Slip and Falls in Large Retail Stores

“Big box” retail stores have become a popular one-stop shopping destination for many Floridians. Target, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco, and others all allow you to purchase groceries, household goods, clothing, electronics, and much more without traveling around to different stores.

All of these large retail establishments have a significant amount of foot traffic coming through each and every day. Customers are constantly moving merchandise, causing clothing to fall off hangers, dropping items, and otherwise making a mess in different areas of the store. While it can be challenging for store management and employees to constantly be on top of store maintenance and cleaning, this is a critical part of operating a safe retail store.

Stores – like all other businesses or property owners – have the legal duty to keep the premises in safe condition for all customers and visitors. This includes regularly inspecting the store for possible hazards and addressing the situation as soon as possible to prevent accidents and injuries.

One of the most common accidents in a large store is a slip and fall. Slip and falls can cause surprisingly severe injuries for customers, who can require medical treatment and may have to miss work while they recover from their injuries. Such customers, who slip and fall naturally wonder – can they hold the store liable for their fall-related losses?

Proving Negligence in a Slip and Fall

In order to hold a store legally and financially accountable for your slip and fall injuries, you must present evidence that the store was negligent in some manner that led to your fall. The following are some common examples of negligence in slip and fall cases:

• Inadequate flooring – Like any other part of a structure, flooring needs to be maintained and sometimes replaced. Whether it is tile, laminate, carpet, or any other material, overly worn floors can become slippery and uneven, which can easily cause customers to slip and fall down.
• Debris or obstacles in walkways – Large stores often have clear aisles and walkways meant to be used by customers to navigate the store. Customers should be able to expect that such walkways will be clear from debris or other items and often do not realize there is something left in an aisle until it is too late and they slip.
• Liquid spills – Any store that sells groceries or other liquid products will have something spill once in a while. If employees do not clean up a liquid spill in a timely manner, chances are a customer may slip on the liquid and fall.
• Failure to warn – Sometimes, a store may not be able to dry a wet floor right away or address a potential hazard. In such situations, if the store fails to properly warn customers of the potential risk, customers can be injured.

Call a Gainesville Slip and Fall Attorney for a Free Consultation

If you were injured because you slipped and fell while shopping, you should not wait to contact Meldon Law in Gainesville, Florida for help today. For more information about how we may be able to help you recover for your losses, call our premises liability attorney at (800) 373-8000 or contact us online.