Personal Injury Law

Premise liability a concern for last-minute Chicago shoppers

By Kris Briggs

Last minute shopping a danger to Chicago patrons

As you head out to your favorite stores for some last minute shopping, keep in mind you may run into some last minute dangers as well. Store owners and property managers have a responsibility to keep shoppers safe. During this time of year when inventory is high and shoppers are filling the aisles the dangers of merchandise falling, wet floors, or faulty escalators (to name a few) become much more prevalent. Our Chicago premise liability attorneys understand the dangers and want to remind you to be careful on these last few shopping days of the year.

Premise liability can be defined by the owner's responsibility to keep their store or property in safe condition for patrons. Failure to maintain the property leads to negligence and they can be held liable. Things like making sure the parking lot is safe, secure, and well lit, stocking merchandise properly, keeping a safe evacuation route in case of a fire, and keeping floors dry and clear are a few safety concerns that need to be monitored throughout the busy holiday shopping season.

At the start of the shopping season the federal government issued an alert from Occupational Safety & Health Administration that retailers and property managers should keep stores clean and safe throughout the holiday season. The increased volume of shoppers makes it more difficult to do so but every effort should be made to reduce the risk of serious injury.

Though not as common as slip and fall accidents, merchandise falling from shelves is one danger that can be avoided by proper merchandise control proceedures. Items can fall for a number of reasons and at anytime. Forklift operators have dropped their loads or have pushed other items off shelves while stacking a different item. Shoppers bumping into items stacked on the floor can topple them over. Boxes can suddenly fall if they are leaning. Heavier boxes when placed on lighter boxes can create an unbalanced stack and cause serious injury if the heavy box falls right on top of someone.

One suggestion, (probably common sense) made by OSHA recommends that employees use low or middle shelves for placing the heaviest items. This not only keeps heavy merchandise close to the ground but also helps stabilize the shelving.

Shoppers can help store owners by using some of the following safety tips recommended by My Parent Time:

-Store ladders are not for customer use, ask an employee for help.

-Don't cross aisle barricades, it is blocked off for a reason.

-Let store employees know if you see unbalanced items on the floor or shelves.

-Merchandise stacked in the aisles can topple over too. It doesn't have to fall from above to cause an injury.

-Stay alert when forklifts are in operation, keep away from the area whenever possible.

Store owners and shoppers can help each other this holiday season by being more aware and using extra caution. Make the holidays safe by doing your part.

Full post as published by Illinois Injury Law Blog on December 21, 2010 (boomark / email).