As you get ready for the holiday season, spend more time shopping for your loved ones, and share a fun evening with them at your favorite restaurant, you should be aware of some common reasons for personal injuries in retail stores and restaurants. Everyday, thousands are injured as a result of slips and falls in grocery stores, retail stores and restaurants. The owners of these businesses have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe so that customers are not exposed to unnecessary and unreasonable dangers.

Common Reasons for Personal Injuries in Retail Stores and Restaurants:

• Defective staircases;
• Accumulation of ice or snow;
• Wet floors;
• Oily floors;
• Hidden extension cords;
• Unsecured rugs or carpets;
• Falling objects; and
• Loose or broken floors, sidewalks, steps or stairs.

The owners can be held liable for the customer’s personal injuries if they failed to take reasonable precautions to protect customers from these foreseeable dangers. There are limits, however, to the owner’s legal liability.

Not all injuries that occur on the premises of another result in legal liability for the owner. The injured person must show that the owner failed to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition so that the customer was exposed to an unnecessary and unreasonable danger. Premise owners have no liability for injuries that occur when a customer encounters a dangerous condition that is open and obvious in it appearance. If for example, a bottle of clear liquid, such as corn syrup spilled on a grocery store floor, it may not be considered an open and obvious hazard because it may not be easily seen by the customer. If the substance spilled was a bright red fruit punch, the store may not be negligent since it could be easily seen by the customer and may be considered an open and obvious hazard.

Measures to Consider if Injured at Retail Store or Restaurant:

• Report the incident to manager and make sure they fill out an incident report.
• Make sure to talk to any witnesses who may have seen you get injured.
• Photograph the area where the injured occurred to gather evidence of the nature of the hazard.
• Get medical treatment.
• Seek legal advice from an attorney who specializes in personal injury, including premises liability.

The law offices of Anderson, Moore, Bailey, and Nowell are experienced personal injury lawyers who are here to help if you find yourself with a slip and fall injury. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation about your personal injury case or any other legal matter.

This blog is intended for general informational purposes only, and is not intended to serve as a substitute for talking to one of our lawyers here at Anderson, Moore Bailey and Nowell. In fact, the first step you can take towards resolving your problem is to have a face to face conversation with one of our lawyers. Our consultations are free, they are confidential, and we can almost always schedule you an appointment the same day we receive a call.