Union County Supermarket Accident Lawyers

A trip to the supermarket is one of the most routine parts of daily life. People walk through the aisles, push carts across polished floors, reach for items on shelves, and head home without thinking twice about the safety of the environment around them. Grocery stores, however, are busy commercial spaces where spills, heavy inventory, refrigeration equipment, and crowded aisles can create dangerous conditions. When a store fails to maintain safe premises, a routine shopping trip can quickly turn into a painful and expensive ordeal. If you were injured in a supermarket accident, continue reading and contact the skilled Union County slip and fall lawyers at The Mark Law Firm for a free initial consultation today.

Common Causes of Supermarket Accidents

Supermarkets are complex environments that combine food storage, refrigeration systems, stocking operations, and constant customer traffic. When safety procedures are not followed, hazards can develop in many different areas of the store. Some of the most common supermarket hazards that we see are as follows:

• Spilled liquids or food on the floor: One of the most common causes of grocery store injuries involves liquids that have been spilled and left unattended. Water, juice, milk, cooking oil, or broken jars can create extremely slippery surfaces. If store employees fail to clean the spill promptly or place warning signs nearby, shoppers may slip and fall before they realize the danger.
• Leaking refrigeration units and freezer cases: Refrigerated displays and freezer sections frequently produce condensation or leaking water. When these systems are not properly maintained, puddles can form around the units and spread into the aisle. Because the water is often clear, customers may not notice it until they have already lost their footing.
• Recently mopped or waxed floors without warning signs: Grocery store floors are cleaned frequently due to heavy traffic and food debris. However, freshly mopped floors can become extremely slick if warning cones or signs are not placed in visible locations. Customers who turn into an aisle without realizing the floor has been cleaned may suddenly slip.
• Falling merchandise or poorly stacked inventory: Supermarkets commonly store products on high shelves or overhead racks. If items are stacked carelessly or shelving units are unstable, merchandise can fall and strike customers. Even relatively lightweight items can cause serious injuries when they fall from several feet above.
• Obstructed or cluttered aisles: During restocking or promotional displays, store employees sometimes leave boxes, carts, or pallets in walkways. These obstacles can cause customers to trip and fall, particularly in crowded stores where visibility may already be limited.
• Damaged flooring or uneven surfaces: Cracked tiles, torn floor mats, loose carpeting, or uneven transitions between flooring materials can create tripping hazards. Property owners are expected to repair these conditions or clearly warn shoppers about them.
• Poor lighting in certain areas of the store: Dim lighting can prevent customers from seeing hazards on the floor. Entryways, restrooms, and parking lot access points are areas where poor lighting frequently contributes to accidents.
• Shopping cart accidents: Defective carts with broken wheels or unstable frames can cause customers to lose control while pushing them. In crowded aisles, this may result in collisions or falls.
• Hazards in produce and floral departments: Water used to keep produce fresh can drip onto the floor, while loose leaves or fruit can easily become slippery underfoot. These departments are well known for creating slip hazards when they are not monitored carefully.

File Your Personal Injury Claim On Time

If you were injured in a supermarket accident in Union County or elsewhere in New Jersey, it is important to understand that legal claims are subject to strict filing deadlines. These deadlines are established by a law known as the statute of limitations.

In most New Jersey personal injury cases, including supermarket accident claims, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of the injury. This rule is found in New Jersey Statutes Section 2A:14-2. If a lawsuit is not filed within that two-year period, the injured person will typically lose the right to pursue compensation through the court system.

Slip and Fall Accidents are the Second Most Common Type of Accidents

These types of accidents account for nearly 16,000 deaths every year in the United States. Additionally, while not every slip and fall accident results in a death, there are a substantially larger number of serious injuries that result from these falling accidents. For those slip and fall accidents that result in the death of the injured person, their family may wish to speak with a New Jersey slip and fall accident lawyer to discuss filing a wrongful death claim.

In Wollerman v. Grand Union Stores, Inc., 47 N.J. 426, 429-430 (1966), the Court held that where string beans are sold from bins on a self-service basis, there is a probability that some will fall or be dropped on the floor either by defendant’s employees or by customers.

Since the plaintiff would not be in a position to prove whether a particular string bean was dropped by an employee or another customer (or how long it was on the floor) a showing of this type of operation is sufficient to put the burden on the defendant to come forward with proof that defendant did what was reasonably necessary (made periodic inspections and clean-up) in order to protect a customer against the risk of injury likely to be generated by defendant’s mode of operation.

Presumably, however, the burden of proof remains on the plaintiff to prove lack of reasonable care on the defendant’s part. If the defendant fails to produce evidence of reasonable care, the jury may infer that the fault was probably his.

Contact Our Supermarket Accident Lawyers in New Jersey

If you or a loved one was injured in a supermarket accident, our experienced injury lawyers can help you better understand your legal rights and options moving forward. Contact The Mark Law Firm today to discuss your situation and learn how our team may be able to assist you in pursuing the compensation you deserve.