Slip and fall injuries in supermarkets are arguably the single most common type of premises liability lawsuits.  Supermarkets can be a haven for accidents, as people commonly trip on wet or bumpy floors, fallen objects or protruding displays. 

Unfortunately, slip and fall accidents in supermarkets can cause serious and catastrophic damages, sometimes leading to lifelong pain, rehabilitation and medical bills.  Furthermore, supermarket slip and fall accidents can force a victim to take time off of work or stop working at all, rendering them unable to financially support themselves or their loved ones.

If you or a loved one has suffered a slip and fall injury in a supermarket, please one of our personal injury attorneys.  You will be immediately connected to an attorney, and you will never be charged to speak to an attorney.

Do not hesitate to contact the experts at Downtown L.A. Law Group as soon as possible. Our injury lawyers have many years of experience handling all sorts of injury claims – and slip and fall claims at supermarkets are not the exception. Our lawyers are ready to help you win and fight for your right to recover the highest amount of compensation available for your supermarket slip and fall injury lawsuit.

Slip and Fall Law: Do I Have a Case If I Fell in a Supermarket

Simply falling or getting injured in a supermarket does not automatically give rise to liability or fault.  Instead, in order for the supermarket to be responsible for your injuries, two things must be true:

1. You were hurt when you fell in the supermarket: Simply falling does not mean you have a viable slip and fall claim.  Fortunately, people fall all the time and are able to regroup without any lingering pain or injury.  However, because of the slippery surface and the fact that supermarkets generally have hard or concrete flooring and is surrounded by large and heavy objects, supermarket slip and falls commonly lead to serious injuries.  The most common slip and fall injuries in supermarkets are:

• Brain injuries and concussions – sometimes, brain injuries are not immediately noticeable, but may manifest themselves days or even weeks later.  Signs of brain injuries are constant headaches, memory loss, seizures or confusion
• Broken bones and spinal cord injuries
• Broken teeth
• Twisted ankle
• Back and neck injuries

2. The supermarket was in some way negligent, and their negligence caused an injury – Generally, one of three things must have happened:

1. The supermarket through one of its employees caused the spill or created the dangerous environment which led to the slip and fall
2. The supermarket knew about the dangerous conditions but failed to take any steps to fix it.
3. The supermarket should have known about the dangerous condition.  The test for this is whether it was  reasonable for the supermarket to know about a potentially dangerous atmosphere.  Because it usually impossible to determine who caused the dangerous condition or whether the supermarket knew about it, slip and fall accidents commonly hinge on this requirement.  Proving whether the supermarket should have known requires skill and can be quite difficult.  Common questions to ask are:

• How long was the liquid or other substance on the floor?
• Was a regular inspection of the premises conducted?
• How reasonable was it for the supermarket to know or not know about the dangerous condition

One of the most common causes of slip and fall accidents is wet floors, specifically wet floors due to recently mopped floors. The main issue with recently mopped floors is missing or misplaced wet floor or caution signs. In many cases, the wet floors are not obvious at all, so the unsuspecting party steps onto the wet floor never knowing that it is wet and represents a risk of accident.

Mopping a floor with no wet floor sign, caution sign, or warning sign of any type in the store is a severe breach of the duty of care that is owed to guests. Whether the mopping is happening in the front of the store, in the bathrooms, in the stairwells/stairs, in the elevators, in the lobby, etc., there must be a warning sign. Similarly, if the property owner or employee is splashing water to clean the front, the parking lot, or anywhere on the property to clean up or start cleaning up, there must be a warning sign.

Because property owners must place a warning wet floor sign when they are mopping, many property owners mistakenly think that they can just throw a sign out and essentially be covered in the case on an accident. This is far from the truth. In addition to making sure that there are warning signs while mopping (and until the wet floor is completely dry), property owners must make sure that the sign is conspicuous (can be visible) to all that enter the area. Of course, it is possible that the space being mopped is a large space and that it requires more than one sign; property owners have to ensure that these signs are there.

