Warehouse Slip and Fall Accidents

Many Maryland residents enjoy the convenience and low costs associated with shopping in warehouse stores. Although warehouse stores offer consumers multiple benefits, they also come with an increased risk of slip and fall accidents because of the manner in which they are designed and operated. The entities that own warehouse stores have an obligation to maintain safe shopping environments, though, and if they fail to uphold their duties, they may be held accountable for any resulting harm. If you were injured in a warehouse store slip and fall accident, you should contact an attorney to discuss your options for seeking compensation. The knowledgeable Maryland premises liability lawyers of Foran & Foran, P.A. can advise you of your rights and help you to pursue the best legal outcome available under the facts of your case.

Leaks, spills, and inclement weather frequently cause puddles and slippery conditions in warehouse stores that ultimately lead to slip and fall accidents. While some people who suffer falls walk away unharmed, many sustain significant injuries like fractures, torn ligaments and tendons, and brain injuries that cause not only physical pain but also substantial financial harm. As such, they will often seek compensation from store owners.

Typically, warehouse slip and fall accidents happen because the store owner or operator failed to address the dangerous condition that led to the fall. In most lawsuits arising out of such accidents, then, the plaintiff will set forth negligence claims against the store owner.

Under Maryland law, negligence is made up of four components, and a plaintiff must prove each component to recover damages. The first, duty, is an obligation imposed on the defendant. In the context of premises liability claims, store owners have a duty to maintain their property in a safe condition. The second element, breach, is the defendant’s departure from the duty owed. The third and fourth elements, causation and damages, are connected in that the plaintiff has to establish that the defendant’s breach proximately caused the plaintiff to suffer actual harm. In other words, that the accident would not have occurred had the defendant upheld its duty.

Maryland law dictates that in order to prove a defendant breached the duty owed in a slip and fall case, the plaintiff needs to demonstrate that the defendant had actual or constructive notice of the dangerous condition and a chance to remedy the condition prior to the plaintiff’s fall but failed to do so. Usually, plaintiffs will employ evidence such as eyewitness reports, surveillance video, photographs, and inspection and cleaning schedules to demonstrate notice.

A plaintiff that proves a defendant’s liability for a warehouse slip and fall accident may be awarded the cost of any medical treatment they needed, including surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, and assistive devices. If they could not work following the accident, they may be able to recover lost wages as well. Additionally, they may be granted damages for the suffering, pain, and emotional trauma they endured due to the fall. If they were married at the time of the incident, their spouse may also be awarded compensation for the loss of their companionship and services.

People should be able to shop in warehouse stores without incident, but all too often, shoppers suffer injuries in preventable warehouse slip and fall accidents. If you sustained harm in a fall in a warehouse store, you might be owed damages, and you should speak to an attorney as soon as possible. The experienced Maryland premises liability attorneys of Foran & Foran, P.A. can assess the circumstances surrounding your harm and aid you in pursuing the maximum damages recoverable under the law. We have an office in Greenbelt, and we regularly represent injured parties in premises liability cases in Bowie and other cities in Prince George's County and Montgomery County. You can reach us to set up a confidential and free meeting by using our online form or calling us at (301) 441-2022.