Injured at a store? Here’s what you need to show in a lawsuit.

Shopping at stores is a regular part of life for most people. These visits have become so common that many may take for granted that they will be safe while visiting. Unfortunately, this is not always the case as store patrons are hurt every day in incidents that could have been prevented had the store taken certain steps. The injuries that could occur in stores run the gamut but include tripping or slipping or having an object fall upon a shopper, inflicting harm.

Sometimes the injuries are minor and don’t disrupt the life of the shopper. Other times, however, they are catastrophic and leave the person unsure of how they will complete tasks they once took for granted. For people in the latter situation, how to cover costs associated with everyday life may become an issue. Depending on the circumstances surrounding their injury it is possible these individuals could decide to file a premises liability lawsuit against the store where they were hurt.

To succeed in this type of lawsuit several things must be established. The first is that the owner of the store either knew or, in the alternative, should have known that there was a dangerous condition located on the store property. Second, that the owner of the store did not adequately maintain the store property or inspect it regularly. Next, it must be shown that if that dangerous condition did not exist, the patron would not have been hurt and the injury suffered by the shopper was due to that dangerous condition. Last, the injured customer must show that he or she suffered actual “damages” due to it.

Those who decide to pursue this approach should not do so on their own. Instead, they should contact a personal injury lawyer who has experience handling premises liability lawsuits. An attorney with this background can help to determine the best way to proceed.