On the surface, a store’s display of its merchandise may almost be picturesque. But there may be underlying issues with the way this merchandise is configured on the shelves. Specifically, there may be an incident where a piece of merchandise descends from the shelf, lands on an innocent customer, and causes them to fall. With that said, please follow along to find out how you might get injured from falling merchandise and how a proficient Tampa slip and fall lawyer from Merricks Law Group, P.A. can help you hold the right party accountable.
How might I get seriously injured from falling merchandise?
The severity of your injury after a piece of merchandise falls on you may depend on how far it has fallen from and its weight, along with how drastically you fell or made impact with the floor in the aftermath. Nonetheless, below are potential injuries you may sadly suffer from:
- You may have gotten a concussion, skull fracture, or traumatic brain injury if the merchandise struck your head.
- You may have gotten a crushing injury if the merchandise fell on your torso or limbs and pinned you to the floor.
- You may have gotten lacerations, abrasions, or bruises if the merchandise had sharp edges or shattered upon hitting the floor.
- You may have gotten spinal cord damage or nerve damage if the falling merchandise caused you to land on the floor upon collision.
This is all to say that you must seek immediate medical attention after getting struck by falling merchandise. This is regardless of whether you believe the merchandise was too small to cause any damage or if you do not detect any visible injuries. After all, many of the injuries mentioned above may be delayed in surfacing, and there is also the potential of internal bleeding.
How might a store owner or manager be liable for falling merchandise?
If you interacted with the shelf or piece of merchandise below it landed on you, you may be quick to blame yourself for your accident and injuries. However, the store owner or manager may be the truly responsible party. This is especially if they mismanaged their employees charged with stocking the shelves. For example, they may have failed to train their employees on how to stack shelves safely in the first place. In turn, the merchandise may be stacked in a way that certain pieces teeter. Or, there is too much merchandise present on the shelf given its disclosed weight limit.
What’s more, they may fail to schedule enough employees to work a certain shift, and therefore, nobody is around to assist you in reaching for a dangerously heavy item on a high shelf, for instance. Lastly, they may not regularly inspect shelves to see if they are properly fastened and capable of holding merchandise and customer interaction.
In conclusion, if you are ready to make matters right, please retain the services of a talented Pasco County personal injury lawyer as soon as you can. We at Merricks Law Group, P.A. look forward to receiving your outreach.
