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Drive Research, a market research company, reported in April 2023 that there are approximately 63,300 supermarkets and grocery stores across the United States. On average, people go to supermarkets and other grocery stores eight times per month, a few times every week. Most people spend an average time in these stores of two hours a week, equating to approximately 104 hours per year.

Supermarkets can be hazardous environments for customers. Floors may be slippery because of such things as malfunctioning freezer cases, leaking refrigerators, items falling from shelves and breaking, wet floors from rain, suppliers or employees obstructing aisles with merchandise as they re-fill shelves, and floor mats that do not have slip-resistant adhesive or backing. Packaging may also be carelessly left in aisles where unsuspecting customers who are looking for items on shelves may not notice and accidentally slip and fall.

According to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), over 1 million people visit emergency rooms every year because of slip-and-fall accidents. Currently, there are no published statistics about how often supermarket slip-and-fall accidents occur in the United States, but they are happening to both customers and employees.

In March 2022, a Fort Myers elected official broke his femur when he slipped on a wet spot on the floor of a local grocery store.

Florida Law Protecting Supermarket Slip-and-Fall Accident Victims

Florida supermarket slip-and-fall cases are covered under personal injury/premises liability. To hold a supermarket liable for injuries caused by a slip-and-fall, accident victims will need to prove the store owner or manager knew, or should have known, about the hazard and failed to remove it or warn customers about the dangerous situation.

Florida’s Statute 768.0755 - Premises liability for transitory foreign substances in a business establishment specifically covers:

(1) If a person slips and falls on a transitory foreign substance in a business establishment, the injured person must prove that the business establishment had actual or constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition and should have taken action to remedy it. Constructive knowledge may be proven by circumstantial evidence showing that:

(a) The dangerous condition existed for such a length of time that, in the exercise of ordinary care, the business establishment should have known of the condition; or

(b) The condition occurred with regularity and was therefore foreseeable.

(2) This section does not affect any common-law duty of care owed by a person or entity in possession or control of a business premises. 

Types of Injuries a Supermarket Slip-and-Fall Victim May Incur

Supermarket slip-and-fall injuries may be life-changing. When people slip and fall in supermarkets, they may suffer any number of injuries including, but not limited to, soft tissue injuries, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, and/or broken bones. Some of these injuries may not become apparent immediately. All incidents should be reported to the supermarket management, and victims should seek immediate medical attention. The next step should be to contact Fort Myers Slip-and-Fall Lawyers.

Fort Myers slip-and-fall lawyers will investigate the cause of the accident and may discover the supermarket did not follow proper procedures in maintenance and cleaning. The supermarket may have not only been lax in training its employees but may also have been lax in providing written procedures and cleaning schedules.

Supermarket slip-and-fall accidents often change accident victims’ lives forever. Fort Myers slip-and-fall lawyers at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. have the experience to assist victims. There are no costs or attorney fees for a consultation. Please contact us at 239.337.7483, toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or contact us online at SpiveyLaw.com.