Large retail establishments like supermarkets, big box stores and warehouse clubs can make shoppers vulnerable to slips and falls and other accidents. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the stores’ complex infrastructures and by the vast inventories carried. When you’re focused on looking for the goods you want, you may not notice hazards like liquid spills, cluttered aisles, overstocked shelves or unstable stacking of merchandise. Anyone who suffers an injury at a retail store should take appropriate steps to preserve their right to recover compensation.

Store owners and operators have a duty to keep their premises safe for the public. They are required to correct known hazardous conditions or to display adequate warnings within a relatively short amount of time. This duty also applies to dangers that the store management should know about if the business is operated with reasonable care for the safety of customers. Failure to comply with this duty makes the store liable for negligence if someone gets hurt. Shoppers injured in slips and falls or other accidents can recover compensation for their losses, which may include medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering.

Anyone injured in a slip and fall at a retail establishment should take the following actions:

• Immediately notify the store’s management.
• Document the exact time and location of the accident.
• Photograph the scene of the accident whenever possible.
• Try to get contact information for people (especially other shoppers) who witnessed the accident or the hazardous condition.
• Seek immediate professional medical attention, even if your injuries seem minor.
• Consult a personal injury lawyer as soon as practicable.
• Keep detailed records of all financial losses, including medical bills, lost wages and expenses related to coping with your injuries.
• Keep a daily journal about your physical condition, including treatment, therapy and the effects the accident has had on your work and your personal life.

Your personal injury lawyer will take the steps necessary to claim damages from the store and to negotiate a fair settlement whenever possible. If the store’s insurance carrier does not make a sufficient offer, a lawsuit may have to be filed.

In premises liability cases, Texas follows the modified comparative negligence rule. This means that fault for the accident and the amount of recovery is apportioned between the injured party and the retailer. However, if the judge or jury finds that the injured party is more than 50 percent at fault for the accident, he or she cannot recover damages at all. Part of your lawyer’s job will be to defend you against allegations that your own negligence was a substantial factor in the accident.

Hope & Causey in Conroe, Texas is one of the most highly respected personal injury law firms in the Houston metropolitan area. If you have been injured in a slip and fall at a retail store or other commercial property, feel free to contact us online or call 936-441-4673 for a free initial consultation.