California Grocery Stores held Liable When You Slip and Fall
Grocery stores are essential to our lives. It’s one of the reasons that even under the COVID-19 pandemic, the vast majority of grocery stores are open.
Unfortunately, due to the inherent structures of grocery stores, with pallets of foodstuffs, meat, and vegetables being transported in and out all day, and customers dropping food and vegetables on the floor, grocery stores are not that safe.
Both in the parking lots and in the aisles, more people than you can imagine slip and fall and injure themselves. And although they don’t advertise it, some grocery stores experience the same accidents, over and over again due to negligent management and untrained workers.
Just think back to the last time you went into a grocery store and needed help. In most grocery stores, which try to minimize employee costs, it’s almost impossible to find an employee for help. Ninety-nine percent are either in the front or in the back of the warehouse.
There are Many Dangers in Grocery Stores
As a result, there are many dangers in grocery stores that are not immediately attended to. In the automotive aisle, you need to tiptoe past broken oil containers, and in the detergent aisle, there may be spilled liquid laundry detergent.
Even the parking lots are not safe. People routinely add oil or transmission fluid to their cars, and whole families eat prepared food bought at the store before moving to their next stop.
So grocery stores are not exactly a safe environment, and far too little is spent in ensuring people do not experience slips and fall accidents.
Things you can do if you or your family does fall in the grocery store
If this happens to you there are a few things you can do if you or your family does fall in the grocery store:
- If you have a cellphone take a photo or video of the surrounding surface.
- Notify the manager or ask someone to do it for you.
Once you speak to the manager, ask what exactly is the store’s procedure for handling accidents. You may only get a partial answer, but it is important to get as many details as possible, such as “who do I contact to make a claim.
Also, ask if the store has video cameras, and who do you contact to get copies - If possible, get the name and phone numbers of witnesses who can validate your story.
- Do not sign anything from the store, or even give your story other than asserting that you slipped and fell.
Without a trained attorney by your side, you may be giving a statement that prevents you from getting compensation which you lawfully deserve. - Seek medical attention as soon as possible and get the name and address of the doctors and the hospital or clinic you went to. Document everything.
- Contact a Los Angeles slip and fall attorney as soon as possible. A Los Angeles slip and fall lawyer understands the law when it comes to grocery store slips.
For example, a Los Angeles slip and fall lawyer will know who to contact to begin to file a legitimate claim, and a Los Angeles slip and fall attorney will understand the important timelines the State of California has established in order to press a lawsuit for you. - Finally, let your Encino slip and fall accident attorney do any negotiation.
Insurance adjusters representing the store are notorious for offering low-ball offers and telling you that is the best you will get. That’s hardly the case. A single slip and fall can cause you genuine pain for many years, and you owe it to yourself to let your attorney get the best compensation for your injury.
Contact Farías Accident Injury Lawyer For Help:
If you are slip and fall in the grocery store and need legal help so, you need to just contact a Encino personal injury lawyer at Farias, Firm, PC at 818-222-2222.
