Wet floors pose a danger for all those who may take a step on the slippery ground. This hazardous condition is often a hidden danger because most people don’t see the spilled water or freshly mopped floors. Or, if the problem is that the floor has just been waxed and is particularly slippery, people have no way of knowing without caution signs warning of the danger. When “Caution - Wet Floor” signs are not displayed, slip and fall accidents in Georgia are bound to occur.
Slip and fall accidents in Roswell due to spills or wet floors often occur at supermarkets like Kroger, Wal-Mart, or other grocery stores. Often, it is one of two wet floor scenarios that leads to slip and fall injuries:
- Freshly mopped floors with no caution signs – It is acceptable that a supermarket may have an employee mop the floor during the middle of the day when there are customers shopping. However, in order to keep customers safe, employees are supposed to follow the protocols and procedures in place, such as warning customers and placing “Caution - Wet Floor” signs for all customers to see. When an employee fails to put out caution signs and a slip and fall occurs, the store could be held liable for a customer’s fall injury.
- Spilled liquid that was not cleaned up – Customers will often slip and fall when their foot comes in contact with something slippery. This often happens from spilled liquid, water that dripped off the produce, or spilled water in the florist department. If an employee caused the spill and did not clean it up or caution the area off, the store could be held liable. The store also could be held liable if a customer caused the spill, told an employee about it, but the employee failed to clean it up or put out caution signs.
In either case, serious slip and fall injuries can occur including:
- Sprains and strains
- Cuts, lacerations, and abrasions
- Broken bones
- Elbow and shoulder injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Arm and leg injuries
- Knee and ligament injuries (ACL and MCL tears)
- Hip fractures
- Facial injuries
- Concussion and head trauma
- Traumatic brain injuries
If you have been injured in a slip and fall, after the accident you should take the following steps, if possible:
- Get contact information of any witnesses.
- Use your cell phone to take pictures of the hazard and that there are no caution signs displayed.
- Report your fall injury to the store management and take down the person’s name to whom you speak.
- Get to the hospital for medical treatment.
- Call a slip and fall attorney as soon as possible.
Stores that fail to post caution signs may be held liable for your Roswell slip and fall accident. For help holding the supermarket accountable for your medical bills and damages, call a Georgia premises liability lawyer at Shane Smith Law at (980) 246-2656 for a free consultation today.