If you have been injured at a store, you may need a New York department store slip and fall lawyer. When customers go shopping in New York City, it’s natural for their attention to be focused on the merchandise around them in stores and other retail outlets. In fact, this is exactly what business owners want. The whole point of attracting patrons is to make a sale. But if a store is careless and doesn’t clear away unreasonably dangerous clutter in its aisles and walkways, prospective customers could go home with serious injuries from a trip and fall accident instead of making purchases.
New York retailers have a duty to everyone who walks through their doors. Anyone coming into a store should be safe from tripping hazards while they are shopping. With the pressure to sell more products, some retail businesses let an overflow of merchandise block walkways. Pallets, handcarts and other work items are also a hazard if they are left in locations that can endanger shoppers.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury in a New York City trip and fall accident at a cluttered store, you could be entitled to compensation. The New York City personal injury attorneys at David Resnick & Associates, P.C., want to help. Call us today at 212-279-2000 or contact us through our online form for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Cluttered Walkways Can Cause Trip and Fall Accidents
It’s an unfortunate fact that trip and fall accidents are common at retail stores in New York City and across the country. Zurich, an insurance company, reported that trip and fall accidents at retail outlets result in more than $1 billion in claims every year.
Many different factors can cause trip and fall incidents. From wrinkled mats to uneven surfaces and messy aisles, there are numerous dangers in some New York City stores. Customers can trip over merchandise, pallets, carts, promotional materials or other objects that are recklessly left in the way.
Since real estate in New York City is so expensive, many retailers feel the need to stuff as much product as possible into a limited amount of space. This attitude can create dangerous problems, especially when there is not enough room for shoppers to move around without fear of tripping over something.
Even though customers need to be aware of where they’re going, it’s easy to get distracted by all of the merchandise on store shelves. While retailers welcome this intense focus on the various products they offer, the safety of patrons should not be sacrificed in the process.
Retailers must take an active role in the safety of their customers, protecting them from unreasonable tripping hazards. This means they need to strike a balance between exposing patrons to attractive product displays and ensuring these very same people aren’t in danger of tripping over items in their stores.
Trip and Fall accidents present troubling challenges since retailers often argue that their stores were not filled with hazardous obstacles at the time of the incident. This is why it’s important for the victim or any witnesses to take pictures of the accident scene as quickly as possible. Even a photo from a cell phone camera can provide valuable evidence of what the injured patron faced when the accident occurred.
New York Department Store Slip and Fall Lawyer
At the New York City law firm of David Resnick & Associates, P.C., we know that a trip and fall accident can trigger serious physical and financial hardships. You should not have to bear those burdens alone if a retail store’s negligence was to blame for your injuries.
If you or someone you love was seriously injured in a New York trip and fall accident caused by an obstructed walkway at a store, you could be entitled to compensation. The NYC personal injury attorneys at David Resnick & Associates, P.C., are skilled at evaluating trip and fall accident claims and have a record of getting results for their clients. Call our firm today at 212-279-2000 or use our online contact form for a free evaluation of your case.