GROCERY STORE FALLS LAWYER IN NEW YORK
Spills happen in supermarkets. That’s just a fact of life. But the owner or operator of the supermarket is supposed to keep the store maintained and spills reasonably cleaned so that customers or employees don’t slip and fall.
A slip and fall in a grocery store can result in serious injuries. The floors are hard and usually pretty smooth, and even if there’s linoleum or some other surface, there’s usually concrete underneath. When you slip on something like a puddle on a smooth floor, you gain velocity that increases the force of your impact.
If you hit the wrong way, you could break an arm, shoulder, kneecap, elbow, or leg. You could land on your back and end up with spinal cord or head injuries from the impact. When you slip, your body also can twist in unnatural ways that tears ligaments or cartilage such as your meniscus — a painful injury that can require surgery and a long recovery.
If you’ve been seriously injured by slipping, tripping, or falling in a supermarket, you may be able to make a claim for compensation if you can prove that the owner or operator was negligent in failing to either remove or warn you about the hazard that caused your fall. An experienced Brooklyn personal injury attorney from Oliveri and Schwartz can talk to you about your options for payment of your damages.
Common Causes of Supermarket Slips and Falls
There are a number of dangerous conditions that commonly cause customers or employees to slip, trip or fall in grocery stores.
-A mechanical failure could cause a refrigerator or freezer to leak and leave a wet puddle
-A punctured item could leak liquid or other product remains, such as granules of rice, on the floor and cause someone to slip
-Employees could fail to post a sign cautioning customers about wet floors after mopping or slippery floors after waxing
-Employees could leave obstacles or debris behind after stocking shelves
-Improper maintenance of the store could create hazardous code violations
Duties of a Supermarket Owner or Operator
The owner or operator of a supermarket is responsible to take reasonable action to keep the premises safe for employees and customers. That includes cleaning up spills in a reasonable amount of time or otherwise fixing problems that create dangerous conditions. They’re supposed to warn you when they know there’s a hazardous condition such as a wet floor.
If the supermarket owner or operator fails to correct or provide warnings about a known problem, that failure may be deemed negligence.
How Oliveri and Schwartz Can Help
If you suffered serious injuries in a slip and fall in a supermarket, a Brooklyn premises liability attorney from Oliveri and Schwartz with experience handling these types of personal injury claims can help you with the process of investigating your accident and determining if you have a claim.
We can represent you in negotiations with the business owner or operator and/or the owner or operator’s insurance company to get you full and fair compensation. Compensation for a slip and fall might include payment of your medical costs, disability and disfigurement, pain and suffering, lost wages, and loss of normal life.
Call Oliveri and Schwartz today at 800-427-9546 for a FREE consultation.