Ralphs Grocery Stores serve Los Angeles with 20 or more locations across the city. The owners and operators work hard to offer everything that might be on a grocery list, but shoppers should also expect their safety to be a major priority.
Ralphs proprietors must make a conscious effort to monitor every aisle and department over the entire business day. They must look for and remove hazards that could cause a grocery store slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident.
A broken juice jar on the floor or a pothole in the parking lot represent scary obstacles. These dangers should be fixed before you ever have the chance to lose your footing. And if they aren’t cleaned up or repaired and you get hurt, it’s only right that you should receive support for the injuries you suffer.
Ralphs Los Angeles Grocery Store Slip-And-Fall Accident Liability
Ralphs of Los Angeles tries to pack everything you could ever need for the week under one roof. They offer fresh produce, a pharmacy, home goods, and a bakery and deli. They have aisles of bargains on their own brand names like “Private Selection” to bring you quality and savings. Many locations even allow you to sit and enjoy a drink at their signature Cork & Tap Beer & Wine Bars.
Ralphs does a lot to bring customers in, but under California law, they must consider more than just their profits. California’s premises liability laws state that if you are lawfully on someone else’s property, that person or business owes you a “duty of care.” This duty covers Ralphs’ customers and means that owners and operators must ensure that visitors have a safe path in and out of their stores.
Proprietors must fix any hazard they or their employees create. They are also charged with monitoring for hazards other customers create. They must clean these messes up in a reasonable amount of time. If you are hurt by an obstacle left unattended by a grocery store employee, Ralphs’ local and corporate owners can be held fully responsible.
Los Angeles Ralphs Grocery Store Dangers
This accident liability will be very important to victims who are unfortunate enough to step on a hazard they don’t see and aren’t warned about while shopping at a Los Angeles Ralphs.
Victims could suffer broken bones. A blow to the head may lead to a traumatic brain injury. The medical costs alone will be enormous for a serious injury. That doesn’t even count the lost wages a victim will experience while having to be away from work during recovery.
These are physical and financial damages that immediately target victims of a dangerous Slip-And-Fall Accident at a Los Angeles Ralphs.
Here are just a few of the injury hazards that might suddenly appear before you on an outing to Ralphs:
- Trip-and-Fall Common Hazards at Ralphs – Stockers may leave boxes along aisles to catch your foot. Store aisles have also become more and more cluttered with product displays that are sometimes hard to get around without tripping. The dangers extend out into the parking lots. A crumbling sidewalk or curb or a pothole by your parking spot might trip you up to take a painful landing on a knee or the face.
- Slip-and-Fall Common Hazards at Ralphs: Any liquid that ends up on the tile serves as a slipping hazard. Puddles in the produce or floral sections, spilled soda, or soap on the bathroom floor might send you sliding to end up on the ground or leave you falling into a hard, sharp shelf.
What to Do After a Slip-And-Fall Accident At Ralphs
Ralphs and their parent corporation, Kroger, can be held liable for your costs of recovery. However, you don’t automatically earn that support. You’ll have to prove Ralphs was negligent in your accident.
You’ll also have to defend yourself from Ralphs’ lawyers and insurance adjusters. They’ll be trying to prove that you were to blame for your own accident.
You want to build a strong case against Ralphs right from the start. If you are feeling strong enough after a fall, you should aim to collect all the evidence on the scene that you can.
Here are a few examples of the types of details you can capture:
- Take cellphone pictures. You should take photos of the obstacle, the spill, or the pothole that sent you to the ground. More than likely, Ralphs’ corporate HQ will order the hazard cleaned up or repaired as soon as you leave. Your picture is strong proof of why you fell.
- Call 911 if you need medical attention. Go to the hospital if necessary. If you can’t stay on the scene, ask someone with you or a helpful witness to secure evidence for you.
- Don’t say “I’m OK “ or “my bad.” These statements can be used to discredit your case. You probably won’t have a good idea of what happened or how badly you’re hurt while you’re still in shock over your fall.
- Alert the manager or owner. Ralphs and Krogers will want an incident report written up. The report will serve as powerful evidence for your case.
- Talk to witnesses. Find out how your personal injury lawyer can contact them later. They may not have witnessed the fall but they may attest to seeing the obstacle that caused it.
- See your physician. In the days after your Ralphs Los Angeles Slip-And-Fall accident get all of your injuries checked out by a doctor. Follow the recommendations given to you.
- Contact a Los Angeles Slip-And-Fall Lawyer. Trying to gain fair support for your suffering can be complicated by Ralphs’ and Krogers’ lawyers and insurance representatives. They’ll do everything they can to reject your case and save their employers money. An attorney on your side can fill you in on your rights and the benefits available to you and your family and fight for your interests.
Contact a Los Angeles Slip-And-Fall Lawyer
If you are seriously injured during a trip to Ralphs, 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 Ralphs accountable for their mistake that left you injured.
If you let them, Ralphs will stick you and your family with the costs of recovery and force you to pay for your medical care out of pocket. Don’t fall into this trap. An experienced Los Angeles Slip-And-Fall Attorney will tell you what your case is worth and then make sure major corporations 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.
