When you enter the WinCo Grocery Store in Coeur d’Alene you’re probably on the lookout for bargains and fresh deals. You can be forgiven for not scanning every inch of floor space for hazards that could cause you to fall.
The store owners and operators are supposed to be worrying over cleaning and repairing those hazards so you are never put in harm’s way. Sadly, those duties can go neglected and you can land in a slip-and-fall accident through no fault of your own.
After getting seriously hurt in a fall at a business like WinCo, don’t entrust your recovery to corporate representatives. Contact a Coeur d’Alene slip-and-fall lawyer for a free evaluation of your case. The attorneys with CCD Law will make sure you are informed of your rights and every benefit available to you as a victim.
Common Slip-And-Fall Obstacles at WinCo in Coeur d’Alene
WinCo on Appleway Avenue in Coeur d’Alene has become a go-to place for people seeking produce from local farmers and great prices on grocery items. WinCo is an employee-owned supermarket chain based in Boise. They operate over 130 stores across the U.S.
WinCo sells goods to millions of customers a year. Their owners like the steady stream of visitors, but they also owe them a safe journey into and out of the store. This legal “duty of care” can make them liable for your injuries if you get hurt while strolling their aisles.
It may not seem like something to worry about, but the CDC reports that each year around 800,000 people are hospitalized because of a fall injury. What’s more, in a single year the total medical costs for falls can total more than $50 billion.
These are just some of the hazards that can lie in wait at a Grocery Store:
- Aisle Obstacles – A customer can transport a giant soda into the store, dripping the whole way. These random puddles can drop you to a very hard surface before you’ve even spotted the danger. A broken jar of juice can sit on the floor for way too long. Stocking boxes and crowded displays can trip you up and send you falling forward.
- Produce Dangers – Water can pool on the tile in the produce department. Squashed grapes could provide a slippery ride across the aisle.
- Dairy Case Hazards – Every part of a broken egg provides a slip-and-fall hazard. Leaking milk can end up on the floor.
- Bathroom Dangers – These floors seem to be the slipperiest place in any store. Water and soap create a skating rink in the bathroom and a fall can cause you to take a blow to the head or force you down sideways to land on your hip.
- Parking Lot Safety – Winter weather is always a possibility in Coeur d’Alene. Store owners and operators are bound by law to keep the path into their stores reasonably free of frozen precipitation. The changes in temperature will also lead to potholes and some of them can be as big as lakes. You’re at risk of a trip-and-fall any time you leave your car.
What evidence do I need in a WinCo slip-and-fall case?
If you are well enough, immediately after a fall is the best time to document evidence that may not be there the next time you visit. Use your cellphone to take photos of the hazard that put you on the ground. That spill or pothole will be mopped up or repaired soon after you leave.
Alert a manager to what happened and let them fill out an accident report for their corporate office. This report will be valuable evidence when it comes time to file a claim with the store’s insurance company. Don’t let witnesses walk away. Get their contact information and find out what they saw.
Make sure you see your own physician in the days that follow even if you’ve been treated by paramedics. Some injuries don’t appear until a day or two after a fall after the shock of an impact wears off.
Contact a Coeur d’Alene Grocery Store Slip-And-Fall Lawyer
WinCo representatives will be calling you asking for a recorded statement after an accident. Don’t provide them with a statement. These recordings can be used to discredit your case later. Allow a Coeur d’Alene grocery store slip-and-fall attorney to handle the communication with these insurance agents and lawyers.
After you’ve been the victim of a slip-and-fall accident due to the negligence of a store like WinCo you should never have to face the costs of recovery alone. To hold a nationwide chain accountable for their mistake you’ll need to build a strong case. A personal injury lawyer on your side can turn the tide of your case in your favor.
Contact Crary & Domanico, P.S., for a free case evaluation that comes with no obligation to you.
