Kroger has been opening its doors to customers for over 130 years now and they’ve been stocking Kentucky cupboards for decades as well. In Louisville, you can’t turn a corner without finding a handy Kroger nearby. There are over 25 locations in the area.
When you stop off for a bakery or deli item or some fresh produce, you might lose a bit of cash to pay for your purchase, but you should never have to give up your safety when you walk onto Kroger property. A spill on the floor or snow in the parking lot should all be cleaned up before you ever have the chance to take a dangerous fall on these or any other obstacles.
Contact A Louisville Slip-And-Fall Accident Attorney
Whether you are pumping gas at a Kroger Fuel Station, walking through a Kroger parking lot, or using the back bathrooms inside, each step you take should be confirmed safe by Kroger owners and operators. If these proprietors and their employees don’t mop up water in the produce section or fix a pothole in a reasonable amount of time and you take a painful spill, they can be held responsible under the concept of “premises liability.”
You might trip over a pothole and bust a knee or disfigure your face when you land. Kroger should be absolutely liable and help you in your recovery, but the owners of a grocery chain may not see it that way. They may try to blame you for your accident. At this point, it’s best to put your case in the hands of the experienced team at Kaufman & Stigger PLLC, Accident Lawyers. If you trust us with your case, we will use every resource available to recover every expense you’ve encountered and continue fighting until you can resume your normal life.
Building a Strong Kroger Slip-And-Fall Case
After taking a devastating fall you might not feel like facing off against a corporate grocery store to try to get fair compensation, but working with your attorney you can build a case that can’t be dismissed by Kroger’s team of lawyers.
It’ll be your word against Kroger’s so you’ll have to gather evidence that proves:
- The hazard that caused your fall was created by the proprietor and they had a reasonable amount of time to clean or repair it, or
- The obstacle was created by someone else, like someone spilling a drink, and the proprietor should have known about it and fixed the problem in a reasonable amount of time.
In response, Kroger’s lawyers may try to point to several factors when trying to discredit your case:
- You were distracted before the fall and weren’t watching your step.
- You were in an area where only employees are allowed.
- Wet floor signs and other caution signs were in place but you didn’t bother to heed their warning.
It’s a back and forth and it’s important to gather evidence right after an accident so you can prove your side later. You should take photos with your phone or even video of the scene to show the hazard and any signs that may or may not be in place. If you don’t feel physically able to take these photos ask someone else nearby to take them for you.
Comparative Negligence in Louisville and Kentucky
Plenty of people take falls on the sidewalk, in stores, and at home, so you shouldn’t feel ashamed over your accident.
In fact, you can expect compensation from Kroger even if you might’ve been responsible for a portion of your accident. Kentucky is a pure comparative negligence state. That means you can share the blame with Kroger over your fall.
For example, it may be determined that you bear 25% liability for your accident because you didn’t notice a wet floor sign as you entered a store. Kroger might have to accept 75% of the responsibility for not mopping up a spill properly. You could be awarded compensation, but your 25% of the blame would be subtracted from the final amount.
Under pure comparative negligence, you can be up to 99% to blame for your accident, and still, Kroger would have to at least pay for 1% of the damages.
Contact a Louisville Slip-And-Fall Accident Attorney
If you are hurt during a Kroger shopping trip you have up to one year to file a claim over your injuries. The sooner you begin this process the easier it will be for a Louisville Slip-And-Fall Attorney to collect the evidence and documents you’ll need to take on the lawyers who work for Kroger.
Talk to someone 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 fully recover. To discuss your case contact Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC today.
