Injured in a Grocery Store Accident - Richard Harris Personal Injury Law Firm Las Vegas

Grocery Store Accident Injury

Let’s face it the grocery store can be a daunting place especially during certain times of the year like the holidays.

Sometimes it can be like getting on a freeway in California.

The aisles can be crowded with people looking at shelves of items they need or want to buy and carts, let’s not forget the carts.

If you’ve ever been to a crowded Walmart Grocery at Christmas then you know the pain of someone running into the back of your feet with their cart.

Going to the grocery store is a necessary part of our routine in the U.S but all joking aside it can be a place that someone can get really hurt just doing such a routine weekly thing.

Most of us cringe at the idea of going to certain grocery stores like big box stores like Costco or Sam’s Club but the deals are so good we deal with the large amount of traffic and parking lot nightmare.

There are ways to avoid going to the grocery store these days , things like Instacart or even Uber delivers groceries now.

Getting Groceries Delivered

These delivery services may bring you groceries that you order online but you get what you get without being able to choose or see the items that you are paying for.

These online delivery services may have had a surge during the pandemic but let’s be real, most of us like to go to the grocery store (Smiths, Whole Food, Winco, Sprouts, Albertson, 99 cent, Marianas, Vons) and see and touch the food items we are going to buy.

The grocery store however can be a hazardous place with all types of obstacles were people can get hurt or seriously injured.

If you have been injured while at the grocery store call The Richard Harris Law Firm today to discuss your options.

Common Causes of Grocery Store Accidents

Many grocery store accidents are caused by store negligence or the management failing to protect the shoppers or the staff.

Some larger stores might have elevator or escalator accidents.

In some cases obvious repairs or obstacles are not taken care of and cause a hazard for the guests shopping at the store.

The most common causes of grocery store accidents are:

Wet floor- grocery stores are filled with wet objects that fall on the floor or are dropped even by another customer. Wet or slippery floors are the most common reason for grocery store injuries.

Leaking equipment– grocery stores use many refrigeration and freezer units to store their products at the right temperature but these units can brake or leak fluid used or brake and cause food to go bad. You can get food poisoning if food is not kept at the recommended temperature and leaking fluid could cause a fall accident, so this can be really hazardous in various ways.

Falling Objects– let’s face it whoever created the grocery store shelf must have been a very tall person because most of the time it seems everything is up to high for most people to grab without stepping on the bottom shelf. In big box grocery stores they store pallets (hurt by forklift) of product above the isles we walk through, this creates a falling object issue.

Shopping Carts– We have all grabbed the cart that has a broken wheel or wheels that don’t work quite right , or have been hit by another shopper with the cart. The worst however is the cart in the parking lot that runs into your car while it’s parked. Watch out for loading docks.

There are many other ways that someone can be injured in a grocery store, these are just the most common scenarios we see.

Call Richard Harris today if any of these have happened to you at the grocery store in Las Vegas.

Injuries Suffered in Grocery Store

Just like there are a few common ways you can be injured at the grocery store, there some injuries that are seen when you get hurt while grocery shopping

Head injuries– concussions, fractured skull, and TBI (traumatic brain injury) open wounds in the head area. These are the most common head injuries usually from a slip and fall on a wet floor in a grocery store.
Neck or back injuries- including nerve and disk damage. This usually occurs when objects that are heavy fall from above onto the victims head.
Broken bones– falling at the grocery store can cause all kinds of broken bones like broken wrist, arms , and ankles, the most common broken bone injuries.
Torn ligaments and tendons– these are common and most likely not noticed right away. You may bruise in the area but do not know how bad the injury is until much later.

What to do if you are injured while shopping at the grocery store

There are few things you should do immediately if you are injured while shopping at a grocery store.

Notify the management- If you are injured in any public place you need to notify the management. Make sure to get the names of the management staff that you spoke with. In most cases an accident or incident will be generated by the staff, this is a safety requirement at all public businesses. Make sure you get a copy of the report or take a photo of it.

Gather witness information– Most likely someone else is within viewing distance of the accident and can say what happened as a witness. You’ll need their name, address and phone number and email so they can be contacted in the future if needed to give a statement. This step is very important to corroborate your story and they may even be asked to testify on your behalf if the case goes forward.

Take photos and video– If you are able use your phone to video the scene and any interactions with staff.

Seek medical attention- if you are injured no matter how small you might think the injury is you’ll need to go see a doctor. Always go no matter what. The grocery store may require you to go to the hospital or doctors that are part of the insurance they carry. However , you can go to whatever hospital you choose. You may have injuries that are not visible and may only show up as time goes by.

Taking all these steps immediately after an accident can protect you and any loved one’s that have been injured in a grocery store accident.

Premise Liability Law

All public businesses have a duty of care to make their grocery store safe for all patrons.

This includes the general public who come and shop at the business as well as employees and outside vendors.

This means that it is the responsibility of the business.

More specifically the owners and operators of that business, in this case the grocery store, need to make sure the store is safe for the public and all legal safety requirements are met.

This can include keeping all areas clean and clear of debris or spills, maintenance and repair or replacement of equipment used to operate the store including things like grocery store carts.

There are also the shopping center owners, usually not the grocery store, the shopping center owners have the same duty of care when it come s to public areas like the parking lots or sidewalks.

They are required to maintain these areas in safe and working order.

If the business owners or the shopping center owners are not maintaining the store or property up to safety standards of Nevada then they may be liable for any accidents that occur on their property.

If you were injured at a grocery store or shopping center and think the owners may be negligent call The Richard Harris Law firm today.

We can go over your case free of charge and let you know how to go forward.

Why call Richard Harris

Being injured due to someone else’s negligence can have an immediate effect on your life.

You may be injured and not able to work or provide for your family.

We at Richard Harris can level the playing field and get you the compensation you deserve.

If a business is not following proper safety procedures then they should be held accountable for their negligence.

Our legal experts will provide:

24/7 service to our clients- we are available to help our clients anytime day or night
No money up front- we work for our clients to recover the largest settlement based on your case. You pay nothing pour of pocket and we only get paid if we win your case
Medical services- we can provide you with doctors or other medical services, getting healthy should be your only concern, we will handle the rest.
Transportation- We can offer transportation to and from medical treatments
Help with your employer- We offer our services to help you with your employer and getting help with disability or workers comp if needed