Grocery and Retail Store Slip, Trip and Fall Lawyer in Beaumont Serving Throughout Texas
Slip, trip and fall accidents are an all-too-common occurrence in grocery and retail stores across the State of Texas. In fact, falls are the leading cause of both fatal injuries and nonfatal trauma-related injuries among the elderly, and one of the most common causes of injury among all people across the country. Falls are also the leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the country. When a fall occurs because a retail store failed to keep its premises safe for customers, the store owners and operators must be held liable for their negligence.
The attorneys at Gilbert Adams Law Offices take these cases extremely seriously. We fight to ensure that our injured clients get the full compensation they are owed. If you have been injured in an accident at a retail store in Texas, you do not have to face your hardships alone. We are here to help.
Proving Liability: When Can I Sue a Grocery or Retail Store?
Grocery and retail stores owe a duty to every customer who walks onto their premises. They must keep their property safe for anyone who visits the store. As a business that is open to the public, they have a responsibility to not only make safe any hazard they themselves create; they also have a duty to regularly inspect the property to identify and make safe all hazards, such as wet entryways or spilled liquids. Store management and employees must proactively ensure that visitors are protected from all hazardous conditions about which they know of or should know of, including wet or slick floors, cracked floors, broken escalators, uneven walking surfaces or any other tripping or slipping hazard. When a hazard exists, the store must either make it safe or adequately warn customers (such as by barricading the unsafe area or with a clearly-marked “wet floor” sign). Proving liability requires evidence that the store violated its duty.
Slips, trips, and falls are the most common types of premises liability accidents involving grocery and retail stores in Texas. Slip, trip and falls can be caused by a number of different hazards, but they usually result from a failure of management. Some of the most common causes of slip and fall accidents at supermarkets and grocery stores include the following:
- Wet floors
- Slick or Slippery surfaces
- Puddles in refrigerated and frozen sections
- Leaking or spilled products
- Unsafe product displays, stocking or shelving
- Inadequate lighting
- Uneven floors, broken floor tiles
- Products in the aisles
Damages Available in a Texas Slip or Trip & Fall Case
If you were injured in a slip & fall at a retail store, you might have a variety of damages you can recover. Under Texas personal injury law, you may be able to recover a combination of both economic and noneconomic damages. “Economic damages” are damages that can be readily quantified, including things like:
- Lost income due to missed days at work, both past and future
- Medical expenses, including costs already incurred and anticipated future expenses such as further treatments, medications, nursing care, physical therapy, and medical devices
- Property damage
- Loss of future earning capacity due to injury or disability
Noneconomic damages, on the other hand, refer to things that cannot be as easily quantified but are no less real for accident victims. Noneconomic damages available under Texas law include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Physical impairment
- Disfigurement
- Loss of companionship or affection
Finally, if the injury resulted from malice or gross negligence on the part of the grocery store, you might be able to recover punitive damages. In Texas, punitive damages are capped at either $200,000 or double the amount of economic damages, plus the noneconomic damages, up to a maximum of $750,000. Speak with a seasoned Texas retail store slip and fall attorney to learn what damages may be available as a result of your fall injury.
Get Dedicated and Effective Legal Help after a Texas Retail Store Slip or Trip & Fall Injury
Gilbert Adams Law Offices has successfully handled hundreds of cases involving premises liability in Beaumont and throughout the Golden Triangle of Southeast Texas. We are skilled at seeing a case through to the best outcome for our clients, whether that means a favorable settlement or a favorable verdict at trial. We have the resources and experience necessary to take on employers, businesses and large insurance companies. If you’ve been injured, the grocery store slip and fall lawyers at Gilbert Adams Law Offices are ready to assist you with your case. Call us today for a free consultation.
