Have you slipped and fell over and injured yourself in a department store? You may be able to claim compensation to help pay for medical treatment and replace any lost earnings if you can prove that the store was at fault.
A store is at fault if it is negligent in its duty to provide a safe environment for customers. You must have sufficient proof of negligence if you are considering filing a claim against the store company.
For example, you may have slipped over on a section of the store that had just been cleaned and was still wet. Was there a warning sign? If not, it could be argued that the store had been negligent. You still need proof that the wet floor caused your injury and there was no warning about the danger of a slippery floor.
How to Show Department Store Negligence Caused a Slip and Fall
Most slip and fall accidents happen in large stores because there was something slippery on the floor. Store workers don’t set out to create slippery hazards, but it is their job to keep an eye on these sorts of hazards occurring and prevent accidents, by erecting barriers, or promptly cleaning the hazard up.
If a floor surface has been cleaned, then it is usual practice to erect a warning sign or signs to alert customers that the floor could be slippery. Failure to do anything in a timely manner may be considered negligence. The difficulty for any injured victim of a slip and fall accident is to have proof that the store workers or the management knew about the hazard for some time, e.g. an hour or two, but had done nothing to prevent or remove the hazard.
Evidence to Show a Slip and Fall was a Retail Store’s Fault
To show that the accident and injury was the fault of the department store, evidence must be provided. This could include any, or all, of the following.
- Security camera footage taken by any nearby machine. The camera may have recorded the accident and also when the slippery surface had originally been created. This would be excellent proof of how long it had taken before an accident had happened without attention by staff.
- Photos taken at the place where the accident happened, showing what caused the slip and fall and perhaps the injury;
- Eyewitnesses, i.e. other customers, or perhaps store workers, may be able to provide statements confirming the accident, what caused it and how long the actual hazard had existed.
Get Help Proving Fault
You are welcome to make use of a free case evaluation to get in touch with a PI lawyer who can help prove Ross, or another large department store, was at fault for your slip and fall injury.
Additional Resources
Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Ross, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
