Seattle Retail & Department Store Injury Attorneys
Retail and department stores are some of the most heavily trafficked businesses in the Seattle area. With thousands of people traveling through these venues every day, it is inevitable there will be accidents. And many of these accidents are the result of negligent management on the part of store owners.
If you have been seriously injured in a slip and fall or trip and fall accident on a commercial property, you may have a legal claim for compensation against the owner. An experienced lawyer can review your case and advise you of your options. At the Emerald Law Group, we represent clients who have suffered a wide range of personal injuries on commercial premises, and we can help ensure that property owners are held accountable.
Have You Been Injured Due to a Safety Hazard While Shopping?
A retail or department store is not required to absolutely guarantee their customers’ safety at all times. Rather, Washington law requires property owners to keep their premises in “reasonably safe” condition for customers and other invited guests. Basically, a retail or department store’s management needs to exercise ordinary care to ensure there are no safety hazards on the property that lead to an otherwise preventable accident.
Some of the more common safety hazards we find in retail and department stores include:
- puddles of liquid on the floor from spills or leaky roofs;
- improperly stocked merchandise falling from shelves;
- pallets of unstocked merchandise left in retail aisles;
- malfunctioning escalators or elevators; and
- parking lots and stairways with inadequate lighting.
Once again, the mere fact that one of these hazards exists does not by itself prove a property owner’s liability for an accident. The injured victim must also show the store’s owner or management had actual or constructive notice of the problem and failed to take adequate corrective action. Proving such notice is often the most difficult part of a personal injury case, which is why it is so crucial to work with an attorney who has experience in bringing claims against retail and department stores.
Contact Emerald Law Today
In any personal injury case, a successful plaintiff can recover a wide range of damages from a negligent defendant. So if you can prove that a retail or department store’s negligence did lead to your accident, you can seek compensation for out-of-pocket losses such as your past and future medical bills, lost wages and income, and rehabilitation expenses. You can also seek non-economic damages to cover those losses that are difficult to quantify, notably your ongoing pain and suffering following an accident.
Retailers and their insurance companies are often quite a bit more experienced than customers when it comes to handling these types of cases. This often puts the injured victim at a disadvantage. One way you can help even the playing field is by working with a skilled Seattle retail and department store lawyer. Contact the Emerald Law Group today to schedule an initial consultation with a member of our staff.
