If you slip and fall at Giant Foods, or any other grocery store, you can file a personal injury claim to make sure that your medical and other expenses are paid for. Slip and fall injuries are very common. Over a million slip and fall injuries occur every year. In order to make sure that you don’t end up paying money out of pocket for medical expenses or other expenses related to your injury you need to know your rights and how to move forward after a slip and fall accident.
Understanding Premises Liability
Premises liability just means that the property owner, or the retailer, has a duty of care to all visitors to make sure that the premises are safe. That means that Giant Foods, or any other grocery store, has a legal responsibility to make sure that customers aren’t injured by things like wet floors. Property owners have a duty of care to make sure that all obvious hazards are cleaned up promptly or secured so that no one gets hurt.
Further Reading: What Is Premises Liability?
Safety Hazards in Supermarkets
Supermarkets are responsible for many slip and fall injuries because of the nature of the store. Some of the most common causes of accidents at Giant Foods, or other grocery stores, are:
- Broken or malfunctioning shopping carts
- Spills on floors
- Wet floors
- Items like cans falling off shelves
- Slippery sidewalks or entryways
- Mats improperly positioned that cause tripping
Giant Foods, and all other grocery stores, have a legal responsibility to make sure their stores are safe for shoppers.
Navigating the Aftermath of a Slip and Fall at A Supermarket
If you’re injured by a fall at a Giant Foods, or any other grocery store the first thing that should do is ask for medical services to be called. Too often people are embarrassed by falling and they refuse to ask for medical help because they don’t want to call attention to themselves. But you must get medical help.
There are lots of injuries that may not show up right away or may get worse over time and you need to have medical care just in case your injuries get worse. You also must establish a timeline for your injuries and prove that you were injured in the store. Asking for medical help starts the timeline and provides documentation of your injury.
After you ask for medical help, make sure that the incident is reported to the manager. Tell the manager what happened and make sure that they write down your account correctly. Get a copy of the incident report before you leave.
You also need to get evidence of what happened. Take photos and videos of the area where you fell so that you can prove the store was negligent and that caused your fall. If there were witnesses you may want to get video statements from them.
The Four Elements of Negligence
In order to prove that Giant Foods, or another grocery store, was negligent and caused the injury you will have to show that Giant Foods, or another grocery store:
- Had a duty of care to you, the shopper.
- Breached their duty of care by not maintaining the property in a way that was safe.
- That lack of maintenance caused you to fall and injured.
- You suffered some kind of financial loss as a result.
Slip and Fall Damages
If you are injured in a slip and fall incident you can file a personal injury claim to recover any medical costs that are related to your injury including costs like:
- Your deductible
- Any copays
- Specialized care
- Imagings like X-rays or MRIs
- Over the counter medical goods or medicines
- Prescription costs
And more.
Common Premises Liability Mistakes
In order to have a successful personal injury claim you need to not leave the scene of the accident. Always ask for medical care and don’t leave, unless you have a life-threatening injury. Avoid making any statements that minimize the accident or indicate any fault.
Punitive Damages
You may be eligible for punitive damages for pain and suffering if you are seriously injured or permanently disabled as a result of your injuries. For example, if you suffer a head injury when you slipped and fell at Giant Foods, or any other grocery store, and you are no longer able to do the job you went to school and trained for because of it you could receive a high dollar amount of punitive damages because of the way the injuries changed your ability to work.
How A Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help & Why You Should Hire One
Most people aren’t that familiar with how personal injury law works, and the lawyers that work for large corporations take advantage of that. Often, they try to get people to settle for low dollar amounts or intimidate them into settling because they don’t know the law. Working with a personal injury attorney means that you have the help of someone who can stand up for you, guide you, and help negotiate a settlement for you. There’s a much greater chance that you will be able to recover all of the damages you’re entitled to if you have a personal injury attorney fighting for you.
Conclusion
If you’ve been injured at Giant Foods, or any other grocery store, you should speak with a personal injury lawyer to find out what your rights are, what evidence you need to prove your claim, and get answers to your specific questions. Fill out a Free Case Evaluation form now to get connected with an independent personal injury lawyer who can give you personalized advice about your slip and fall claim against Giant Foods, or any other grocery store.
Additional Resources
*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 Giant Foods, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
