Shopping Center Slip and Falls

6 min read time
Shopping center

A shopping center slip and fall accident can have serious repercussions. Such accidents can leave you with injuries that impact your ability to work or live your normal daily life. If you can show that the property manager or owner should have taken necessary precautions to prevent these devastating accidents and injuries, you may be able to recover compensation for the injuries you sustained. It is extremely important to retain the services of a qualified lawyer to assist you with this process.

Grocery stores and other public places have a legal responsibility to make sure that their premises are free and clear of dangers or—if the dangers cannot be immediately addressed and fixed—that an appropriate warning sign is posted to notify people about the risks ahead. When these locations fail to remove these risks or to post warning signs, they could be held legally responsible in court as a result of a grocery slip and fall accident.

Anyone can be hurt in a shopping center slip and fall, but the incident likely doesn't end there. Who will pay your medical bills? What if you're not able to go back to work immediately? These and other important questions should all be handed over to a qualified slip and fall lawyer to assist with putting together a case. Any dangerous condition that turns into an accident should be taken seriously by a grocery store. As many victims have learned, however, the grocery store may be more concerned about limiting their liability than they are about helping you recover after an accident.

Whether it was a shopping mall, retail store, or grocery store, property owners must keep their properties in a safe condition for people to walk around in. When this doesn't happen and someone ends up with injuries like broken bones, that company could be held liable for their mistakes.

 

Does a Lawyer Really Need to Get Involved?

If you find yourself dealing with the consequences of a grocery slip and fall accident, you need to have the case thoroughly investigated by the attorneys at Morgan and Morgan. The slip and fall lawyers at Morgan and Morgan have been working in slip and fall cases for many years and have a strong track record of success in pursuing compensation through settlement or trial. You should never have to expect that you may be hurt while doing your grocery shopping.

But if you can show that you were harmed as a direct result of negligence on the part of the grocery store, you can use this information to file a claim and recover compensation. This may be your only avenue to recover compensation through a lawsuit, and you have a limited period of time in which to do it. Many people who have been hurt in a grocery store are immediately requested to provide the details about the accident and even potentially sign paperwork with grocery store employees.

This can be a big mistake if you have not yet had an opportunity to talk to a grocery slip and fall lawyer. The grocery slip and fall lawyers at Morgan and Morgan would advise you against signing any paperwork or making any statements about what happened in the accident, other than the basic facts about where you were, the time it happened, and the hazard that you encountered.

Many people underestimate the true impact of slip and fall accidents. But according to research from the National Safety Council, slip and fall injuries account for over 30% of all ER visits for non-fatal injuries. In 2020, fall accidents were the leading cause of preventable non-fatal injuries across the country.

 

What are Common Causes of Slip and Falls in Grocery Stores?

Every slip and fall case is unique and should always be evaluated by a qualified attorney. However, certain causes of slip and fall accidents are more common than others. Some of the most common causes of slip and fall injuries in grocery stores include food spills, wet surfaces, poor cleaning, recently waxed or mopped floors, ice on sidewalks, inadequate lighting, exposed wires or cords, or cracked surfaces throughout the parking lot. Any condition that could have caused an injury could become the basis of a premises liability suit.

If any of these factors contributed to your grocery slip and fall injury, you need to share your concerns with an experienced lawyer. Your attorney can help you to prepare a compelling case that holds the grocery store accountable and fights for the compensation you may need to pay your medical bills and cover your other expenses.

Being hurt in a slip and fall accident can have a tremendous impact on your physical health. Injuries such as broken bones, fractures, head injuries, back injuries, traumatic brain injuries, cuts and bruises, and torn or strained muscles are common.

While minor injuries may require minimal medical treatment and a reduced grocery slip and fall settlement amount, severe injuries can require hospital stays or even surgery on top of rehabilitation. Some of the most common damages in grocery slip and fall cases include lost wages, surgery costs, hospital expenses, emergency room visit costs, pain and suffering therapy costs, and loss in future earning capacity.

You must be able to prove that you were injured directly as a result of the condition in the grocery store and that you have substantial expenses associated with the accident. It falls on you as the victim to present grocery store liability proof. You must prove in a negligence claim that another party—specifically, the grocery store—owed you a legal duty to act reasonably under the circumstances, that this party breached their duty, and in doing so, you were injured and suffered actual damages.

Many people want to know if there is an average settlement amount for grocery store slip and fall accidents. However, it is impossible to determine an average amount because there are so many different factors that could influence your ability to recover compensation. Your lawyer will sit down with you at the outset of your case to discuss the specifics of your claim and some of the key issues involved.

If you have been seriously injured or have been unable to go back to work for a significant amount of time because of your grocery slip and fall, this can make for a higher settlement amount. You do not have to settle a grocery store slip and fall case, but many cases do settle outside of Court. This gives you the opportunity to close this chapter of your life and to move forward to focus on rehabilitation.

 

Can I Recover Compensation?

When you first fall, you might be more embarrassed than worried about who will pay your medical bills. But the truth is that overlooking the injuries is a big mistake and one that could make any medical conditions worse. Your pride might be hurt, but you also need to be screened by a doctor to verify that you don't have more serious injuries.

In the immediate aftermath, your schedule is filled with doctor's appointments, rehab, and your regular treatment plan. But once the medical bills start to come in, that's when the stress mounts. Victims are not expected to pay for their medical treatments when the accident was the fault of someone else.

One of the best things you can do for your own case is to be organized. Keep track of all your doctor visits and general pain level after you've been hurt in an accident. Any medical bills that come in should be organized so that you can give them to your premises liability lawyer.

Ultimately, if you decide to file a lawsuit, it will be much easier to recover compensation and get the support that you need. Those medical bills can add up. Don't forget other expenses that might be covered in a hazardous conditions premises liability lawsuit, such as lost wages because you had to miss time at work or chiropractic and other care, too. If your doctor has diagnosed you with one or more conditions because of your slip and fall in a shopping center, you need personal injury attorneys who care about getting you justice. The lawyers at Morgan and Morgan know how to investigate these accidents and start filing a legal claim so you can recover compensation.

 

Finding the Right Legal Support for a Full Claim

The attorneys at Morgan and Morgan have broad experience in pursuing slip and fall claims and will fight hard to get you a fair settlement amount that compensates you for the injuries you've sustained. If we are not able to arrive at agreeable terms with the other side in a grocery store slip and fall case, we will take your case to Court.

An initial consultation with a grocery slip and fall lawyer is one of the best ways to understand the scope of the issues you're facing and to help you to prepare a claim. Understanding each stage of the legal process can give you more confidence and peace of mind about how your case is being managed. The sooner you reach out to our grocery slip and fall lawyer, the greater your chances of getting the compensation you need, so that you can close this chapter of your life and get support going forward.

Contact Morgan & Morgan today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to get started.

Disclaimer
This website is meant for general information and not legal advice.

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