Handling Grocery Store Injury Claims in Monmouth County NJ
People don’t often think of supermarkets as dangerous places, but with inventory moving on and off shelves at a breakneck pace, accidents happen in grocery stores with unfortunately high frequency. If you are injured in a supermarket in Monmouth County, New Jersey, you may have a legal claim against the business. Individuals who have suffered injuries in slip and falls or other accidents in grocery stores in Middletown, Eatontown, Freehold, Howell, Manalapan, and surrounding areas may be able to recover money damages from those who failed to maintain the safety of the premises.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a grocery store, call our experienced Monmouth County Supermarket Accident Lawyers today. Our highly respected attorneys represent individuals who have been injured in a supermarket, a Monmouth County retail store, and other individuals who are looking to pursue compensation for injuries in the Monmouth County Superior Court. Contact us today. Free consultations 24/7. 732-825-6120.
When Can I Sue for Injuries in a Supermarket?
There are a vast array of supermarket injuries caused by negligence that may be grounds for a lawsuit in Monmouth County, including sprained wrists, ankles, backs, and necks. Supermarkets present some unique hazards to individuals that are not always present in other types of commercial establishments. For instance, spills happen in grocery store aisles every day. If staff does not periodically inspect aisles and clean up potentially dangerous spills or put out “wet floor” signs, unsuspecting customers may be injured. People often step on sticky, slick, or transparent liquid and suffer severe falls. And spills are just one example.
Water can leak from refrigerators or freezers and increase the potential for a fall. Neglectful stockers can leave pallets out on the floor that may cause injury in high traffic areas. Items can be stocked on shelves incorrectly, causing heavy or hard objects to fall from high shelves and hit supermarket customers. Store employees can also fail to remove ice and snow from sidewalks, parking lots, and entrances to the supermarket. Any of these failures can result in unreasonably dangerous conditions on the supermarket’s premises that may support a successful lawsuit for financial compensation.
Who is Liable in a Monmouth County Grocery Store Accident Case?
The owner and or entity which controls a supermarket has a duty to inspect and make sure that their premises are safe and free from any hazards. If the owner of the supermarket fails to do this and someone is injured as a result, the owner and or entity which controls the supermarket may be responsible for any harm that is caused to the person who is injured. The main umbrella of law under which supermarket accidents fall is known as Premises Liability.
If the jury finds the premises were in a hazardous condition, regardless of whether it was caused by one of the employees of the supermarket, or the customers of the supermarket, and the jury further finds that the supermarket failed to prevent the hazardous condition from occurring or to take timely action to correct it, the supermarket will be liable to the plaintiff for their injuries.
Mode of Operation Doctrine
The self-serve food bar presents a specific and unique risk that the surrounding floor can be slippery and thus present a hazard. The law in New Jersey specifically recognizes this hazard. This is known as the mode of operation doctrine. The mode of operation doctrine states that a plaintiff does not need to prove that the defendant or supermarket owner knew of the dangerous condition when the actual mode of the supermarkets operation created the dangerous condition. Specifically, the jury charge states, that a proprietor of a business has a legal duty to provide a reasonably safe place for their customers.
The mode of operation doctrine would apply to a supermarket regarding a fall at a self-serve bar. If the self-serve bar creates a dangerous or slippery condition, and the self-serve bar is not set up in a reasonable way to prevent the dangerous slippery condition from occurring, and as a result someone is injured, the supermarket will be responsible for the injuries to that person. The supermarket would be responsible for the fall even if the dangerous slippery condition existed for a very short period of time and the supermarket did not specifically learn of the dangerous slippery condition before the fall occurred.
Injured in a Supermarket? Contact Our NJ Supermarket Accident Attorneys Today
If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of a supermarket accident, call our Monmouth County supermarket accident attorneys today. Our Monmouth County slip and fall attorneys have recovered significant sums of money on behalf of individuals who have been injured as a result of a slip and fall at a supermarket. Set up a free consultation with us today. Additionally, if our firm represents you, we will not receive a legal fee unless we successfully recover money on your behalf.
