can lead to injuries.
- Elevators inside a multi story store may jolt and cause the occupants to fall over. They may also come to a stop and open their doors with a gap between the elevator floor and the outside level. This is a trip hazard.
- Poor, inadequate or faulty lighting is a slip or trip hazard in the store. Any injuries may lead to a claim for adequate compensation.
Make Sure You Have Sufficient Proof of Liability if Making a Claim
The process of making a claim for compensation after an injury has occurred which is not your fault can be complicated by the need for sufficient proof that a store worker or the manager was negligent in some way. There must be a clear link between what the store employee did or did not do and your injury(ies).
If at all possible, it might help if you can take photos off the accident scene and collect contact details of witnesses who can confirm what happened later when you have filed a claim. It is always best in these situations to listen to the advice of an experienced personal injury attorney who will be able to tell you whether your claim is likely to be successful or not.
*The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Aubuchon Hardware, or any other store, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
