Injuries In Stores, Restaurants And Other Public Places

In any store or place of business, the owner has a duty to keep anyone who is lawfully on their property reasonably safe. If you are injured while inside of a place of business, and that injury was caused by some element of negligence on the business’s part, our Minnesota premises liability attorneys may be able to make a claim for compensation for your injuries.

Causes Of Injuries In Stores

Many injuries in stores are caused by the management or owner failing to maintain the building and keep walkways, stairs and aisles clear and safe. Some examples of hazards that can cause injuries in a store:

Slip-and-fall accidents:

Wet floors caused by leaking refrigerators or freezers
Slippery or unmaintained entryways (especially in the Minnesota winters)
Liquid spills caused by broken bottles or other accidents
Floors being cleaned (wet and slippery) but not properly marked

Trip-and-fall accidents:

Boxes, pallets or other equipment placed in walkways
Equipment from employees restocking causing accidents
Display racks improperly placed in aisles and walkways
Door mats or carpet worn / in disrepair / not fastened to floor
Uneven walkways / bumps / steps not properly marked

Can You Sue A Store After You’ve Fallen And Injured Yourself?

Yes, in many cases you can make a successful recovery so long as your accident included the four basic elements of any personal injury claim:

Duty – The storeowner has a duty to keep all customers safe
Breach – A “breach” of this duty would be anything that is a potential hazard that the store owner or management should have reasonably foreseen being a danger.
Causation – The breach of duty had to cause an injury.
Damages – You can not sue a store for a dangerous condition that did not cause any harm.

In order to have a successful claim against a store, restaurant or supermarket, you need to show that the store owner or its employees either:

Caused or created the dangerous condition that led to your injury
Knew, or should have known of the danger and failed to make an effort to make the condition safe

What Steps Should Be Taken After A Supermarket Or Store Injury?

If you are injured at a store, there are a few things you need to do right away:

Seek medical attention – We have talked to so many people who did not “want to be dramatic” or “make a big deal about it”. This is not the time for Minnesota nice. If you have been hurt, it’s critical that you go to the hospital to have your injuries checked out. Many injuries can seem minor become major after the adrenaline and shock wear off.
Take photos and make notes – Being able to effectively re-create the accident in your mind is important. Having evidence of anything that contributed to the injury (a delivery pallet in the walkway, a puddle or spill on the floor, an uneven transition in the flooring or a bump in the carpet. Take note of anything that contributed to the accident. No detail is too small.
Get contact information – At a minimum, speak to a manager at the business and get their information. If there were witnesses, get contact information. Start a list of the people you spoke with and when.
Report the accident – Report the accident to a manager on duty and get that person’s name. Do not sign any reports that are not completely filled out and make sure that you agree with the report. This protects you from the store potentially claiming it didn’t happen. This also puts them on notice that they should preserve any video surveillance of the accident, if available. Calling the next day to ensure that the report has been filed, and making sure you have a contact to follow up with, is a good idea.
Contact the liability attorneys at Bennerotte & Associates for a free consultation – Every injury case is unique; sometimes it is difficult to get compensation from a big company. There are Minnesota law firms that are scared to take these cases because they don’t always pay out big numbers and they can be difficult. Start with a free consultation and learn how we can help.

We Win Cases Other Firms Won’t Take

The attorneys at Bennerotte & Associates have successfully recovered settlements for injury victims that had their claims denied by other firms. We fight the big corporations and win. Because most of the agreements come with confidentiality agreements, we are not able to list the companies we have successfully sued on behalf of injured clients. However, we can confidently say that if you hurt yourself in public in a store, restaurant or place of business, we can help you.

Free Consultation To People Who Have Been Hurt At Stores

If you have been hurt at a store, restaurant or other public place contact our office today. We will provide you with a free case review and give you options for pursuing the compensation you deserve. There is no fee for the consultation and even if you hire us you will pay nothing. You will only pay after we have successfully recovered a settlement on your behalf. If we don’t win, you pay nothing. Contact us today to take the first step.