Personal Injury a Possibility in a Crowded Store
by Bill Bean
(Indianapolis, IN)
One place I haven't seen any ads for attorneys is on shopping carts. I'm pretty sure people aren't thinking about personal injury law in the grocery store or at the mall but there is a real risk of harm being done by negligent shoppers.
As I navigated the aisles of my favorite big box store I suddenly became aware of the potential danger surrounding me. At holiday time we're more in tune with the potential lunacy of last minute shoppers.
Remember the tragedies this past season? Stampedes of frenzied bargain hunters resulted in the deaths of three people. I'll suggest that weekends at your favorite big box store can be scary as well.
Shopping cart drivers come in all types. Some folks are slow. Some are fast. Both can be reckless. Age is also a factor.Extremely young or old have a propensity to be unaware of their surroundings at times.The young haven't learned how to handle the cart. Older pushers simply don't care. Get out of their way!
There is likely a correlation between actual driving and cart handling. Given that probable relationship I'm surprised any of us survive past 50.
The shopping carts at some of these stores are not small either. These SUV sized transports are not to be trifled with. One of those walk behind railroad cars, heavily laden with dog food, cases of beer, and yard fertilizer, can do some serious damage to a pair of feet clad only in flip flops. Steel toed boots would probably be a better option when the store is crowded.
Motorized carts add a whole extra level of danger. One of those things can take out a small family or couple.
Your own kids are also a potential hazard. Bless their hearts, they want to be momma's little helper but that child will roll a cart up the back of your leg or right over your foot. Sometimes I do it to myself. I tend to walk in front of my cart, pulling it along. I don't run in to anyone this way but I have occasionally taken some skin off my own foot.
Distracted cart pushers, just as with drivers, are special dangers as well. People, apparently talking to themselves about the latest episode of their favorite television show or celebrity break-up, are not watching out for your safety. In the middle of an important conversation, they don't have time for common courtesy or common sense. Pull over and let them pass.
My suggestion is to add shopping cart traffic cops. On a really hectic day cart rage is a real possibility. Add some screaming children to the mix and some poor parent at the end of their rope could snap. A police presence in that moment could save a life.
Shopping cart craziness is kind of funny but in all seriousness I'd like to see people pay a little more attention to what they're doing when they get behind the buggy. Just to be safe, I'll have some attorney phone numbers with me next time.
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Bill Bean doesn't know anything about legal matters and hopes to avoid the need for an Indiana personal injury attorney or a trip to the emergency room during the holidays.
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