Merchandise displays may be getting more and more elaborate these days. No matter what, there is nothing seemingly harmless about approaching them and pursuing their contents. But maybe when, in an unfortunate twist in events, you find the merchandise to fall onto you, strike you, and ultimately injure you. Well, in this case, please read on to discover whether you have grounds to sue for injuries caused by falling merchandise and how a seasoned New York City slip and fall injury attorney at Mark L. Bodner, P.C., can evaluate the potential legal claim on your hands.
How might merchandise fall onto me while shopping?
In one moment, you may be pulling a piece of merchandise off the shelf to get a closer look. In the next moment, the contents or the entire shelf itself may fall onto your body and leave you injured. It may not have been caused by the manner in which you grabbed and handled the merchandise. But rather, your accident may have transpired due to any of the following reasons:
- The pieces of merchandise may have been stacked one on top of the other crookedly and teetered forward.
- There was too much merchandise placed on the shelf, well above its posted weight limit, and it collapsed in on itself.
- The shelves themselves were not built or installed properly, and they may randomly disassemble and fall down.
- The merchandise on the top shelves is left unsecured when it requires the assistance of a worker with a ladder or forklift.
Can I sue if I got injured due to falling merchandise?
The falling merchandise may have come from a far enough distance that, when it struck your head, it left you with a traumatic brain injury. Or, if it was particularly heavy, it may have crushed your body against the floor and caused you to incur life-altering or life-threatening organ damage, internal bleeding, and crush injuries. With devastating bodily damages such as these, you may have every right to sue over falling merchandise.
Here, you will likely file your lawsuit against a store owner or manager. This is because you will argue that they should have reasonably known about the potential dangers posed by the shelves and their contents. Then, you may fight that they failed to rectify the shelf within a reasonable timeframe, or at the very least, block this area off from visiting customers. Before you submit your slip and fall injury claim to a New York State civil court, you should acquire a store incident report from the owner or manager. This document solidifies that a dangerous condition existed on their property and that your accident took place on their property. This is also an important element for a chance at a successful case.
In conclusion, if you are ready to make matters right, please retain the services of a competent New York City personal injury attorney as soon as you can. We at Mark L. Bodner, P.C., look forward to receiving your outreach.