As consumers, we love “supercenters” and “big box stores” like Walmart, Target, Big Lots, Home Depot, Sam’s Club, Costco, Lowe’s, as well as grocery chains for just about everything we need. We should also be able to count on them to provide us with a safe shopping environment. My level of depth and experience in this field has led me to hold the position that big box stores are notorious for putting profits over everything.
Mega stores don’t always take the proper precautions to keep shoppers safe. Customers frequently encounter hazards (sometimes not even realizing) such as:
Loose floor mats
Cracked parking lots
Wet floors
Falling objects
Walkways blocked with product
Altercations
A quick and easy errand sometimes leads to a serious long-term injury when big box stores fail to prioritize a safe shopping and working environment.
If you were injured at mega store in Florida or New York, you may be eligible to recover compensation for any damages you may have suffered. I have first hand experience when it comes to knowing how these big box stores operate and I’m ready to put those skills to work on your personal injury claim. Schedule a FREE consultation with me to discuss whether you may have a viable claim.
Common Types of Hazards Resulting in Injury at Big Box Stores
Slip And Fall Injuries
Wet floors are a preventable hazard that lead to slip and fall injuries in big box stores. Slip and falls caused by wet floors can also be caused by leaking freezers, dripping pipes, clogged drains, a leaking roof and careless maintenance crews. The source of the water doesn’t usually matter. All big box stores have a responsibility to clean it up within a reasonable amount of time. They should also be cautious to notify shoppers of wet floors to avoid sustaining an injury.
Slip and falls are often laughed at in movies, TV shows, and other forms of media. But falling onto a hard surface can have serious consequences.
Traumatic brain injuries are one of the most severe types of slip and fall injuries. An estimated 20% of TBI-related hospitalizations are a result of falls. Shoppers who slip and fall at stores like Target or Walmart often land on their heads if they aren’t able to catch themselves. Sometimes a falling person hits their head on an object like a display or a shelf on the way down, which is another common way a TBI can occur in a slip and fall. Neck and back injuries, broken bones and fractures are also common injuries that can occur when a person slips and falls.
Falling Object Injuries
When big box stores don’t properly shelf their products, or check up on their inventories, items can fall and injure customers. Bulk stores in particular, such as Costco and Sam’s Club, stock especially heavy products and pallets of goods high to save space. If these items are not properly stored on these ‘above head height’ shelves, they can cause serious injuries to shoppers when they fall.
Overstocked and unsecured shelves also pose a risk. Lots of big box stores attempt to get as much product out on the sales floor as possible. Of course, you can’t sell something that a customer can’t see. This overstocking can lead to precarious positions that can ultimately result in a falling object. Similarly, shelving that is not properly secured or installed can also cause a product or the entire shelf to fall down onto a browsing customer.
Another culprit of storing large heavy objects above a customer’s head is Ikea. Once you make it through Ikea’s beautiful maze of home goods, you’ll find yourself in a warehouse-like section that stores very heavy boxes at heights that can pose a serious risk of falling objects.
Tripping Injuries
Another cause of trip and falls are aisles cluttered with boxes, flatbed carts, and shelves that haven’t been put up yet. Big box stores sell tons of products everyday. Since these retailers sometimes have to restock during business hours, they’re not always mindful of how this can affect their customers. Boxes, pallets, and loose items can become tripping hazards if workers don’t block off the area or unload carefully.
Torn carpets are another common tripping hazard. Stores like Walmart, Big Lots, and BJ’s have many high traffic areas. Their flooring needs to be replaced more often than most other places because of this. If they don’t keep up with deteriorating carpets and rugs, customers’ feet can get caught, causing them to trip.
One common cause of tripping injuries is improperly installed and maintained floor mats. Sometimes they buckle, sometimes they roll up on the edges. Companies let these floor mats deteriorate and don’t change them out as they should. Either way, when this happens, serious injuries occur. The floor mats are typically placed in high traffic areas, like store entrances.
Parking Lot Injuries
All too often, tripping hazards go unfixed in the parking lots of big box stores. Potholes that aren’t promptly blocked off or repaired, large cracks, uneven pavement, and loose wheel stops can lead to slip, trip, and fall accidents for customers and employees. Poorly lit parking lots make it difficult for customers to see potential dangers in front of them.
An estimated 9% of pedestrian accidents happen in parking lots. Faded signs or a lack of signage altogether can contribute to car accidents in a parking lot. Arrows, crosswalks, and stop signs are essential to keeping both drivers and pedestrians safe in big box store parking lots.
