Raley’s has been a fixture in the Central Valley grocery industry since 1941. It’s iconic red Raley’s sign is recognizable by millions who grew up with a Raleys in their neighborhood. Most of the stores are in and around Sacramento, but over the years they have expanded and now have some as far south as Elk Grove.
Recently Raley’s opened up a remodel of its Land Park flagship store offering eCart online ordering, a mezzanine that overlooks the store, outdoor seating, and a tasting room. All of these are offered in hopes to attract more customers to Raley’s, and if they are successful, then more and more people will visiting Raleys every day.
Duty to Keep Shoppers Safe
Under California law, Raley’s has a duty to all these new customers as well as their regulars to keep the premises reasonably free from dangerous hazards. If they fail to do that, and someone gets injured, then they will have to pay them compensation.
The law makes it Raley’s responsibility to keep the floor clear of slip or trip and fall hazards, and to generally make it safe for their customers. However, the law also says that their responsibility is to be “reasonably” safe which means that the victim has to prove that Raley’s didn’t take reasonable steps to make their store safe for customers.
Types of Injuries in a Slip and Fall
At Maison Law, we’ve seen all types of injuries that happen in stores and other private places open to the public. Most of these come from some sort of a fall, but there are other injuries that can happen as well. Some of the more common injuries we’ve seen come from stores like Raley’s Supermarkets are:
- Broken Wrists
- Broken Hips
- Head Injuries
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Severe Back Strain
- Deep Lacerations
- Electrocutions
- Chemical Burns
Causes of Injuries
In most cases, the cause of an injury is a hazard such as produce, wine, soap, or something else slippery, spilled on the floor, and someone slips. Once they lose their balance, then they can hit their head or other parts of their body and become seriously injured.
Failure to Act after Notice
In these types of injuries, the victim has the burden to prove that the store owner knew of the hazard and didn’t clean it up in a reasonable time. This is usually established by looking at the safety checks and log sheets that show safety concerns and what and when it was addressed.
If the store took an unreasonable time to fix and someone got hurt, then it will likely be the store’s fault.
Negligent Fix
Another way to show negligence is to establish that the store tried to fix the hazard but did it improperly and the hazard was still there or made worse. One example is there was liquid detergent on the floor and the employee mopped it up but just made it even slicker, and someone came and fell.
Making a Claim
Slip and Fall cases are sometimes difficult to prove because the owner will claim they did things in a safe and reasonable manner. At Maison Law, it’s our job to poke holes in their claims and get you the compensation you deserve. After all, you were just out trying to shop at their store and now you are injured and can’t work.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer.
After an accident involving a serious injury in the Central Valley, contact attorney Martin Gasparian for a free consultation and case evaluation. Mr. Gasparian takes a hands-on approach to every case. He believes that every client should work directly with their lawyer, get honest advice, and personalized attention to detail their case deserves.
