The parking lots, sidewalks and aisles of both large and small California grocery stores see considerable foot traffic. For example, holes, cracks and other defects on those walking surfaces can lead to serious trip-and-fall injuries for shoppers. Those injuries often require emergency room visits, hospitalizations, lost time from work, rehab and physical therapy. Therefore, after being injured in a trip-and-fall at a California grocery store, you may have grounds to bring a personal injury claim or lawsuit for damages against the owner or occupier of the premises. You’ll want to arrange for a consultation and case review with the California trip-and-fall lawyers at Maison Law as soon as you can. We provide these consultations at no cost at all to you.
The Body Mechanics of a Trip-and-Fall Accident
A slip-and-fall is typically happen when a victim’s foot slips forward. As a result, his or her center of gravity shifts to behind their feet. This causes the person to lose their balance and fall backward. In a trip-and-fall, the victim’s foot typically hits an obstruction or object. That causes the body’s center of gravity to shift ahead of the feet, with the victim falling forward. Because of the obstruction or object, the victim is unable to move their foot forward to stop their fall, he or she instinctively throws their arms and hands forward to try to break their fall. When the person lands on the pavement or grocery store floor, injuries are ordinarily suffered to the hands, arms, shoulders, head, face, chest and knees. Consequently, serious dental injuries aren’t unusual in trip-and-falls either.
Common Causes of Grocery Store Trip-and-Fall Accidents
California grocery stores trip-and-falls accidents can happen in a variety of ways. Here are some examples of a few of them:
- Holes or buckled pavement in parking lots and sidewalks.
- Wrinkled entryway mats or mats with curled up edges.
- Uncovered electrical wires or cables.
- Merchandise or displays encroaching onto customer shopping aisles.
- Uneven walking surfaces.
Proving Fault in a California Grocery Store Trip-and-Fall
As the claimant, the victim of a trip-and-fall accident has the burden of proving that the owner or occupier of the grocery store where the fall occurred was responsible for their injuries and damages. He or she must be able to show that the grocery store owner or occupier knew or should have known that a dangerous condition existed on the grocery store premises that wasn’t open and obvious and caused an unreasonable risk of harm. One of the following propositions is the way to prove that:
- The owner or occupier created the dangerous condition.
- The owner or occupier knew about the condition, but failed to do anything about it.
- The condition was in existence for so long that the owner or occupier of the grocery store should have known about it and failed to do anything about it.
What to Do After Getting an Injury in a California Grocery Store Trip-and-Fall
Upon tripping, falling and injuring yourself at a California grocery store, you should immediately notify the manager and person in charge. That individual will likely complete an incident report that you should have a copy of when you leave. One needs to call 911 so paramedics can come to the scene. They can stabilize you and get you to a nearby emergency room. Paramedic and emergency room reports are also important in establishing where and how you were injured. After leaving the hospital, contact us here at Maison Law right away for a free consultation and case review. We can discuss the circumstances surrounding your trip-and-fall, how your injuries have affected you and your legal options.
Contact a California Grocery Store Trip-and-Fall Lawyer
Don’t speak with the grocery store’s insurer. It’s only going to try to shift fault for your fall over onto you in a recorded statement. California law doesn’t require you to do that. Preserve and protect your rights by speaking with an attorney at Maison Law as soon as you can on any California grocery stores trip-and-falls accidents. If we’re formally retained, our objective will be to obtain the highest settlement or award that you deserve for your injuries and damages.
