Slip and Fall as a legal
term refers generally to accidents which occur in stores such as Wal-Mart,
grocery stores, malls, movie theatres and mostly in retail premises.
Storeowners and shopping center owners can be held liable if they are
found to be negligent in the construction and maintenance of their properties.
These injuries also include
tripping, stepping into a crack in the sidewalk on the retails store’s
premises or any other situation where a customer or even a window shopper
is injured due to a property owner’s failure to reasonably remedy
a dangerous situation that could cause an injury.
Generally a storeowner has
a reasonable period of time in which to
“discover” a defect such as a crack in the sidewalk but he also
has a reasonable time to discover that another customer may have spilled
milk onto a floor. Then, the owner has an additional time period
to clean or fix the dangerous condition. However, the owner must
act reasonably and this may include a duty to put up warning signs or
block off the area to warn customers of the dangerous condition.
All store managers are not
created equal and some do not take their jobs as seriously as they should.
This can lead to serious injuries to unsuspecting customers who presume
that their favorite store will not prove to be a trap that will seriously
injured and sometimes disable loyal customers.
Stores buy liability insurance
to cover any oversights on their part and they have the insurance to
pay for their customers’ injuries when the store is legally liable.
They are also responsible for other legal damages such as future medical
expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, lost wages, and may other
damages available by law.
If you or someone you know
is injured, in any way, in a shopping accident, call the Ogletree Abbott
Law Firm immediately to discuss your rights and duties after such an
accident. We welcome your call and look forward to helping you
understand how the law provides for injuries caused by the negligence
of retailers. |
