Slip, trip and falls, as a result of wet floors, or improperly maintained floor mats or rugs can result in serious injury to a patron entering a store.
Likewise, the slip, trip and fall can occur to a patron who has yet to enter the store. Many slip, trip and fall accidents occur in the parking lot before the customer gets into the store. The business owner owes a duty of care to patrons from snow and ice conditions on the entire property including the parking lot. If you experience an injury from a slip, trip and fall in the parking lot or store, the duty of care owed by the business owner is the same.
When a slip and fall occurs to one of our clients at a mall or a large grocery store our first advice is to have the client alert the business of the slip and fall accident. Many times stores try to defend such actions by denying the slip and fall occurred. By immediately notifying security or management that an injury occurred from a slip and fall we diffuse this defense.
Next, it is important to find out if the store, mall, or parking lot is equipped with cameras. Most malls, large grocery stores and other business like Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot will have video cameras inside and outside the building. If video does exist, nothing can prove your injury from a slip and fall case better. While most video tapes are taped over every 24 hours it is critical to have an anti-spoliation letter delivered to the security or store manager right away. This letter demands that the business owner maintain the video of the slip and fall before it gets tapped over.
Determining what caused you to slip and fall is crucial to the viability of your case:
- Did you slip and fall because of ice?
- Did you slip and fall from snow?
- Was the floor in the store slick or wet?
- Did that condition cause you to slip and fall?
- Did the store have a rug or cardboard on the floor that slipped or move when you stepped on it?
As soon as practical after your slip and fall accident, jot down what caused you to fall. Also take notice of your surroundings. Determine if your clothes got wet from the slip and fall. Take a visual of the condition the ground that caused you to slip and fall. If a good Samaritan comes to your aide, ask that person if he/she saw you slip and fall. If they acknowledge that they saw the slip and fall accident get his/her name and address.
Those are just some tips to keep in mind if you suffer an injury as a result of a slip, trip and fall. The resulting injuries that can follow from slip and fall accidents are devastating. Last year alone one of our clients recovered more than $1 million from a rug that was placed over ice.
If you or someone you know is injured from a slip and fall accident, call The Law Offices of Anthony Carbone, PC for a free consultation.