A routine shopping trip to your favorite store can turn into a nightmare if you end up injuring yourself at the store, especially with no fault of your own. And, this is more common than you think. The last available data suggests that in the United States, approximately 85000 store-related injuries occur each year. This involved injuries to children and adults (customers and workers). If you’ve been injured as a customer in a retail store due to someone’s negligence, read on to know what to do. And I can guide you.
Common types of injuries in a store
The most common causes of injury are falls and slips, collision with an object or person, falls from carts. Moreover, children under the age of 5 have the highest rates of injury, mostly due to falls from carts. Adults over the age of 65 had the second highest rates of injury, typically resulting from falls that may or may not be caused by specific store-related objects.
While some injuries may be caused due to no fault of others, there are scenarios where negligence by the store administration can lead to accidents. For example, if someone suffers a fall if they trip on a wet floor that did not have a warning board placed appropriately, the store is responsible for causing that injury. Other common causes of injuries caused due to store staff negligence include:
- Merchandise falling from overhead shelving
- Debris lying in the vicinity of the store
- Sharp corners of shelves
- Broken or missing handrails from stairs/escalators
- Broken or damaged shopping carts
Store owners have a responsibility towards their customers
Retail store owners have a duty of care towards everyone in the premises. This goes beyond customers and includes staff, delivery drivers, wholesalers, etc. Duty of care refers to the responsibility of the store to be careful and do everything reasonable in their power to avoid anyone from getting injured while on the property. When someone is injured due to failure in duty of care, the store is considered negligent in their duty of care and they are liable for the damages caused.
Damages include medical expenses associated with the injury and the damage to clothes or other personal items as a result of the accident. Lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress are also a part of damages.
Here’s what to do if you get injured in a store
If you get injured in a store, it is best to hire a personal injury attorney to get you the compensation for the damages incurred. Moreover, it is even more pertinent to work with a personal injury lawyer in this case because proving negligence can be a complex and cumbersome task.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a store due to their negligence, you need the top injury attorney, contact Siler & Ingber today. Call us on 1-877-529-4343 or complete our online form on this page to schedule a case evaluation with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys. Our consultation is free and we do not charge a fee unless we win your case.