Fresno has a dozen or more Save Mart locations around the city, and thousands of people flood their aisles to save real money on groceries.
Save Mart Supermarkets advertise the best prices around, but they must also be counted on to focus just as much on customer safety. A puddle from a spill along an aisle, or a pothole in the parking lot might send you to the ground to absorb a painful injury.
It’s an unexpected accident, but these sorts of premise liability mishaps injure victims each day across California. When a store owner or proprietor’s negligence causes these sorts of accidents, it’s critical that injured victims seek the support they need in recovery.
Accident Hazards At Fresno Save Marts
Under premises liability, supermarket chains and local owners are responsible for the safety of their daily customers at all times. They owe visitors a “duty of care” as they get out of their vehicles and on their journeys to the back aisle.
When owners and operators don’t monitor for safety hazards and clean them up in a reasonable amount of time, they should be held liable when people get hurt.
As you scan the produce and freezer sections for your favorite fruit or frozen pizza, you may not be thinking about potential dangers. Water may end up on the shiny floors of the produce department and send you into a slip-and-fall backward. The corner of a rug in produce may send you into a trip-and-fall as you fall forward. A leak from a freezer unit could also place liquid under your foot.
A trip-and-fall on a crumbling sidewalk outside might leave you down on the cement with a debilitating knee injury. Rain tracked into by the front door may never get mopped and suddenly send you to the ground to hit your head and suffer a traumatic brain injury.
What To Do After An Accident At a Fresno Save Mart
Your wellbeing and safety are the most important factors after a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall at a Save Mart Supermarket. Call 911 if you are injured. Let EMTs check out every pain you have and go to the hospital if necessary.
If you are physically able to move around, there will be key pieces of evidence on the scene of your accident that you should try to collect. If you must leave in an ambulance, ask someone with you or a helpful witness to grab a few of these details:
- Get photos of the scene – Show the obstacle or hazard that caused your injury. This hazard will likely be removed the moment you leave. Note your surroundings and visibly show the lack of warning signs around.
- Alert a Save Mart manager – You will need to inform someone in authority with the store about what happened. The corporate office for Save Mart will require that an incident report be written up. This report can help prove your case later. Don’t ever accept fault for what happened and don’t declare that you are uninjured. You may have injuries you haven’t discovered yet while the shock of what’s happened is still masking pain.
- Chat with witnesses – Discuss what they saw and get their contact information. Turn this information over to your personal injury lawyer.
- Keep evidence – Keep any receipts you have from the store involved. Hang onto any damaged personal items. Keep the shoes you were wearing when you fell. Try not to wear them again so they can be presented as evidence that your footwear was not the issue.
- See your physician – Make an appointment with your medical care provider. Get all pain and injuries detailed on a medical report. Keep all billing invoices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of injury damages will Save Mart compensate?
It will be key to your financial recovery to earn funds to pay for all hospital bills now and those anticipated to arrive in the future. Your lost wages at work should be compensated. The physical pain and emotional trauma you suffer will also increase the support you receive.
Should I trust Save Mart’s insurance providers?
No. Don’t agree to give a recorded statement to any insurance representative. Decline and refer them to your personal injury lawyer. They want statements on record so they can twist them to weaken your account of what happened in order to pay you less.
What if I am found partially to blame for my slip-and-fall injury?
You may be assigned some blame for your fall. For instance, Save Mart may say you were looking at a cell phone and not watching where you were going. You can still count on recovery support, however, your award is reduced by the percentage of fault you are assigned.
Contact a Fresno Save Mart Slip-And-Fall Lawyer
If you are seriously injured during a trip to Save Mart, you’ll need to consider the cost of your medical care now and any care that may be necessary for the months and years to come. You’ll have one chance to hold Save Mart accountable so that you don’t pay for your future care out of your own savings.
An experienced Fresno Grocery Store Slip-And-Fall Attorney will tell you what your case is worth and then make sure big supermarket chains can’t escape taking full responsibility for all expenses.
Contact attorney Martin Gasparian for a free and confidential case evaluation. Mr. Gasparian works with victims to make sure they receive everything they require to restore their health and rebuild their lives.
