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Tips to Prevent a Grocery Store Injury & Steps to Take If You Have One

30 June 2015 by Lawrence Miller

Accidents have a way of creeping up, and grocery stores have a lot of variables. You should know where accidents are likely to happen in grocery store and what to do if you experience one, and the following guide will help with that.

Common Injuries to Avoid

Watch out for the following supermarket-related dangers:

• The produce area—where there are many loose items or items that contain moisture—is a common danger in supermarkets.
• Watch out for spilled water in the floral department. Moisture is necessary to keep flowers alive, hence the danger.
• Restrooms are hazardous due to spilled water or other fluids.
• The ice section of the store could pose a danger, especially if the freezer is defective or was left open.
• Entrances could pose a danger due to wetness or misplaced entry carpets, which you can trip over.
• Defective shopping carts could hurt you depending on the defect, like a jagged edge.

Do your best to be vigilant around the aforementioned areas or objects to avoid a possible accident.

Steps to Take Should You Have an Accident

Precaution helps, but does not guarantee that you will not have an accident. You need to be prepared because the burden of proof rests upon you should you be injured in a store. To make sure that your case is presented properly you should find a personal injury lawyer that you can trust and consider the following steps:

1. Try not to move from the scene of the accident, but rather have the manager of the store come to you. Have him or her document the accident and ask for a copy. Managers or owners are usually not obligated to produce a copy, yet it does not hurt to ask.
2. Ask for medical care if necessary and remember to keep those reports.
3. Look for witnesses, get names, and record statements on your phone with their knowledge (depending on the recording laws in your particular state).
4. Make sure your date and time stamp function on your phone is on, and take photographs of your injuries and what caused the incident. The date and stamp function is usually in the setup menu of your camera application.
5. Ask for surveillance footage to help you see the incident as it happened.
6. Record the name of the insurance company that covers the supermarket where the incident occurred.
7. Keep an organized folder with medical bills, lost wages, receipts, and any other expense caused or influenced by your injury.

You can talk to your personal injury attorney, such as one from Morales Law, about any other things you need to know regarding an accident in a supermarket. Being prepared will help you prove your case and help deal with expenses that are not your responsibility.

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