Cut by Glass Jars at a Grocery Store...

by Tasha
(Raeford, NC)

I couldn't reach a jar of juice while shopping at a grocery store and so I asked one of the workers to get the juice for me. As he was getting the juice, the shelf beside him collapsed and all the glass juice jars came crashing down in front of me (about 15 jars). The glass jars hit my legs and cut my feet. I had a piece of glass in one of my toes and my flip flops were full of glass.

They sat me down and got the glass off my shoes, legs, and feet. Then they had me soak my feet in epsom salt and gave me a $25 gift card.

Can I sue a grocery store if glass juice jars fell off the shelf, hurting my legs and cutting my feet? What should be my next step? Thanks.

Disclaimer: Information provided in your response is not formal legal advice, it is generic legal information and is based on the very limited information given in your question. You should always get a formal case evaluation from a licensed attorney.

ANSWER for "Cut by Glass Jars at a Grocery Store...":

Tasha (Raeford, NC):

Anyone can file a lawsuit. The question is, if a lawsuit is filed, what are the chances of prevailing? Unless the cuts required stitching and may result in permanent scarring, there is not a whole lot you can sue for.

To be successful in a lawsuit a person must have “damages”. Damages normally include medical bills, or lost wages, out of pocket expenses, pain and suffering, or a combination of them all.

In your case it appears your damages are minimal, if any. To be completely sure you have covered all bases, you should visit with your local doctor, podiatrist, and possibly plastic surgeon. Be sure you will not require additional medical treatment.

If you were to file suit against the store you would probably file the suit in your local Small Claims Court. Small Claims Courts exist primarily to serve people without the intervention of Attorneys. Your case doesn’t seem to require Attorney’s intervention. It also doesn’t appear you have sufficient grounds for a lawsuit.

The assistance the store already gave to you at the time of the injury, and the additional $25.00 gift card seem to be a fair trade off at this point. As long as everything else pans out you should be back to normal.

Since laws change frequently and across jurisdictions you should get a personalized case evaluation from an attorney licensed in your state (if you haven't already). Find an experienced local attorney to give you a FREE personalized case review here.

Best of luck,

Law Guy

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