Dangers in Retail Stores

Transcript: Hi. I’m Indiana personal injury attorney David Holub and this video discusses the dangers that may lurk in a retail store setting which could lead to serious injury. People don’t usually think of shopping as being a very dangerous or hazardous proposition. However, it can be. Keep in mind that store placement of merchandise is never by chance. Merchandise displays are designed to attract customer attention. In other words, they are designed to pull your eyes away from the normal things that you would be watching when you’re walking in a store and bring those eyes towards an attractive model on a display sign or on signs posting notices of sales. Dangers include unmarked liquid spills on a floor; unmarked, uneven floor surfaces such as divets in concrete; or thresholds that are torn, separating areas of the store floor. These kind of conditions constitute a tripping hazard or a slipping hazard. Debris on a floor–this could be something that falls out of another customer’s shopping cart or comes loose from a display aisle. Falling merchandise–this is something where merchandise is stacked improperly and then falls onto a customer. Store owners have a legal duty to keep their stores safe for customers and other invitees on the premises. We’ve handled many injury cases against retail stores. One that comes to mind was an unstable holiday tree display that tipped over when a child touched the display and blinded the child in one eye. Another example is where a customer had champaigne bottles fall on her head when a display that was above head-heighth collapsed and fell on her. Another case that comes to mind is when a cooking oil bottle fell and spread oil across the floor, making the floor the same as an ice skating rink. If you can name it, we’re likely familiar with it. This video just gives you some general information about store related hazards and trip and fall and slip and fall situations. If you have specific questions, please call and speak with one of our attorneys. We’d be happy to talk with you about your particular situation.

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