Injuries in Produce, Floral, Meat Sections
Produce and floral sections rely heavily on water to keep their products looking fresh. Misters frequently spray fruits, vegetables, and flowers to entice shoppers. Since stores use this method frequently, they’re well aware that water accumulates in these areas.
When a big box or grocery store doesn’t dry the produce and floral section floors regularly–or use appropriate non-slip mats–customers are at risk for slip and fall accidents that could cause serious injuries.
Meat sections and self-serving stations often have food that falls on the floor. Oftentimes, there is grease on the floor that came from self-service stations creating a dangerous condition. If staff is not properly trained to keep a vigilant eye out for these hazards – injury happen.
Who Is Liable for Injuries That Happen at a Big Box Store?
Mega stores and super-centers owe consumers a duty to keep the premises free from hazards and defects. A viable claim against mega stores and super-centers require Plaintiff to establish negligence on part store management and/or ownership.
Notice becomes an important factor in establishing a negligence claim. For example, if a customer spills their coffee and someone slips on it 15 seconds later, the store cannot possibly be expected to have cleaned up the spill so quickly. However, if grease from food debris is on the floor for 2 hours while customers are traversing over it until someone slips and falls, the store’s management was clearly negligent in failing to observe and rectify the hazard.
In addition to the question of whether or not the store is liable, there is also the issue of who caused the slipping hazard in the first place. A variety of people and companies are involved in a big box store’s operations. One or more parties may be responsible for the hazard that caused your injuries.
Oftentimes, the business owner and property owner are not the same entities. Say for example, you fall because of a pothole in a parking lot. It may have been the property owner’s responsibility to maintain this area of the property. Matters become further complicated if the property owner hired a management company that was supposed to provide this service. Your attorney will determine who should be held liable in more complex situations like this.
Big box stores also rely on various vendors to deliver the products they sell. If those products are unsafely unloaded and a customer is injured, it may be the vendor’s fault rather than the store.
As you can see, who should be held liable is not always straightforward. Establishing the foundation of your personal injury claim from the beginning is crucial, and you would do this by working with an attorney who is experienced in this field.
Accidents Frequently Occur in Mega Stores, Supercenters and ‘Big Box’ Shopping Centers
As consumers, we love “supercenters” and “big box stores” like Walmart, Target, Big Lots, Home Depot, Sam’s Club, Costco, Lowe’s, as well as grocery chains for just about everything we need. We should also be able to count on them to provide us with a safe shopping environment. My level of depth and experience in this field has led me to hold the position that big box stores are notorious for putting profits over everything.
Mega stores don’t always take the proper precautions to keep shoppers safe. Customers frequently encounter hazards (sometimes not even realizing) such as:
A quick and easy errand sometimes leads to a serious long-term injury when big box stores fail to prioritize a safe shopping and working environment.
If you were injured at mega store in Florida or New York, you may be eligible to recover compensation for any damages you may have suffered. I have first hand experience when it comes to knowing how these big box stores operate and I’m ready to put those skills to work on your personal injury claim. Schedule a FREE consultation with me to discuss whether you may have a viable claim.
Common Types of Hazards Resulting in Injury at Big Box Stores
Slip And Fall Injuries
Wet floors are a preventable hazard that lead to slip and fall injuries in big box stores. Slip and falls caused by wet floors can also be caused by leaking freezers, dripping pipes, clogged drains, a leaking roof and careless maintenance crews. The source of the water doesn’t usually matter. All big box stores have a responsibility to clean it up within a reasonable amount of time. They should also be cautious to notify shoppers of wet floors to avoid sustaining an injury.
Slip and falls are often laughed at in movies, TV shows, and other forms of media. But falling onto a hard surface can have serious consequences.
Traumatic brain injuries are one of the most severe types of slip and fall injuries. An estimated 20% of TBI-related hospitalizations are a result of falls. Shoppers who slip and fall at stores like Target or Walmart often land on their heads if they aren’t able to catch themselves. Sometimes a falling person hits their head on an object like a display or a shelf on the way down, which is another common way a TBI can occur in a slip and fall. Neck and back injuries, broken bones and fractures are also common injuries that can occur when a person slips and falls.
