Who would expect that an ordinary trip to the nearest big supermarket could end with waiting for surgery in a hospital and dealing with massive medical bills? The reality is that many accidents can easily happen to the unwary in places that you are all too familiar with.
Many of these accidents may not even be your fault. They can be caused when supermarket employees fail to make sure that the environment they work in is safe. Sometimes, it is the management that fails to supervise or train staff adequately.
Whatever the reason, injuries can turn out to be expensive mistakes. It is best to contact a personal injury attorney if you have had a bad slip and fall accident in a store or supermarket. The attorney can help you decide whether to claim compensation from the company running the store or any of its employees.
Slip and Fall Hazards in a Supermarket
Supermarkets, especially big ones, can be a potential source of slip and fall or trip and fall accidents that can lead to serious injuries for unwary customers. Nearly all slip and fall hazards are related to what is on the floor of the supermarket. Numerous substances can leak or spill onto the floor and cause a slip hazard.
Most of the time, these spillages are unintentional and may be expected to happen from time to time. It is crucial for customer safety that any sort of spillage is cleaned up as soon as possible; at the very least, the area should be cordoned off from the public so that accidents cannot happen.
Slip and fall accidents may be expected to happen more frequently when there are staff shortages or on busy days when the staff does not attend to hazards so quickly.
Nevertheless, a serious slip and fall accident may be blamed on supermarket management or the supermarket staff if it is judged that the accident could have been avoided with prompter action.
Who to Contact After a Serious Supermarket or Store Slip and Fall Injury
If you have suffered a serious injury or injuries in an establishment like a supermarket or store, it is not wise to attempt to negotiate compensation directly with the company or its insurer.
It is unlikely that the insurer will freely admit liability on behalf of the supermarket company and, even if it did, it may not offer a reasonable sum in compensation.
It is almost always advisable to get legal advice from an experienced personal injury attorney before you start the process of filing a claim. The attorney can assess the circumstances and give you an opinion on the chances of success if you file a claim against whoever was at fault.
If a claim is advised, the attorney can fight for compensation on your behalf and even help file an appeal if need be.
*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 Hannaford or another party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.