A trip to Costco in Philadelphia can take care of any grocery list and not just for the week. You might be done shopping for a month or more if you do it right. Costco serves up groceries and a lot more all in one giant place, but that increased car and foot traffic can hide certain dangers. A broken jar on an aisle can lay in wait until you walk up and are sent hard to the floor.
If you take a tumble at a Costco and experience a serious injury that store can be held liable for your recovery. But as with most things in life, you might have to fight for what’s fair. Bring your case to Philadelphia’s Pearce Lawfirm and discuss what happened to you. We are good listeners and we’ll evaluate your case and give you an honest appraisal of what your next action should be. Contact us and your first consultation will come at no charge and it’s obligation-free.
Costco Slip-And-Fall Hazards in Philadelphia
You can do so much at Costco these days you can be forgiven if you never give a thought towards safety while you’re there. There are big boxes of every type of snack your family craves. You can get your hearing and vision checked inside. You can even grab soup and salad at the food court.
Costco doesn’t miss a chance to earn your dollars, but they must be held accountable to spend some of that money on safety. That means repairing displays and shelving when they break so that you can’t be tripped up or cut by a stray edge. That means hiring enough employees to stay on top of spills and obstacles that end up on the floor all day as careless customers wander about.
This care for customers’ safety doesn’t stop at the front door. Slippery hazards at the gas station and ice in the parking lots need to be monitored and dealt with when walking gets treacherous.
Gathering Evidence After a Slip-And-Fall Accident At Costco
Costco goes out of its way to offer friendly and helpful customer service. That happy front may change once you are injured in one of their stores. Store representatives may not want to have much to do with you, or they may want to talk a lot about what happened hoping you’ll say something they can use against you.
They want you to think that the slip and fall accident was your fault so they don’t have to help you with expensive medical care and lost wages from your place of employment.
Your job is to gather as much evidence as you can on the scene to prove that Costco is completely responsible for your injury. If you are physically able try to collect these details after your fall.
- Call 911 if you feel you need immediate medical attention.
- Use your phone to get video or pictures of the obstacle or spill that sent you to the ground. That obstacle that left you falling may get fixed or clean-up as soon as you turn away. If you can’t get up ask someone with you or a helpful witness to take photos for you.
- Get an idea of witnesses saw. Get their contact information. Talk to store employees if they seem willing to help. Witnesses can sign and date written statements if they feel up to it or they can also talk on a video you shoot with your phone.
- Make sure you let someone know what happened, where it happened. A store manager will need to make an accident report. That report will be valuable evidence later.
- Save evidence. Keep any personal items damaged in the fall. Keep the shoes you are wearing. Costco lawyers may try to claim your shoes weren’t in good enough shape to prevent a fall.
- Get a full check-up from your doctor. Note any aches and pains that arise the day after an accident and beyond.
What If I have to Take Blame for My Costco Accident?
Costco representatives may try to say you weren’t paying attention when you slipped or tripped and fell. They may say you were somewhere you weren’t supposed to be. Don’t worry if this is the case.
Pennsylvania is a comparative negligence state meaning you can share the blame with Costco for your accident but still get help with the costs of your recovery. You might be assigned 20% of the liability in your fall, but Costco may have to accept 80% of the responsibility because they didn’t clean up a mess and should’ve done a better job at keeping customers out of a dangerous area.
If this is the case you could be awarded compensation but your 20% of fault would be subtracted from the money you’d take home. As long as you are found to be less than 51% liable for your accident you can receive compensation.
Contact a Philadelphia Costco Slip-And-Fall Accident Lawyer
After any accident involving a serious injury on Costco property, it’s important that you protect yourself and your financial wellbeing. A giant national chain will be well-practiced in escaping blame when people get hurt due to their negligence. Make sure your recovery and your future aren’t taken for granted.
Contact a highly rated Philadelphia and New Jersey Slip-And-Fall Accident Lawyer such as Edith Pearce. Unlike the huge firms with dozens of attorneys and many different attorneys handling different aspects of your case, Edith Pearce is personally involved in every case that we handle. She genuinely cares about her clients and you will not be treated like just another case or file.
