At a two-level supermarket in Center City, Philadelphia, slip and fall accidents are often caused by hazards where shoppers and carts move between floors. Escalator landings, cart lifts, ramps, and elevator doorways can all become dangerous when they are wet or cluttered. If you were injured in one of these spots, the company that runs the store may be responsible.
Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer represents Center City shoppers injured in slip and fall accidents on store escalators, ramps, and wet floors.
How Do Shoppers Move Between Floors in a Two-Level Center City Store?
Shoppers usually ride an escalator or elevator, and some stores add a separate lift for carts. Giant Riverwalk is one example of this layout on Center City’s west side. It is located at 60 N. 23rd Street. Opened in March 2021, the store occupies the ground and second floors of a residential high-rise at 23rd and Arch Streets.
Its main sales floor is upstairs, and a cart lift returns shopping carts to the ground level. As a result, every trip to the sales floor includes a ride up and a ride down. The surrounding blocks are a dense walking area, so many shoppers may arrive on foot.
What Makes the Floor at Either End of a Store Escalator Hazardous?
The landing is hazardous because shoppers must step from moving steps onto a still floor, often with their hands full. Any water or clutter there makes a fall more likely, especially for shoppers looking at signs instead of their feet. At Giant Riverwalk, the escalator takes shoppers to the second floor, where most of the shopping happens.
Displays or stacked products placed too close to an escalator can leave little room to step clear. Shoppers may then stop right at the landing while riders behind them keep arriving, which can knock people off balance. A shopper who slips there can fall onto the moving steps or the hard floor, causing severe injuries.
How Can a Cart Lift or Ramp Lead to a Fall in Philadelphia’s Center City?
Both put heavy carts and shoppers close together, which can lead to trips and collisions. At Giant Riverwalk, the cart lift is located near the checkouts. Where a cart lift returns carts to the ground level, carts can bunch up at the pickup point. Shoppers may need to squeeze between them, often while looking for their own cart instead of watching where they walk.
On a sloped ramp between levels, a loaded cart can pull a shopper forward on the way down. Elevators that do not stop level with the floor can leave a small ledge at the door, where a shoe or cart wheel can catch.
How Does Rain From the Street End Up on an Upstairs Sales Floor?
Shoppers arriving on foot along 23rd Street track rainwater in on their shoes and umbrellas. In a two-level store, they carry it up the escalator or elevator to the sales floor. An entrance mat soaks up some of that water, but shoes and umbrellas can keep dripping past the door.
Therefore, on a rainy day, the upstairs escalator and elevator landings can stay wet as well. Smooth floors can become slick with even a thin layer of water. A mat that has shifted or curled at the edges can also cause a trip. Warning signs and extra mats near the escalators can help prevent falls.
Why Are Narrow Aisles More Dangerous When a Store Is Crowded?
Narrow aisles leave less room to avoid a spill or an obstacle. A crowd of carts can also hide the floor ahead. Giant Riverwalk opened with more floor space than most Center City supermarkets. A leaking bottle or broken jar can spread across most of a tight aisle, leaving little dry floor to step on.
Restocking during open hours can leave boxes and stocking carts in the aisle, blocking part of the walkway. Shoppers squeezing past them may have little view of what is on the floor. At peak times, many people may walk past a small spill before anyone reports it to an employee.
How Serious Can a Store Fall Be for Older Shoppers?
A slip and fall accident in a store can be very serious for older adults, especially when it breaks a hip. A CDC study recorded 318,797 emergency department visits related to hip fractures among U.S. adults 65 and older in 2019. The same study found 290,130 hospitalizations and 7,731 deaths related to hip fractures in that age group.
Older shoppers at Giant Riverwalk who feel unsteady on an escalator can take the elevator to the second floor. After any fall, get checked by a doctor right away, even if the pain seems mild.
What Records Can Show How a Fall Occurred Inside a Center City, Philadelphia, Store?
Camera video, floor inspection logs, and equipment service records can all help show what happened. Store camera systems can record over old video within days. Floor inspection logs can show when employees last checked the sales floor and the landings. In a two-level store such as Giant Riverwalk, equipment service records may cover each escalator, elevator, and cart lift.
Before you leave the store, photograph the spot where you fell and any water or objects on the floor. Ask a manager to write an incident report as well. Request a copy for your records. If you made a purchase, keep the receipt because its timestamp shows you were in the store.
Our Center City, Philadelphia slip and fall accident attorneys can ask the store in writing to preserve this evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions About Two-Level Supermarket Falls in Center City, Philadelphia
- Do I Have a Case Against a Center City Supermarket After a Fall?
Possibly, if the fall injured you and the store created the hazard, knew about it, or should have found it during routine floor checks. It is much harder to hold the store responsible for a fall caused solely by a misstep, with no defect or spill on the floor.
- What Losses Can a Supermarket Fall Claim Cover in Center City?
You can usually seek money for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Compensation for scarring and for the loss of activities you enjoyed before the fall may be part of the personal injury claim as well.
- How Are My Medical Bills Paid Before the Claim Is Settled?
Usually by your own health insurance, which pays as you receive care. If the store’s insurer later pays a settlement or verdict, your health plan may ask to be repaid from that money for what it covered.
If You Fell on a Store Escalator or Ramp, Contact Our Center City, Philadelphia Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers at Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer
If a fall on a store escalator, cart ramp, or wet sales floor injured you, reach out to our Center City, Philadelphia slip and fall accident lawyers at Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer. Call 215-985-0138 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. Located in Philadelphia, as well as Cherry Hill and Marlton, NJ, we assist clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
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