For many people, a trip to Lowes or Home Depot is, at best, a neutral experience. At worst, it’s an unpleasant (and often very costly) one. Unfortunately, for some shoppers looking to progress on their weekend DIY projects, these mundane trips to the home improvement center can quickly become a nightmare when they suffer personal injuries on the store’s premises due to hazardous conditions created by the negligence of store employees or unreasonable management decisions. Suppose you have been injured at a home improvement center. In that case, you may have a valid legal claim against the retailer because businesses that invite the public into their stores have a legal duty to keep their premises reasonably safe.
Traumatic Personal Injuries at Home Improvement Centers
The cavernous layouts and low staffing levels typical of most home improvement retailers can increase the likelihood of injury. For example, moisture on the floor goes unabated, creating the perfect conditions for a “slip and fall” injury. See $16.4M Verdict Drills Lowe’s in Slip and Fall Head Injury Trial. Reviewing online message boards indicates employees of these home improvement centers are aware that these stores tend to be “accident-prone”. See What was the worst accident you ever witnessed working at the Home Depot.
However, possible hazardous conditions at these stores can go far beyond a simple slick spot in front of the bathroom. These stores are essentially a warehouse and lumber yard all rolled into one, made open to the public daily. See Lowes Customer Forklift Accident. Therefore, it’s important that the store and its employees take extra precautions. Below are examples of how traumatic injuries and hazardous conditions can occur at Lowes or Home Depot.
- A Home Depot customer injured her knee when her shopping cart tipped over after hitting a manhole cover obscured by water.
- A Lowes store employee drove a forklift into a customer standing in the checkout line.
- At Lowes, a load of landscaping pavers fell from the shelves and crushed a customer (Paver Avalanche).
- At Lowes, a board fell off the shelf and severely injured a store patron’s foot.
- A Woman fractured her skull after sipping on a “slimy, wet substance draining from the bottom of several planters” in the garden section of Lowes.
How the Law Holds Commercial Retailers Accountable for Their Negligence
Attorneys use a few theories to hold stores like Lowes and Home Depot accountable for a customer’s injuries. First, the corporation might be liable if it created the unsafe condition. For example, using an exceptionally slippery floor wax, maintaining inadequate illumination of shopping aisles that are regularly crowded with merchandise, engaging in “over-stacking” or other deviations from the industry standard “safe stacking practices,” or by not ensuring that employees were adequately trained to operate equipment properly (i.e., Forklift Fail).
The company may further be held liable where it knew of a hazardous condition, even if it did not create it but failed to take steps to make it safe for customers.
If you have been injured on Lowes or Home Depot premises, you may have a personal injury claim. Having a premises liability lawyer evaluate your case is the first step to take on your road to recovery.
Experienced North Carolina Premises Liability Attorneys
For many people injured through no fault of their own, their first question is, “can I obtain compensation for my injuries.” See Jury Awards 1 Million Dollars to Woman Injured at Home Depot. Generally, the answer to that question is yes. Several people injured at either Lowes or Home Depot and have recovered significant compensation for their harm. However, to make the most out of your case, the injured customer or employee usually needs an experienced accident attorney who can best gather witness statements and other supporting evidence relevant to the retailer’s negligence.
Taking on a large company after an injury is an uphill battle. For that reason, our firm offers free consultations, and our attorneys will take the time to walk you through your case. We know what you have been through and will treat you with the respect you deserve. Contact our office today if you or someone you know has been injured at Lowes or Home Depot. You can reach us by phone at (919) 526-0450 or by email through our contact page.
