When individuals and families head out to the local supermarket, grocery store warehouse store, or chain convenience stores, they do not typically anticipate that they will suffer injury because of the failure of store owners, managers and employees to clear hazards that they know or should know exist. Although most people do not think of a trip to a retail store as a dangerous excursion, many people suffer injury caused by falling objects, slippery floors and other unsafe conditions.

Grocery store owners generally have a duty to exercise reasonable care so that the premises are reasonably safe inside the store and in the areas outside the store. The store owner may have a legal duty to either warn customers of potential hidden hazards or to take effective remedial measure to clear such hazards. When the owner of a retail store fails to provide adequate warnings or to eliminate hazards that cause injury, a court may impose liability for injuries that result from reasonably foreseeable accidents. Some of the most common types of accidents in supermarkets and other stores include:

• Merchandise falling from high shelves
• Accidents involving shopping carts
• Slip and falls on liquids or sticky substances on the floor
• Tripping accidents from objects or debris in walkways

Grocery store accidents like these above can result in serious injuries that include broken bones, fractures, traumatic brain injuries and spinal injuries.

The process of establishing the negligence of a supermarket often requires an investigation to gather critical evidence that may include:

• The hazard was present for a reasonable length of time prior to the accident.
• The unsafe condition was a recurring condition.
• The grocery store owner knew or should have known of the hazard.
• Any attempts to clean up a spill or otherwise remedy the unsafe condition were inadequate.
• The store failed to implement appropriate inspection procedures to discover hazards.
• Employees knew or should have been aware of the hazard because of the noise from a bottle that crashes to the floor or proximity of the employee to a liquid that was clearly visible on the floor.
• The foreign substance was present for a long period based on it being dry and sticky or having shopping cart marks over the substance.
• The area where a fall occurred was not sufficiently lighted to prevent falls.

Put Our Law Firm’s Over 39 Years of Legal Experience to Work For Your Case

While this is hardly an exhaustive list of the types of evidence that may be relevant in establishing the negligence of an owner in causing a grocery store accident, the importance of gathering relevant evidence means that it is urgent to seek prompt legal advice. Our Atlanta personal injury attorneys have been representing injury victims for over thirty years throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED® (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.