Help! I Slipped and Got Cut on Broken Glass at a Rockford Grocery Store. Can I Sue? 

 Posted on February 14, 2022 in Personal Injury

Hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois go grocery shopping every day without incident. But sometimes, what should have been a fast and easy trip to buy milk can turn into a nightmare scenario. Grocery stores that are not properly maintained and kept clean can quickly present a variety of hazards to unsuspecting customers, including slippery floors, loose electric wires, broken glass, and heavy falling objects. 

The consequences of these conditions can leave customers with serious and long-lasting injuries that require extensive and ongoing medical care. If you have been injured in a Winnebago County retail store and want to know whether you may be able to pursue compensation under Illinois’ premises liability laws, read on. 

When Can Someone Sue a Store for an Injury? 

Illinois law has specific sections discussing the responsibility that store owners have to visitors, shoppers, and even just someone stopping in to use the bathroom. Store owners and managers are legally responsible for keeping their stores free of hazards. While this means that a grocery store owner may not be responsible for every injury (such as if the customer’s own behavior was the proximate cause of the injury), certain conditions in the store that are caused by neglect or carelessness could cause injuries for which the grocery store is responsible. 

If a store owner or manager knew or should have known that a hazardous condition was present, did nothing to fix the condition or warn patrons, and that condition caused a patron to become injured, the store owner may be held liable. These may include injuries caused by the following circumstances: 

• Broken glass on the floor or on shelves

• Poorly stacked objects that fall on customers

• Unsafe or exposed electrical wires

• Poor fire safety equipment

• Spilled eggs, oil, or other liquid on the floor 

• Clutter left on the floor 

• Poorly lit bathrooms or other areas

The store owner herself does not necessarily need to know the condition existed to be held liable. Rather, if store staff knew about the hazard and did not fix it, the store could still be held responsible. For example, if a jar of pickles broke on the floor and was left there for several hours, despite the staff being warned about the mess, the store may be liable if a customer slips, falls, and cuts herself on broken glass. However, if the customer dropped the jar of pickles herself and then slipped in the mess, the store would likely not be held liable as it had no way of knowing the hazard existed. 

Meet with a Rockford Premises Liability Lawyer

Suffering an injury at a grocery store through no fault of your own is an unpleasant surprise that can have expensive and long-lasting consequences. If you were a victim of a slip and fall, electrocution, falling goods, or any other personal injury at a retail store, consider meeting with an experienced Rockford, IL premises liability attorney with Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Injury Law. We offer free consultations to help you determine whether pursuing a lawsuit is the best course of action and will handle your case with the respect and sensitivity it deserves. Call us today at 815-215-7561. 

Source: 

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2048&ChapterID=57