If a hazard led to your slip and fall, such as a small puddle on the floor caused by a leak in the ceiling, you would expect the company to address it immediately. If the hazard could not have been fixed fast enough, the company still has a responsibility to make customers aware of it.
Within reason, you should be able to expect to remain safe while shopping in a store, but sometimes, a company’s negligence leads to an injury. If you believe your slip and fall accident that occurred in Office Depot resulted from the company’s negligence in any way, you may have grounds for an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit.
Ben Crump Law, PLLC wants to help you determine your rights and pursue fair financial recovery. Our injury lawyer for slip and fall accidents at Office Depot can provide guidance for your specific case. For a free consultation, call (855) 933-4005.
Hazards That Increase the Risk of a Slip and Fall Accident
Sometimes, a slip and fall accident proves unavoidable. Other times, a preventable hazard on a premise increases the likelihood of someone slipping and falling. In a store like Office Depot, hazards can occur frequently if the staff does not stay vigilant and take preventative measures. According to the Mayo Clinic, various environmental hazards can lead to a fall, such as:
Insufficient Lighting
Usually, there are lights that illuminate every area of the store for shoppers, but if an aisle is missing a light or it malfunctions, the lack of light can create a hazard. If an object fell from a shelf, for example, someone walking down a poorly-lit aisle may miss the object in their path.
Slippery Floors
Leaks can occur in any building, and it may be a while before anyone notices a substantial amount of water is accumulating on the floor. Stores also receive a heavy flow of foot traffic from various customers coming and going. A customer could also spill a drink on the floor while shopping and fail to clean it up.
Clutter
Every store has the challenge of managing inventory and storage. Usually, clerks will tidy up the aisles, putting misplaced or fallen merchandise back on the appropriate shelves. This is not only important for sales but also for safety. Loose objects in walkways instantly become hazards to anyone walking by.
Alternately, if a staff member stores a heavy piece of merchandise on a high shelf or one that cannot support it, it could fall and hit someone. Even if the object itself does not cause much damage, the person it hits may fall from the impact.
Falling Can Result in Serious Injuries
A slip and fall accident may seem minor, but a simple fall can cause a healthy person serious harm. Depending on the way a person falls, such as how they land, a person can suffer a serious fracture. If they land on their hip or hit their head, they can suffer an injury that can lead to a temporary or permanent disability.
Older adults also live with an increased risk of falling, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and for this vulnerable population, the effects can be more devastating. For an elderly adult, a fall can mean they will never walk again, or worse.
Every year, more than 800,000 hospital visits result from falls. Hip fractures and head injuries constitute the worst of the consequences. Hip fractures, which usually occur due to someone falling sideways, require extensive recovery, and anyone who already has trouble with mobility may face an even longer recovery.
Liability for Slip and Fall Accidents
It is no secret that businesses have a responsibility to keep their customers reasonably safe while on their premises. Some customers who slip and fall may not be aware of all the ways in which a business’s negligence can lead to a hazard, though.
If they slip and fall on a wet floor, for example, they may assume that another customer left the puddle. They may overlook the possibility that a persistent leak in the ceiling caused it. If this is the case, then the store manager may have been aware of the issue and failed to address it.
This failure may constitute negligence, which would make the business liable for the victim’s injuries. An injury lawyer for slip and fall accidents at Office Depot can help you determine the cause of your accident and determine if you have grounds to pursue compensation.
You may have the ability to recover compensation for both economic and noneconomic losses resulting from your injury. While you do not need a lawyer to file an insurance claim, legal representation can help you focus on your health while also pursuing compensation. A lawyer can also represent you in a personal injury lawsuit if negotiations with an insurance company fail to result in a fair settlement.
Call Ben Crump Law, PLLC for Help
You do not have to suffer after a slip and fall accident. Consider how an injury lawyer for slip and fall accidents at Office Depot can help determine liability in your case and estimate fair compensation.
Call us at (855) 933-4005. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you do not have to pay any up-front costs for us to get started on your case.
