Recently, accident lawsuits have been filed in several states, claiming monetary damages for injuries suffered by shoppers in falls at several discount retail stores, including Target, Walmart, and Family Dollar Stores. In one case, a New Jersey Target store was reportedly sued when a clear substance on the floor caused a pharmacy patron to slip and fall, sustaining permanent back injuries, including several bulging discs requiring surgeries.
A Family Dollar Store was sued in November, after a woman tripped and fell backward over a case of bottled water carelessly left in an aisle by an employee. The victim reportedly sustained injuries to her back, right leg, and humerus, along with cuts and bruises, as a result of the store’s negligence.
In December, a slip and fall lawsuit was filed against this Walmart store, by a patron who slipped on a fallen grape that was left in a floor where patrons would be walking. As a result, this slip and fall accident victim was left permanently disabled, with lost wages, lost future earnings, and medical expenses to cover, along with her pain and suffering.
Slip and fall accident claims can be based on the negligence of a Florida business, such as a retailer or a restaurant, in creating an unreasonable risk of harm by failing to maintain the safety of its premises for the shoppers or diners who are invited to use it. In Florida, because a business encourages these users to come onto its property for its own financial benefit, it is said to owe a high legal duty of care to regularly inspect and ensure that the premises are kept clean, free of hazards, and otherwise in reasonably safe condition for use by Florida business invitees.
Hazards need not only be dangerous conditions inside a business, like the grapes at Walmart or the slick floor in Target. Outdoor conditions, such as ice or water on entryways or even potholes in parking lots, can also cause severe slip and fall injuries, like neck injuries, back and spine injuries, broken bones, or concussions. In general, the less obvious the hazard would be to an observant patron who might slip on it, trip on it, or fall into it, the more care a Florida business owner must take to remove or warn of the danger.
If you or someone you love has been hurt in a slip and fall or trip and fall accident caused by an unsafe condition on someone else’s property, an experienced personal injury attorney who practices premises liability law may be able to help you seek monetary compensation for injury damages. Typically, recoverable damages might include your medical expenses for emergency care, physical therapy, and other treatment, along with lost wages, lost future earning capacity, pain and suffering, and other items, as appropriate.
