To most people, the supermarket may not seem like a dangerous place. After all, it’s where you go to get the necessities of everyday life: food, household products, and so on.
But there are many ways to get hurt in the supermarket. Three of the most common are slip and fall accidents, cuts from flying glass, and getting caught in the doors.
1. Slip and Fall Accidents
The supermarket floor will get wet and slippery if:
- Someone drops and breaks a bottle or package containing liquid.
- Food or other material is dropped and spilled.
- Employees have been mopping or cleaning the floor and haven’t sufficiently dried it.
The store employees should put warning signs or cones around places that are wet so people have ample warning that they shouldn’t walk there. They should also clean up any spilled liquid or other material that makes the floor dangerous as soon as possible.
If the store fails to do this, they could be liable for any injuries resulting from slip and fall accidents. Stores have a responsibility to make sure their premises are as safe as possible for the public.
If an area is clearly dangerous to the point where someone could slip and fall, and the store’s employees have had enough time to put warning signs around it and clean it up, injured parties could have a claim.
2. Cuts From Broken Glass
Not all injuries from broken bottles and dropped glass packages stem from slip and falls. If someone drops a glass container, it can break and send pieces of glass flying.
Both the person who drops it and passersby in the store could be injured by pieces and shards of glass.
In this case, the store would not be liable, unless the container was dropped by a store employee. Depending on the circumstances, the person who dropped it could be liable. If the packaging was unsafe, the manufacturer could be liable.
3. Injuries Stemming From the Supermarket’s Doors
Supermarkets often have automatic doors. They open when people step on a certain area adjacent to the door. Some supermarkets have revolving doors.
In both cases, people can be injured. In the first type of door, the unexpected opening or closing of a door can injure people, especially children or the elderly.
In the second, people can be injured if the door is revolving too quickly. Again, the people most likely to be injured in this type of door are children or the elderly.
For all these types of injuries, it is important to have a record of the type and extent of the injury. If you have a cell phone with a camera, take pictures of your injuries and the supermarket area where you were injured as soon as possible.
Call Bart Bernard Immediately If You Are Hurt In a Slip and Fall
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a supermarket, Baton Rouge slip and fall lawyer Bart Bernard can help. You may be entitled to compensation to cover medical bills, physical therapy, time lost from work, and more.
For your convenience, the Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers has two Louisiana offices, one in Baton Rouge and one in Lafayette. For a free consultation, call Bart today or contact him online. Bart Bernard charges no fees unless he wins you money!
Additional “Supermarket Slip and Fall” Resources:
- Han, Nydia. “Consumer Reports: Nation’s best, worst supermarkets.” Channel 6 ABC Action News, WPIV Philadelphia. April 3, 2015. http://6abc.com/food/consumer-reports-nations-best-worst-supermarkets/618788
