Grocery Store Slip and Falls

Posted in Premises Liability on April 7, 2021

Any time a person goes to the grocery store, the last thing they expect is that they will sustain an injury caused by a slip and fall accident. Unfortunately, grocery stores offer a plethora of risks when it comes to these types of injuries. Grocery stores are busy hives of activity, and it is not uncommon for slip and fall hazards to arise. Here, we want to discuss the most common causes of grocery store slip and falls, who can be held liable for these incidents, and whether or not injury victims can secure compensation.

Most Common Causes of Georgia Grocery Store Slip and Fall Accidents

There are various causes of slip and fall incidents in grocery stores, but these incidents most commonly occur due to the following:

• Spills of food or liquid. There is no denying that grocery stores often have spills of food or liquids that can create hazards. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for grocery store staff members to neglect cleaning these spills up quickly.
• Uneven flooring or torn carpeting. If the floor is uneven or if there is torn carpeting, this can create significant slip and fall or trip and fall hazards for grocery store patrons.
• Wet entrance and exits. The entryways and exits of a grocery store are often slippery and not promptly cleaned up. Additionally, mats put down at entrances and exits could end up getting bunched up and improperly positioned, leading to a trip and fall hazard.
• Parking lot issues. Parking lots often have major problems when it comes to maintenance. Potholes, uneven pavement, broken curbs, and more can all lead to significant slip and fall hazards.
• Insufficient warning signs. Staff members should always place hazard signs up when they cannot remove a slip and fall hazard right away or when they create a slip and fall hazard by cleaning or waxing the floors.

Who Will be Held Liable for a Grocery Store Slip and Fall?

There may be various parties that can be held liable in the aftermath of a grocery store slip and fall accident. In general, we often find that these incidents are caused by the careless or negligent actions of grocery store employees. In these cases, an attorney will work diligently to hold the grocery store responsible for the incident.

There may also be other parties who can be held liable, particularly if the injury happened outside of the grocery store. Often, there are other property owners or third-party companies responsible for inspection and maintenance over any area right outside of the grocery store. This can include the parking lot. It will be crucial to investigate each slip and fall situation to determine which party could be held liable so they can be included in an injury claim.

Types of Compensation Available for a Grocery Store Slip and Fall

There may be various types of compensation available to victims of grocery store slip and fall accidents. This includes the following types of economic and non-economic damages:

• Coverage of all medical bills
• Lost income if a victim cannot work
• Pain and suffering damages
• Loss of quality of life damage
• Property damage losses for anything damaged in the fall (cell phone, glasses, etc.)

The total amount of compensation available in these situations will vary depending on the facts and circumstances surrounding each particular slip and fall incident. A skilled grocery store premises liability lawyer in Atlanta will work with trusted medical and economic experts to properly calculate the total expected losses.