Falling in a grocery store because someone left something on the ground can cause bruises, broken bones, or worse. Accidents resulting from falling ceiling tiles or lighting fixtures can lead to concussions. If a property owner or manager knew of the hazard that caused you harm, they could be responsible for your injuries.
A Charlotte supermarket injury lawyer at The Downer Law Firm could help you get compensation for the harm you suffered from slipping or being struck at your local grocery store. Our premises liability attorneys have experience with these claims, and we could help you with your case.
Supermarkets are common places for slip-and-fall injuries. Floors may already be smooth and slippery, and areas such as the produce section may have juices or food that end up on the floor. Other store sections contain bottled liquids that can create spill hazards. Grocery store employees must regularly maintain shopping areas to remove these risks. Some frequent causes of supermarket slip-and-falls include:
Additionally, if heavy products fall from shelves or worn ceiling tiles start to break off, shoppers can be at serious risk for traumatic brain injuries and spinal and back damage. Premises liability laws encompass these types of hazards. To prove premises liability, our Charlotte attorneys must show that the grocery store owner knew or reasonably could have known of the hazard that caused your injury.
Supermarket property owners only have a legal obligation to alert Charlotte customers about unknown hazards that may cause them injury. They do not need to warn of open and obvious sources of danger. If you can easily see and avoid something, such as a gaping hole in the middle of the floor, the owner has no duty to warn you about it. Open and obvious hazards can include items that protrude into the aisle or visible puddles. Shoppers have a responsibility to pay attention.
To prove the owner reasonably should have known of a hazard, our lawyers need to show that the source of the danger was discoverable with reasonable notice. In the case of a supermarket, this means that either an employee saw or someone told them about the hazard and the employee failed to correct it, or that it sat long enough that someone should have found it if they were doing their job.
To prove notice, our accident attorneys in Charlotte could use evidence such as grocery store maintenance logs, security videos, and witness statements that show when a spill or hazard occurred and how long it sat there before you were harmed For instance, if the store claims their employee sweeps an aisle every 30 minutes, and the log shows someone swept the aisle 10 minutes before you slipped on a wet spot, our lawyers could review camera footage to discover whether anyone had cleaned the aisle in the last hour.
At The Downer Law Firm, we have been fighting and winning cases for our clients since 1977. A Charlotte supermarket injury lawyer at our firm could help you pursue the compensation you deserve. As your hometown legal team, we focus on getting a quick settlement to your case with the best outcome possible. We do not get paid unless we settle or win your case. Call today for a free and confidential consultation.
