Slip and fall accidents are some of the most common types of accidents. They can happen just about anywhere, even in a Trader Joe’s store, or any other large grocery store.
They may happen because you were not paying attention, or because of negligence on the part of the management of the store. If the accident was the fault of the store, then you may have grounds for filing a claim for compensation for the injury.
Fault may be proven if it can be shown that the store failed to provide an adequate standard of care and safety for its customers. Claims after a slip and fall injury in a grocery store are not easy to win and it may be sensible for you to discuss your case with a PI lawyer before submitting a claim.
How to Show Grocery Store’s Negligence Caused a Slip and Fall
Public premises like grocery stores and supermarkets take out premises liability insurance in case someone is injured in one of their stores. However, insurers don’t just pay compensation unless it can be shown that their corporate client was at fault.
Negligence could be alleged if the employees or management at the store where you had your accident had allowed some kind of hazard to remain in place without doing anything about it. “Doing something about it” could mean cleaning up the mess if something had spilled on to the floor, putting a barrier around the hazard, or placing some kind of clear notice warning customers that there was a slippery floor and to take care.
Failing to attend to the potential slip and fall hazard in a reasonable time frame would be an example of negligence on the part of the store.
Evidence to Show a Slip and Fall Was a Store’s Fault
There are several forms of evidence you could obtain to help show that your injury was the fault of the store and not just your own lack of attention to where you were going.
- Statements from eye witnesses who were near you when you slipped and fell. These could be written statements or audio recordings if you have a voice recorder app. on your cell phone.
- Video footage from a security camera if one was located near where the accident took place. If you are lucky, the same camera may have filmed how the floor became slippery and how long it took for anyone to do anything about it.
- Photos that you could take of the accident scene, that caused you to slip and fall and any obvious injuries.
Get Help Proving Fault
It can be challenging taking filing a claim against Trader Joe’s, or any other grocery store. You may want to fill out a Free Case Evaluation form to locate a PI lawyer that you can contact near you to help you prove that the store was at fault.
*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 Trader Joe’s, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