If the sign was there but it was blocked and out of sight, could the property owner still be liable for any harm resulting from an accident? Yes – property owners have to make sure that their signs are obvious to all who enter the area that is being mopped. If there warning sign is blocked, then they are useless.

If you were injured in a slip and fall accident at a supermarket caused by a missing warning sign, misplaced warning sign, or blocked warning sign, it is important that you seek legal assistance as soon as possible. By failing to put out a sign in the right place and making sure that it was visible, the property owner breached his or her duty of care and could be liable. You can sue them for the harm that you suffered.

For more information about the legal options available to you, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm immediately.

Other Incidents – Display Stands in Stores

Without a doubt, display stands are very common in supermarkets and other types of stores. The purpose of these display stands is to highlight certain products for customers and encourage a purchase; however, some display stands can actually do a lot more than that and lead to accidents.

Display stands could lead to the following:

• Trip and fall accidents from improperly placed display stands (that are blocking walkways, for example)
• Slip and fall accidents from the display stand blocking the view of slip hazards on the floor
• Falling object incidents from the display stand falling over and dropping products on anyone passing by or standing near

Many of us don’t really realize the danger that display stands represent in supermarkets and other stores until it is too late. After your accident, you might relate to some of the following statements: a display fell on my while I was walking near it. I hit the display stand after falling, and I was injured. I tripped over the display stand because it was blocking the walkway and I could not see the stand in the bottom. If your situation is similar to any of these scenarios, then you could have grounds to file a lawsuit against the property owner for your display stand accident injuries. For more information about the legal options available to you, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with an accident injury lawyer as soon as possible.

Supermarket Slip and Fall Settlement Amounts

Clients commonly ask us how much a supermarket slip and fall case is worth.  The value of a slip and fall lawsuit is based on several factors such as:

• The severity and type of injury
• The amount of pain and suffering
• How long will you be unable to perform your regular duties?
• Amount of income lost, both past and present.
• How much less will you make in the future as a result of your injuries?
• Past medical bills
• Future medical care

All of these factors could significantly affect the value of your claim and what you could ultimately be eligible to receive.  With so many variables, it’s easy to see why no two supermarket slip and fall cases are the same.  It is the job of a personal injury attorney to maximize the amount of compensation by proving these damages.

What type of compensation could you be eligible to receive if your injury lawsuit against the supermarket is successful? Based on the details surrounding your slip and fall injury claim, you could be eligible to recover compensation for some of the following:

• Medical costs
• Lost earnings
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Property damages
• Punitive damages
• Legal expenses

If you are interested in learning more about the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to recover if your supermarket slip and fall injury claim is successful, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the slip and fall attorneys at our firm immediately. Our lawyers are ready to fight for your right to recover the highest amount of compensation available for your injury claim.

What Should I Do After a Supermarket Slip and Fall Accident

Obviously, the most important thing to do after a slip and fall is to seek immediate medical attention.  No amount of money in the world can ever replace a person’s health.  However, once the dust has settled, it is important to take several key measure in order to prove your case.  These measures include: 1. Report the accident  – Make sure to also get a copy of the report, if possible. 2. Take pictures or other evidence that could prove fault – you or a friend should document how the fall occurred and take as many pictures as necessary.  Also, see if there were any witnesses to the accident and get their information as well. 3. Never make any comments – other than making a report, do not make any comments to anyone following the accident 4. Ask for the store video or make sure the video is preserved – Ideally this should be done by your attorney immediately, as these videos can be the best evidence that the supermarket was negligent.  Supermarkets unsurprisingly often destroy this evidence in the face of litigation. 

File Your Claim On Time

All injury claims – including supermarket slip and fall claims – are subject to a statute of limitations. A statute of limitations determines the total length of time that claimants have to file their claims. If claimants do not file their claims within the time allowed by the applicable deadline, claimants can lose their right to sue.

How long do you have to file your supermarket injury claim? In California, all injury claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations; therefore, claimants will only have two years to sue. The statute of limitations establishes a strict deadline; however, it is possible for certain exceptions to apply which could toll or pause the deadline.

