Walmart has practically become an extension of our homes and cupboards. You can get almost anything you need for your house, from groceries to lawn fertilizer to duct tape.
All of those Walmart runs can save you money and keep your family happy, but it’s important to keep your family safe too. As other families tour those gleaming department store aisles, they could be spilling drinks, leaving boxes on the floor, or even skittles on the tile. All obstacles that if left to sit can send you or someone else down for the count.
Dangerous Slip-And-Fall Hazards on Walmart Floors
Entering those automatic doors at Walmart is like signing a contract. As you enter, and even in the parking lot, the owners and operators of that store owe you a “duty of care” to make sure your safe and sound throughout the store all the way until you exit the parking lot with your bags in tow.
If there are puddles near the produce section or there’s motor oil spilled in the aisle, those hazards can land you in a painful slip-and-fall backward as your feet swing out from under you. A box of crackers left in the middle of the floor or a bad spot in the tile or pavement outside can send you into a trip-and-fall and lunging forward.
The landing is where true injuries occur. Your knees, elbows, face, hands, and hips can all take the hardest hit on concrete or the hard surfaces inside. You can also have your head hit first on a shelf or display to perhaps rob you of your memory and cause permanent brain trauma.
Getting Compensation From Walmart of Louisville
Getting hurt by one of these hazards falls under “premises liability” laws. If the owner fails in this duty and someone gets injured, then a claim can be made. You’ll be trying to show that one of two things are true:
The hazard was…
- Created by the proprietor, or
- The proprietor knew of the hazard and didn’t fix it in a reasonable amount of time.
Even if the proprietor and employees didn’t create a hazard they are still liable to check every aisle routinely to clean up or repair problems that other customers create.
In most cases, the proprietor will probably deny they created the issue, or say that they were attempting to fix the problem in a timely manner. It’ll be up to you to prove otherwise through pictures and witness testimony. An attorney working to build your case can help you collect these important details and request valuable documents.
All of this evidence will be important because at the same time Walmart’s lawyers will be attempting to blame your injury and your pain on you. This is their way of earning their money from Walmart by diminishing your case as much as they can.
They may claim:
- You should have been watching where you were going and you were careless and caused your accident.
- You were in an area meant only for employees.
- Wet floor signs and other warnings were up but you ignored them.
If Walmart lawyers can get you to accept some blame they can reduce the compensation you’ll get to help pay for your hospital bills and lost wages at work. Or they can also provide you with nothing at all and leave you to pay for your own recovery. It’s best to have an attorney working on your team to make sure they can’t get away with using their tricks to treat you unfairly.
Contact a Louisville Slip-And-Fall Attorney
Slip-and-fall victims often wonder if they need an attorney, and the answer is almost always yes. It’s especially important to have representation on your side when you take on a giant corporation like Walmart. Their insurance company agents and lawyers have experience saving their bosses money and that can mean you don’t get the money you need to cover all of your hardships. A lawyer on your side can even the playing field.
Talk to a Louisville Slip-And-Fall 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.