Albertsons is one of the largest chains of grocery stores in the U.S with around 2300 stores in 34 states and 9 in the Spokane metro area. If you live in Spokane, chances are you’ve shopped at an Albertsons. Like many modern grocery stores, Albertsons has its own bakery, butcher, deli and some have prepared foods such as fried and rotisserie chicken.
Their selection and their prices draw people to their stores, and unfortunately, this means that some shoppers will be injured while in the store. Most of these injuries will come from a slip and fall, and a grocery store is a high-risk place for these injuries.
Common Causes of Slip and Falls
Shoppers don’t spend a lot of time looking at the floor as they are there to buy food and other items. However, grocery store floors are prone to have spills and other hazards that can cause an injury.
Some of the common substances that can cause a dangerous hazard include
- Salad Oil
- Pickle Juice
- Lettuce
- Melons
- Fallen Signage
- Mops
- Boxes
- Cleaners
- Wet Floor or Caution signs that had fallen or collapsed
- Leaks
Common Injuries in a Slip and Fall
At Crary & Domanico, P.S., we know how dangerous a fall can be. A fall is the number one source of a serious injury or death in the US topping auto accidents by a significant margin. Most falls happen in the home, but they also happen in stores, and a grocery store is a primary place for a fall.
A fall can cause a significant impact, and depending on where it is, the results can be devastating. Some of the common injuries we’ve seen come from a fall are:
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Concussion
- Fractured Wrists
- Broken Arms
- Fractured Hips
- Shattered Knees/Elbows
- Fractured Dislocated Shoulders/Clavicle
How to Make a Claim
In a car accident, when someone runs a red light and smashes into you, there’s really no question who’s at fault. However, just because someone is injured because they slipped on something on a grocery store floor, the law doesn’t automatically deem the store owner responsible for the injuries.
This is because the injured person has to prove that the store was somehow negligent in the accident. After all, a customer might have just spilled something and you came alone and slipped. The law says that the victim must prove that there was a dangerous hazard and the owner either created the hazard or failed to clean it up in a reasonable amount of time.
Creation of a Hazard
Albertson has a duty keep their store reasonably free from dangerous hazards. When they are given notice of a hazard, they have a reasonable amount of time to fix it or clean it up, and if they didn’t, then the hazard was due to the negligence of the store owner.
Washington law allows for a hazard to be created in two ways:
- The owner created the hazard through negligent maintenance or other means, or
- The owner knew, or should have known of a hazard and did nothing (or did something inadequate) to fix the condition.
Defenses to a Slip and Fall
The store can claim that they didn’t create the hazard directly but it was caused by someone else. Then they can claim that they were given notice of the hazard and fixed it in a reasonable time. If the owner proves both of these, then they are not going to be held liable for the injuries.
Making a Claim
At Crary & Domanico, P.S., we know that the owner is going to deny they caused the hazard and they always cleaned up their hazards in a reasonably timely manner. how to make a proper and legal claim and how to show that their efforts to fix weren’t reasonable or done in a timely manner.
We have handled many of these and know how to prove that the store owner was negligent so you can get the compensation you deserve. Remember, all you were doing was trying to shop at their store, and you were injured. Don’t let the insurance company put it back on you or tell you that it wasn’t the store’s fault.
Contact a Spokane Premises Liability Lawyer.
Established in Spokane in 1948, Crary & Domanico, P.S. is committed to providing our clients with the absolute highest quality legal representation. If our Premises Liability Lawyers represent you for your accident case, you have our assurance that we will use our absolute best efforts to win your case. Contact us after any accident resulting in a serious injury for a free, confidential consultation and case evaluation. We will only offer you advice which is in your best interest.
