A trip to the grocery store in Lexington can be a quick pitstop to pick up milk and bread or it can be an hour-long task pushing a cart and checking off your long list. You may even grab a pizza or a sandwich while you’re inside.
Grocery stores provide a lot of services these days because they want you to spend money at check-out. Unfortunately, they can get focused on profits and forget the basic responsibility to keep you safe while you’re on their property. A broken jar of pasta sauce on the tile or a crumbling curb outside are all enough to send you to the ground for a painful slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall injury.
If the operators of that store knew about the hazard or should have known about it and you are hurt, they can be held liable for your injuries and every medical bill you receive for however long it takes you to recover.
A Grocery Store Slip-And-Fall Lawyer Protecting Lexington Victims
If you are inside or outside a store and are injured by a hazard that should have been cleaned up or repaired, talk to the slip-and-fall attorneys with Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, serving Lexington. Tell us what happened to you and we can talk over your best options for getting the compensation you’ll need to pay your costs of recovery and to simply get back on your feet again.
When a giant grocery chain is involved victims sometimes have to fight just to get the company’s lawyers and insurance agents to take their injuries seriously. We can stand with you in that fight and make sure you are treated fairly. For a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation on your case contact us today.
Common Slip-And-Fall Hazards in Lexington Grocery Stores
As you move down aisles trying to find that soup your kids like or the fizzy drink you sip during the day, you’re not always watching every step you take. You shouldn’t have to. Yet, other customers can drop and spill things on the floor, and leaks from produce and refrigerated bins can create puddles.
Grocery managers and employees should be on the lookout for these obstacles all day. But sometimes messes stay on the floor for an entire shift before a worker stumbles upon them.
The hazards aren’t just inside the store either. Grocery proprietors are responsible for the parking lot and sidewalks outside too. Here’s a list of some of the common issues that can land shoppers with a serious injury:
- Outside the store – Winter weather in Kentucky can pose problems before you even get to the front door. Paths into the store are supposed to be cleared of ice and snow in a reasonable amount of time. Cracked pavement and potholes can send you to the cement to hit your knees, your elbows, or your head. A hip injury is also a serious possibility and can be very slow to heal. Landscaping shrubbery or mulch can also be a threat to your stability.
- Inside the Store – Drink spills and dropped merchandise may have been left by a customer, but it’s up to the store owner and operator to make sure these dangers are cleaned up and marked with caution signs. A cluttered aisle filled with too many display stands or stocking boxes can be a tripping hazard and send you falling forward to injure your hands, wrists, and face. Bathroom floors can get very slippery around the sink as people drip water all over the place.
For more information on the risks at different stores and the injury’s you can face, click on the links below:
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do before I leave a grocery store after a slip-and-fall?
Take photos. A spill or another hazard that sent you tumbling can quickly be cleaned up or repaired as soon as you leave. It’s best to document the scene using your cellphone to take pictures or video.
Can I get compensation for a fall at a store even if I’m found partially to blame?
Yes. Kentucky is a comparative negligence state. It means you and the store owners can share in the liability for a slip or trip. You may not have been watching where you were going, but a grocery chain can still be forced to take a large percentage of the blame and have to share in your financial burden.
How long do I have to file a claim over a slip-and-fall injury at a grocery store?
One year. Kentucky allows injured victims up to one year to file a civil lawsuit against the owners and operators of a store. It’s not a long time and it’s best to file your claim as soon as possible so that evidence will easier to gather.
Earning Compensation from a Grocery Chain after a Slip-And-Fall
To build a strong case, those photos of the scene will be important. You’ll also want to get contact information from any witnesses and even any store employees willing to help. You’ll also make sure a manager or store representative knows what happened.
They will be making an accident report for the company. Don’t give them information on your injuries or say that “you’ll be fine.” These statements can discredit your claim later. You likely won’t know the full extent of your injuries in the hours after an accident. Injuries sometimes don’t give you pain until the next day or two after a fall.
In preparing a claim for damages against a grocery store, your attorney will ask that all costs of medical care are reimbursed and that money be furnished for any further care that might be needed in the future. You’ll also ask that any lost wages from missing work be replaced. Travel expenses as you drive to see doctors in your area and even specialists in other cities can be included in an award. Your emotional hardships such as anxiety and depression that result from being down with an injury can factor in. Your decreased enjoyment of life, while you heal, may be a difficult obstacle and that struggle can earn you more compensation.
Contact a Lexington Grocery Store Slip-And-Fall Lawyer
Slip-and-fall victims often wonder if they need an attorney, and the answer is almost always yes. A department store or grocery store chain will have a team of lawyers working on their behalf who will try to question every detail of your case. They want to discredit your injury so they can pay you very little or nothing at all for your suffering. You need someone just as experienced to help you level the field.
Talk to a Lexington Slip-And-Fall Injury Attorney you can trust to be on your side and fight for your fair compensation. The attorneys at Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, have that knowledge and a combined 100 years’ experience in helping clients get the compensation they’ll need to make a full recovery. To discuss your case, contact Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC today, by clicking here to contact them online.
