Black Friday is this week, meaning thousands of Texans will flock to local shopping centers to get a start on holiday shopping. While property owners should always maintain safe premises to avoid accidents, this is not always the case for public retail stores. Unfortunately, retail store accidents can happen as a result of negligent store owners, which can leave shoppers injured. To learn more about retail store accidents, keep reading or contact a San Antonio, Texas Slip & Fall Lawyer today to see if you can file a premises liability claim.
WHAT ARE COMMON CAUSES OF RETAIL STORE ACCIDENTS?
The most common retail store accidents are often referred to as slip and fall accidents. Not every retail store accident can be a liability claim, but unsafe property conditions left unmaintained can be grounds for a lawsuit. Some unsafe property conditions that may lead to possible injury include:
- Slippery floors without a wet floor sign
- Structural issues
- Hazardous walkways
- Unsafe stairwells
- Uncleared debris
- Sharp or overheated objects
If you were injured by any of these hazards at a retail store, you may have a valid premises liability claim.
CAN I SUE AFTER GETTING INJURED IN A RETAIL STORE ACCIDENT?
Again, not every retail store accident is eligible for a premises liability claim. To build a strong case, you must prove the property owner’s negligence. In legal terms, negligence refers to a person’s failure to use reasonable care, resulting in harm to others. Civilians have a duty to use reasonable care to prevent accidents and subsequent injuries from occurring. Once a property owner fails this duty, they can be deemed negligent in court. In most premises liability cases, the following elements must be proven:
- The property owner knew or should have known about the unsafe property conditions
- The property owner failed to fix the hazard
- The hazard caused an accident leading to injury
- The injury was a result of the property owner’s failure to act
Other staff can also be found liable in court if they knew about the hazard and failed to fix it or inform the owner of the issue. There is normally a sufficient amount of evidence needed to prove negligence in court. Possible evidence includes photos of the hazard, surveillance footage of the accident, witness reports, and hospital records detailing the injuries.
Have you been injured in a retail store accident? Are you seeking a seasoned attorney who wants to fight for you? Look no further! Contact Sahadi Legal Group today for quality legal counseling.
