Holiday shopping season can be crowded and busy—and occasionally hazardous. From chaotic Black Friday sales to slippery floors and overstocked aisles, injuries happen. What can you do if you’re hurt during a holiday shopping trip?
Common holiday shopping injuries
In-store injuries typically result from negligence, and slip-and-fall accidents are among the most common type of claim. These falls may be caused by wet or icy entryways, spilled beverages or cluttered aisles. Overcrowded stores during peak shopping times, like Black Friday, can also lead to tripping hazards and trampling injuries.
Even without large crowds, dangers may exist. For example, improperly secured or overstocked displays can collapse. Shoppers and employees rushing through the aisles may also lead to injury.
Who’s responsible for in-store injuries?
Under premises liability law, store owners and managers have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe for customers. This includes addressing any known hazards, inspecting the property regularly and warning customers of potential dangers.
For example, if a store manager neglects to clean up a spill in a timely manner or fails to place warning signs around a wet floor, they may be responsible if someone slips and falls. Similarly, a store could be held liable for trampling injuries due to lack of crowd control and security.
However, while stores must maintain a safe environment, liability isn’t automatic. The injured party must prove that a store’s negligence caused the injury. If the hazard was not foreseeable or occurred too quickly for the store to address, a plaintiff may not be able to recover damages. For instance, if someone slips before the store has a reasonable chance to clean up a spill, that could preclude liability. Likewise, if the injured party was engaging in risky behavior, such as climbing shelves to reach an item, the store could argue that the customer’s own actions contributed to the injury.
In some cases, holiday shopping injuries are caused by other customers, such as aggressive behavior during a crowded sale. An injured customer may be able to pursue a claim against another shopper—and even if the store did not directly cause these injuries, they may still bear some fault.
If you’ve been injured while shopping, it’s important to work with an experienced personal injury attorney. Liability can be complex. The Law Offices of Tim Misny can review your claim, explain your legal options and help you recover compensation for your injuries.
Consult a Columbus personal injury attorney today
The Law Offices of Tim Misny can help you with your personal injury claim. When you’re the victim of negligence or recklessness, I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call my office at (877) 614-9524 so that I can evaluate your case right away.
