What to Do If You Slip and Fall in the Grocery Store

With thousands of products and dozens of pieces of equipment that can create spills and leaks, grocery stores are one of the most common locations for slip and fall accidents. If you were injured after slipping and falling while shopping at the grocery store or supermarket, here is what you need to know about pursuing your legal rights to financial recovery for your expenses and losses. 

Liability for Grocery Store Slip & Fall Accidents

Under New Jersey’s premises liability law, the grocery store or supermarket owner will usually be held liable for injuries that a customer or other visitor to the store suffers in a slip and fall accident on the premises. State law imposes a duty on grocery store and supermarket operators to keep customers and visitors safe by cleaning up or fixing any slipping or tripping hazards in the aisles. This duty includes undertaking reasonably regular inspections of the premises to look for any potential hazards. 

Liability for a grocery store accident may also fall on other parties, such as the companies that build and maintain freezer and refrigerated displays in the store, if those displays leak and a customer or visitor later slips on a puddle of water created by the display. 

Report Your Fall

The first thing to do after suffering a fall at the grocery store is to notify store management. A store manager will usually write up an accident or incident report for the grocery store company or its insurer/risk management company. Make sure to get the name of the manager you speak to. Do not agree to provide an extensive statement about your fall, or to sign any paperwork other than your written statement about the fall, without first having it reviewed by an attorney. 

You should also ask the store manager to preserve a copy of the store surveillance footage if a camera was pointed at the area where you fell. 

Speak to Eyewitnesses

If other customers or employees saw your fall, you should make sure to get their names and contact information and a brief statement about what they saw. That way, you can later reach out if you need witnesses for your case. 

Collect Evidence

If you have a cell phone and if you are physically able, make sure to take photos or video of the accident scene, including whatever you think you slipped on, the presence of any warning signs, and the weather conditions outside (especially if it is raining or snowing). Also, make sure to preserve your clothing and footwear or take photos of their condition right after the accident, in case the grocery store attempts to argue that your clothing or footwear caused or contributed to your fall. 

Seek Medical Attention

Lastly and most importantly, see a doctor as soon as possible after your fall. If you are experiencing severe pain or have trouble moving right after your fall, call 911 or ask a store employee to call for you. Even if you do not request emergency medical treatment, you should still see a doctor to get examined for any physical injury you may have sustained. Keep copies of medical records of any treatment you seek for your injuries. 

Contact a Hamilton Township Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Slip and Fall Accident Case in New Jersey

Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries because of a slip and fall accident in New Jersey? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an experienced, aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Kalavruzos, Mumola, Hartman, Lento & Duff, LLC represent clients injured by slip and fall accidents in Hamilton Township, Ewing Township, Lawrence Township, Princeton, and throughout New Jersey. Call 609-853-5579 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 2681 Quakerbridge Rd., Trenton, NJ 08619.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.