Tampa Retail Store Slip & Fall Lawyer
When we make a trip to the store, our goals are typically to get every item on our lists without going over budget. Your goal should also be to get in and out without slipping and falling. Slips and falls are common in retail environments. They can happen on floors or while on ladders. Customers and workers alike are prone to these accidents, so they need to be careful at all times.
Slips and falls can be caused by spilled liquids (such as milk, juices, or water), customers tracking in ice and snow, or newly waxed floors. While you may not be paying attention to the floor as you push your grocery cart along the aisle, it’s good to be cautious. You could be a victim at any time, so be careful and be sure to contact a Tampa retail store slip & fall lawyer if you have been in a slip and fall accident.
Duty to Maintain Safe Premises
All businesses, including retail stores, have a legal duty to protect customers by keeping their premises reasonably safe. Any time a slip and fall accident happens at a retail store, it’s possible that the business may be held liable for injuries. The victim has the burden of proving that the slip and fall happened because the store allowed the dangerous condition to occur.
Proving Liability
In order to obtain compensation in a slip and fall case, the victim must prove that a third party (in this case, the store) is at fault. This can be accomplished by proving one of the following:
- A property owner (or employee) should have recognized the dangerous condition and fixed it (by removing it or repairing it), but failed to do so. There are two key questions here:
- Would a reasonable person have identified the condition as hazardous?
- Did the property owner have ample time to remedy the situation before the accident occurred?
- An employee or property owner actually caused the dangerous condition that led to the slip and fall accident. This can happen by leaving an obstacle in a walking path or by waxing a floor without putting out warning signs to alert customers.
In addition, the injured customer will need to show that the condition was not open and obvious enough that the customer could have taken steps to avoid it. This means that the customer must do some due diligence on their part as well. For example, if they trip over a large display, the customer will likely be at fault for not being reasonably cautious.
Contact Our Tampa Slip & Fall Lawyers Today
A trip to Walmart or Target is supposed to be a mainly uneventful experience. Getting involved in a slip and fall accident and getting hospitalized is nobody’s idea of fun, but unfortunately, it does happen for some people.
Injured in a slip and fall accident at a retail store? If so, seek legal help from the Tampa slip & fall lawyers at Anderson & Anderson. We’ll assess your case and determine liability. Get started by contacting our office today. Fill out the online form or call 813-251-0072.
