What happens when you slip and fall at a store?

Holiday shopping season is officially in full swing. We all rush out to those big box stores to buy presents for all our loved ones. The stores are filled with people this time of year and slip and fall accidents can occur more regularly, especially with the wintery weather outside. But who is to blame for your accident?

For instance, let’s say you are shopping at Target for the holidays. While entering the store, there’s a large puddle of water caused by incoming traffic from the outside. No one has yet to clean up the puddle nor are there any signs of the danger. You slip on the puddle and fall, injuring yourself. Who is responsible for this accident?

In a scenario like the one above, the fault lies with the business. According to premises liability, it was negligent of the store to ignore the puddle and that negligence caused your accident. But whenever you have a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property, it is generally the owner of the property’s fault. But what about a store, where the building might be owned by someone else? This can be tricky. In the scenario, the store is at fault since they failed to clean it up. But, if it was a different type of accident, such as a structural issue with the building itself, this would be a claim against the person or entity who actually owns the building, not the store’s owner.

Keep in mind that if you plan to pursue a slip and fall case against a store, you need to prove negligence. You may have to answer questions such as:

• Were there warning signs posted about the floor conditions?
• Were you aware of the puddle before you slipped?
• Should the store have known about the puddle?
• How long had the puddle been there?

If you or a loved one had slipped and fell in a store, you should immediately call the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone. For the past 26 years, we have been handling slip and fall cases throughout New Jersey. Contact us today for a free consultation.

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