Many of us in New Jersey and Pennsylvania might not realize the inherent danger we face in our everyday lives until something happens and causes us to get hurt. Many accidents take place in the home, for example, but we wouldn’t necessarily regard our stairs as dangerous unless there comes a time when we slip and injure ourselves on them.
Retail stores, as well, could be hidden areas for slippery conditions. Spills of food or liquids that aren’t adequately cleaned up could be hazardous. In addition, condensation from equipment used in the refrigerated or frozen foods sections could lead to slippery floors. It’s this latter situation that a man says happened to him at a Philadelphia store recently.
The man recently filed a lawsuit seeking at least $50,000 because he slipped and fell at a Pathmark supermarket. According to the lawsuit, the customer was in one of the aisles that stocks refrigerated foods when he slipped on a wet spot. The man says he suffered injuries to his legs and back, and has been negatively affected financially as a result of the accident.
It isn’t clear how this case might play out, but it is incumbent on employees of a retail store to keep the walkways of their establishment clean and free of obstructions. This means quickly cleaning up any spills, putting up a sign indicating the floor is wet, making sure that displays of merchandise don’t jut out into walking areas, and making sure products on shelves are secure so they do not fall and hurt anyone.
Source: The Pennsylvania Record, “Pathmark customer seeks damages from slippery floor in frozen foods section,” Jim Boyle, May 12, 2014