To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the total length of time that you have to file your injury claim, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our firm immediately.

Contact a Supermarket Slip and Fall Accident  Attorney

If you or a loved one was hurt in a supermarket due to the store’s or one of its employees’ negligence, you may be entitled to financial compensation.  Our lawyers are available to answer your questions, and we will even come to you following an accident.

At our firm, we offer free legal services – which include free consultations and free second opinions. We also offer a Zero-Fee guarantee, meaning that our clients will never be required to pay any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. Our law firm also works strictly on contingency; therefore, our clients will not be required to pay anything until after winning their claims. If you do not win, you will not pay anything.

If you are ready to discuss your claim with the experts at our firm, do not hesitate to contact us at your earliest convenience.

Further Information

Value of a Slip and Fall Accident Lawsuit List of Major Supermarkets in California:

• A G Ferrari Foods
• AG Ferrari Foods
• Albertsons
• Apna Bazaar
• Arteaga’s Starlite Supermarket
• Azteca Mkt.
• Azteco Mkt.
• Basic American Foods
• Bel Air Supermarkets
• Better Brand Foods Inc.
• Big Saver Foods
• BI-Rite Supermarket
• Bunge Foods
• Cala Foods Inc
• California Creative Foods
• California Custom Foods
• California Family Foods
• Cardenas Foods
• Chavez Supermarket
• City Markey
• Costco
• Dominick’s Finer Foods
• Dot Foods
• Draegers Supermarket
• Eastern Foods
• F’real Foods
• Fairway Foods Inc.
• Family Foods
• Fastop Foods Inc
• Fastrip Food Store
• Fiesta Foods
• Food 4 Less
• Food Exppress
• Food Fiant
• Foodmax
• Foodsco
• Foodtown
• Frank’s Mkt.
• Freeland Foods
• Fresh and Easy Neighborhood
• G & G Supermarket
• Gruma Mission Foods
• Harvest Foods
• Healthway natural Foods
• Holiday Foods
• Holiday Quality Foods
• Holland Market
• Hometown Foods
• Horizon Foods
• Huy Fong Foods Inc.
• Island Pacific Supermarket
• Jalisco Market
• Jensens Finest Foods
• Joseph Webb Foods
• Joy Bargain
• Joyti Supermarket
• King Food
• King Ranch Market
• Kings Super Market
• Kroger
• Kumud Groceries
• Leprino Foods
• Market Basket
• Metal Supermarkets
• Michoacan Supermarket
• Mission Foods
• Mojave Foods
• Morningstar Foods
• Nijiya Market
• Nob Hill Foods
• North Bay Foods
• Northgate Markets
• Nutricion Fundamental
• One Stop Market
• P W Supermarkets
• Pacific Supermarket
• Paradise Foods
• Park’n Save
• Patel Brothers
• Pavilions
• Price Less Foods
• Pw Supermarkets
• Raley’s Supermarkets & Drug Centers
• Ralphs Grocery Co.
• Rosco Supermarket
• Safeway
• Sam’s Club
• Save A Lot
• Save Mart Supermarket
• Saveway Foods
• Schratter Foods
• Schwan’s Fine Food
• Scolaris Food & Drug Co.
• Seafood City Supermarket
• Shaws
• Shop and Go
• Shop N Save
• Shoprite
• Sigma Foods
• Smart & Final
• Smiths Food & Drug Centers
• Spruce Foods
• Stater Bros
• Stop & Save
• Stop & Shop
• Stremicks Heritage Foods
• Sun Hop Fat 1 Supermarket
• Sundance Natural Foods
• Sunflower Natural Foods
• Sunrise Food
• Sunrise Natural Foods
• Sunshine Foods
• Sunshine Market
• Super A Foods
• Super Bargain
• Super K Food Store
• Supervalu
• Tawa Supermarket
• Thriftway
• Trader Joe’s
• Vallarta Supermarket
• Vons
• Wal-Mart Supercenter
• Weis Markets
• Westfarm Foods
• Whole Foods Market