If the grocery store was careless and their negligence caused you to get hurt in a slip and fall at the store, you might be entitled to compensation for your losses. The slip and fall could happen inside the store or on one of the approaches to the store. A premises liability lawyer from S. Burke Law can help.

Money Damages for Slip and Fall at a Grocery Store

While every case is unique and it is hard to tell how much money you could get for a slip and fall at a grocery store, here are some of the typical damages that we have collected for our clients who have suffered slip and fall injuries:

  • Medical bills. You can recover the reasonable cost of medical treatment that you needed for your injuries. Things like the cost of the ambulance, emergency room, hospital, doctors, x-rays, lab tests, prescription drugs, and physical therapy can be compensable.
  • Rehabilitation center. If you sustained a catastrophic injury like spinal cord damage from the slip and fall, you might need to undergo treatment in a specialized facility like a rehabilitation center. The costs of a rehabilitation facility can be astronomical.
  • Long-term care. Some people with devastating harm from a slip and fall might need daily assistance with medical treatments and personal care because of their injuries. An example of this situation is when a person suffers a traumatic brain injury that leaves him in a persistent vegetative state. Long-term care can cost thousands of dollars a month.
  • Lost wages. If your injuries from the slip and fall caused you to miss work without pay, we can add the income you lost to your damages claim. This category can include lost salary, wages, self-employment, and other types of income.
  • Decreased earning potential. If your injuries cause you to be unable to make as much money as you did before the fall accident, we can go after compensation for your losses.
  • Non-economic losses. When you sustain a physical injury, we can go after intangible damages like pain and suffering, loss of the enjoyment of life, disfigurement, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Every situation is different. You might not experience all of these forms of damages. You might have other losses as well.

Where a Slip and Fall Can Happen

The law of premises liability can hold a landowner responsible for injuries on the property and on the approaches, which can include sidewalks and or other entryways that people use to get into the store.

What We Have to Prove to Hold the Grocery Store Liable for Your Injuries

Whether the accident occurred inside the grocery store or on one of the approaches, we will have to prove all of these factors to establish the liability of the owner:

  • There was a dangerous condition on the property.
  • The owner knew or should have known about the hazard.
  • The owner did not fix the problem or post sufficient warnings to prevent bystanders from getting hurt.

Let’s analyze a scenario in which a person falls inside a grocery store.

  • A customer dropped a glass jar of spaghetti sauce in one of the store aisles. An employee cleaned up the wet spill using a mop and bucket. After the clean-up, there was water on the floor that was not easily visible to customers. This fact pattern satisfies the first element in that there was a dangerous condition on the premises.
  • The employee knew about the puddles on the floor. This fact satisfies the second element because the owner’s employee knew or should have known about the hazard.
  • The employee did not soak up the excess water with towels to fix the problem. He also did not place barriers or “wet floor” signs to protect customers from injury. These facts meet the requirements of the third element of premises liability.

If a customer slips and falls on the wet floor, the grocery store can be liable. The store’s negligence must be the thing that caused the injury.

Icy patches, wet leaves, and tripping hazards are some of the common situations that can lead to a grocery store being liable for a slip and fall in the approaches to the store. The plaintiff would have to prove all three elements of premises liability, as discussed above.

Getting Legal Help for a Slip and Fall in a Grocery Store

You do not have to take on the grocery store’s liability insurance company by yourself. S. Burke Law can help you navigate through the claims process. We can work directly with the insurer so that you do not have to. We do not know how much you could get for a slip and fall at a grocery store, but we can try to negotiate a settlement on your behalf. You do not have to go through this experience alone.

The slip and fall team at S. Burke Law delivers responsive, caring legal services to our clients. Call us today at (404) 842-7838 for a free consultation.