You can sue if you slipped and fell in a supermarket. The Georgia laws on premises liability will govern this type of case.

Ways the Grocery Store Can Be Negligent in a Slip and Fall

Under Georgia law, the store must use care to keep the premises in a reasonably safe condition for people who legally enter the property. A negligent property owner is one:

  • Whose property contained a dangerous condition, and
  • Who knew or should have known about the dangerous condition, and
  • Who failed to repair the condition or post adequate warnings about the condition.

What You Should Do to Protect Your Injury Claim

There are four actions you should take immediately following a slip and fall accident:

  1. Report the accident to store management right away.
  2. Take pictures of the dangerous conditions that caused the accident.
  3. Collect the names and contact information of eyewitnesses.
  4. Get medical help, then call a lawyer for legal help.

Things You Should Not Say After Slipping and Falling in a Supermarket

You should never admit fault or blame yourself after a slip and fall injury in a grocery store. If you do, the store may use it against you, calling it an admission of fault. You might have said some things out of embarrassment or being flustered that will come back to haunt you later.

Do not say to store employees or fellow shoppers things like, “Oh, this was so stupid of me,” or “I’m such a klutz,” or apologize for the fuss. You might intend to be polite, but the store’s insurance company may take your words out of context and twist them into something you did not mean.

Traps to Avoid After a Grocery Store Slip and Fall

  • Do not give a written or recorded statement to the store or insurance company: Clear it with your lawyer beforehand. Again, they can take your words out of context. Those statements do not protect you. The insurance company may use written or recorded statements to try to reduce the amount of money they have to pay you.
  • Do not accept a settlement check early in the process: While taking the money can be tempting, you should not settle your case without having a lawyer advise you. If it turns out that you develop medical complications, for example, or cannot go back to work, you cannot go back to the insurance company or grocery store to ask for more money if you already accepted a settlement check.

Damages in a Supermarket Slip and Fall Case

Every premises liability case is different, but you might be able to recover:

  • Your medical bills for all reasonable and necessary treatments you have to undergo because of the accident.
  • Wages and other income you lost because of the injury.
  • Pain and suffering to compensate you for the physical pain and mental distress of the experience.
  • Decreased earning potential because of the injury.
  • Reduced earning potential from the physical damage you sustained.
  • Loss of consortium, a claim your spouse might make for the harm to the relationship from the injury.

Getting Legal Help for Your Supermarket Slip and Fall Injury Claim

The personal injury team at S. Burke Law will meet with you and evaluate your injury claim. We will not charge you for this initial consultation. In fact, we do not charge legal fees until you get compensation. Call us today at 404-842-7838, so that we can set up your free consultation.