When a person in California is lawfully on a property, he or she should be able to reasonably expect that it is safe to be there. If a property owner or manager is aware — or should be aware — of certain conditions that could potentially result in harm, a duty exists to correct such conditions. Failure to do so could result in slip-and-fall accidents. After a woman in another state reportedly fell in the parking lot of a convenience store, she decided to take action against the store.
The incident that led to the woman’s fall happened in June 2014. According to her, she slipped on parts of a sandwich that had been discarded in a parking lot. She filed a lawsuit against the store in 2016.
The defendant in the case has recently asked for a summary judgment, arguing that the woman failed to provide testimony from an expert on liability. However, she argued that a person does not have to be an expert to recognize that spilled items need to be cleaned. A judge recently ruled in favor of the plaintiff, explaining that sandwich parts in a parking lot are no different than spilled water inside a store.
Many people in California may easily dismiss people who have been injured in slip-and-fall accidents, believing that any injures were likely negligible. However, many people who fall victim to poor property conditions often suffer serious injuries. To ensure that they can manage the financial toll of such an accident, they often have no other choice but to pursue damages in a civil court. If negligence can be proved, they could receive a financial award that will help them with lost wages and medical expenses.
Source: foxnews.com, “Woman suing Wawa after slipping on ‘hoagie guts’“, Oct. 25, 2017