Falling Object Injuries
When big box stores don’t properly shelf their products, or check up on their inventories, items can fall and injure customers. Bulk stores in particular, such as Costco and Sam’s Club, stock especially heavy products and pallets of goods high to save space. If these items are not properly stored on these ‘above head height’ shelves, they can cause serious injuries to shoppers when they fall.
Overstocked and unsecured shelves also pose a risk. Lots of big box stores attempt to get as much product out on the sales floor as possible. Of course, you can’t sell something that a customer can’t see. This overstocking can lead to precarious positions that can ultimately result in a falling object. Similarly, shelving that is not properly secured or installed can also cause a product or the entire shelf to fall down onto a browsing customer.
Another culprit of storing large heavy objects above a customer’s head is Ikea. Once you make it through Ikea’s beautiful maze of home goods, you’ll find yourself in a warehouse-like section that stores very heavy boxes at heights that can pose a serious risk of falling objects.
Tripping Injuries
Another cause of trip and falls are aisles cluttered with boxes, flatbed carts, and shelves that haven’t been put up yet. Big box stores sell tons of products everyday. Since these retailers sometimes have to restock during business hours, they’re not always mindful of how this can affect their customers. Boxes, pallets, and loose items can become tripping hazards if workers don’t block off the area or unload carefully.
Torn carpets are another common tripping hazard. Stores like Walmart, Big Lots, and BJ’s have many high traffic areas. Their flooring needs to be replaced more often than most other places because of this. If they don’t keep up with deteriorating carpets and rugs, customers’ feet can get caught, causing them to trip.
One common cause of tripping injuries is improperly installed and maintained floor mats. Sometimes they buckle, sometimes they roll up on the edges. Companies let these floor mats deteriorate and don’t change them out as they should. Either way, when this happens, serious injuries occur. The floor mats are typically placed in high traffic areas, like store entrances.
Parking Lot Injuries
All too often, tripping hazards go unfixed in the parking lots of big box stores. Potholes that aren’t promptly blocked off or repaired, large cracks, uneven pavement, and loose wheel stops can lead to slip, trip, and fall accidents for customers and employees. Poorly lit parking lots make it difficult for customers to see potential dangers in front of them.
An estimated 9% of pedestrian accidents happen in parking lots. Faded signs or a lack of signage altogether can contribute to car accidents in a parking lot. Arrows, crosswalks, and stop signs are essential to keeping both drivers and pedestrians safe in big box store parking lots.
Injuries in Produce, Floral, Meat Sections
Produce and floral sections rely heavily on water to keep their products looking fresh. Misters frequently spray fruits, vegetables, and flowers to entice shoppers. Since stores use this method frequently, they’re well aware that water accumulates in these areas.
When a big box or grocery store doesn’t dry the produce and floral section floors regularly–or use appropriate non-slip mats–customers are at risk for slip and fall accidents that could cause serious injuries.
Meat sections and self-serving stations often have food that falls on the floor. Oftentimes, there is grease on the floor that came from self-service stations creating a dangerous condition. If staff is not properly trained to keep a vigilant eye out for these hazards – injury happen.
Who Is Liable for Injuries That Happen at a Big Box Store?
Mega stores and super-centers owe consumers a duty to keep the premises free from hazards and defects. A viable claim against mega stores and super-centers require Plaintiff to establish negligence on part store management and/or ownership.
Notice becomes an important factor in establishing a negligence claim. For example, if a customer spills their coffee and someone slips on it 15 seconds later, the store cannot possibly be expected to have cleaned up the spill so quickly. However, if grease from food debris is on the floor for 2 hours while customers are traversing over it until someone slips and falls, the store’s management was clearly negligent in failing to observe and rectify the hazard.
In addition to the question of whether or not the store is liable, there is also the issue of who caused the slipping hazard in the first place. A variety of people and companies are involved in a big box store’s operations. One or more parties may be responsible for the hazard that caused your injuries.
Oftentimes, the business owner and property owner are not the same entities. Say for example, you fall because of a pothole in a parking lot. It may have been the property owner’s responsibility to maintain this area of the property. Matters become further complicated if the property owner hired a management company that was supposed to provide this service. Your attorney will determine who should be held liable in more complex situations like this.
Big box stores also rely on various vendors to deliver the products they sell. If those products are unsafely unloaded and a customer is injured, it may be the vendor’s fault rather than the store.
As you can see, who should be held liable is not always straightforward. Establishing the foundation of your personal injury claim from the beginning is crucial, and you would do this by working with an attorney who is experienced in this field.
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