Falling Merchandise
Safety for Customers
In a report commissioned by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, suggestions aimed at improving customer safety in warehouse stores and similar settings could apply nationwide:
- Standards for the height to which merchandise can be stacked
- Procedures calling for regular employee patrols of store aisles to maintain safe walkways
- Limiting times when merchandise is stacked to those when customers are not in the store
- Training for employees that emphasizes safe handling and stacking of merchandise
- Active participation by managers in support of improved store safety practices
When innocent shopping trips have gone terribly wrong, thousands of people across the U.S. have suffered serious injuries or lost their lives because they were struck by falling merchandise. Despite the fact that many lawsuits have resulted, problems of falling merchandise continue to occur. Risks may be especially great in big department or warehouse stores and in home products stores. In those settings, products often are stacked to the ceiling and forklifts are frequently used in areas where customers are actively shopping.
West Palm Beach Personal Injury Attorney Gregg Hollander and his staff at the Hollander Law Firm take on even the most complex cases involving negligence on the part of commercial establishments. In Naples, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and other South Florida communities, the Hollander name is synonymous with experienced in legal representation and a reputation for attention to detail and personal service on behalf of injured Floridians and visitors.
The Hollander Law Firm represents individuals injured in retail and other establishments, car accident victims, those harmed by medical malpractice, victims of defective product accidents, and many other accident scenarios. Attorney Hollander’s skills as a negotiator and as a litigator have resulted in winning strategies for his clients, securing millions in settlements and awards for accident victims.
Such well-known retailers as Toys ‘R’ Us, Home Depot, Kmart, and Wal-Mart have been the sites of multiple injuries involving falling merchandise. In a six-year time period, about 26,000 injuries to customers were reported by Wal-Mart. During that same time, some 7,000 store employees also were hurt by falling items. For its part, Home Depot has acknowledged as many as 185 claims per week in the past.
Do-it-yourself stores, such as Home Depot, stock heavy and potentially unstable items like lumber and tile, but incidents causing injuries aren’t limited to those types of products. People report injuries from falling cleaning supplies, televisions, furnishings, boxes, tools and many other items. Juries across the country have awarded injury victims millions of dollars in damages.
Attorney Gregg Hollander knows that the injuries you sustain when you’re struck by falling merchandise can be serious ones. The weight of an item could slam you to the floor, breaking bones or causing a head injury that could result in permanent brain damage. Merchandise with sharp edges is capable of causing deep cuts that can lead to nerve damage or loss of fingers, toes, or limbs.
Statistics are lacking about the numbers of people who have been hurt by falling merchandise, but newspaper accounts of such incidents put the total well into the thousands for Wal-Mart, alone. When employees rush to stack merchandise or store owners fail to maintain shelving or insist on proper safety measures, they may be held liable for the damage you suffer when merchandise falls. Because there are no uniform requirements that apply to ways in which merchants display their wares, customers have no assurance that the risk of falling merchandise will lessen.
At the Hollander Law Firm, Gregg Hollander and his staff can take swift action on your behalf when you are the victim of a falling merchandise injury. We know how to protect your rights, and Attorney Hollander will explain the legal remedies available to you when a store owner has failed to keep his or her premises safe for shoppers.
If you’re badly hurt, your choice of a lawyer is crucial. It can greatly affect the outcome of your case and the amount of compensation you’re able to recover. Residents of Naples, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and other South Florida communities know the Hollander Law Firm’s reputation for success. Attorney Hollander has recovered money for victims of all types of accidents. Our firm’s services are completely free of charge if we fail to win for you. Call today to schedule a free consultation.
The Hollander Law Firm. Because Each Case is Personal
Boca Raton, Florida: 561-347-7770
Naples, Florida: 239-774-7779
Fort Myers, Florida: 239-337-7070