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Your local grocery store may be the most frequented place in your area. The average American goes to the supermarket at least six times a month. With high traffic areas and an abundant amount of merchandise on the shelves, an accident is likely to occur if you or the store’s employees are not careful. The most common accident to occur at a grocery store is a slip and fall from a spilled liquid or tripping over misplaced items.
Like many retail stores, the grocery store has an obligation to the customer to keep the building and premises safe while they shop. This is called a grocery store’s duty of care and is included in every state’s premises liability laws. This law holds a store liable if a customer is injured on their property because of the store’s negligence.
The following are a few scenarios to consider:
- If you were injured from a common hazard, such as a spilled liquid in the aisle or if merchandise fell on you, then a store may be held liable for your injuries. It is a store’s obligation to clean up any known spills and make the store as safe as possible, including maintaining enough space for customer movement, making sure shelves and displays are sturdy, and providing proper signage if a hazard is in the area.
- Slips and falls are common in the supermarket and can occur in a variety of ways. Some of the more common ways include spilled liquids or dry goods, cracks in flooring or carpeting, boxes of merchandise in the aisle waiting to be stocked, broken shopping carts, and soap or water from the bathroom.
- If you were to suffer an injury at a supermarket, it is important to act immediately. Contact the store manager as soon as possible and have them document the incident. Take pictures of the area that caused your accident and make note of any other details such as witnesses, employees in the area, etc. Also, seek medical help immediately from a medical professional and maintain these records. You may also want to find out who the store’s insurance company is to see if there is any surveillance footage and keep track of any lost wages or bills. These will all help build your case if you need to take legal action in the future.
The preceding items will help you in court following a slip and fall accident. You must prove that the supermarket was negligent and failed their duty of care, which lead to your injury. Documenting the incident properly is the only way a court will hold the store liable.
In the state of Virginia, there is a statute of limitations you must consider if you suffered an injury in an accident and had not reported it. You have two years to report slip and fall lawsuits from the date of the incident and five years if there was any property damage involved.
The Virginia Beach Personal Injury Lawyers Fight for Those Injured in an Accident
A slip and fall injury can happen at any time and have lasting effects on your life. If you have been involved in an accident at a store and feel that they are liable for your injuries, call a Virginia Beach personal injury lawyer. At East Coast Trial Lawyers, our experienced lawyers will fight for you and get the compensation you rightfully deserve. Call us today at 757-352-2237 or contact us online. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, we serve clients throughout Chesapeake, Eastern Shores, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk, as well as North Carolina and nationwide.
