Shopper Files Lawsuit After Slip-And-Fall Injury At Florida Grocery Store
A customer who suffered severe injuries after slipping and falling in a grocery store in Florida filed a lawsuit against the store, which brings up a number of issues regarding store safety and the liability of stores towards customers.
As reported, the customer slipped on a wet spot on the floor while walking. They fell to the ground, which caused severe injuries for which they needed medical treatment. The customer then filed a premises liability lawsuit against the store for failing to maintain the store property and for failing to warn customers about the spot on the floor.
Slip and fall accidents are considered some of the most common types of personal injury lawsuits in Florida and Georgia, especially in stores where accidents can happen frequently.
How do slip and fall accidents happen?
Since grocery stores are places where people frequently go for their daily needs, slip and fall lawsuits are not uncommon. Some common causes of slip and fall accidents in a grocery store include:
- Spills caused by broken containers or leaking items
- Recently mopped floors without proper warning signs
- Food or debris on the floors
- Leaking refrigerators or freezers
- Uneven floors
When employees fail to clean up spills immediately or properly warn customers, a risky situation can occur for both customers and the grocery store.
Florida law on slip and fall cases
Under Florida law, businesses that allow the public to access their property have a responsibility to ensure that their property is in a reasonably safe condition for the public. However, to establish a business’s liability for a slip and fall accident, it is not enough to simply prove that a customer slipped and fell.
According to Florida premises liability law, a customer who is injured must prove that the store had actual or constructive knowledge that the condition that caused the customer’s injury existed on the business’s premises. This means that the store either knew or should have known that a dangerous condition existed.
Constructive knowledge can be proven by evidence that the condition existed for a sufficient period, that the employees should have known about it or that the condition occurred regularly.
Injuries caused by slip and fall accidents
In slip and fall accidents, you can sustain a variety of injuries, which can be long-lasting. Elderly folks are especially at risk of sustaining severe injuries.
Injuries from slip and fall accidents can include:
- Fractured bones
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal injury
- Torn ligaments
- Hip fractures
Holding negligent businesses accountable
In premises liability cases, victims who get hurt while in a store tend to blame the store for their injuries. Other than medical bills, victims can sue for lost income and pain and suffering.
Businesses that offer their services to the public are required to regularly check their premises for safety and ensure they warn their customers of impending danger if they cannot immediately act on a situation.
As seen in this recent lawsuit, failing to do so puts them in a precarious position of being liable for a customer’s injuries. It is not only good business sense to ensure safety in stores, it is also a requirement.
Talk to a Jacksonville, FL, Slip and Fall Injury Attorney
Gillette Law represents the interests of victims in slip and fall injury lawsuits. Call our Jacksonville personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin discussing your next steps right away.
