If you slip and fall near a supermarket deli or bakery counter in Oxford Circle, Philadelphia, the store may be responsible for your injuries. Shoppers stand and wait at these counters while employees fill their orders. Drips, crumbs, and parked carts often end up on the same small stretch of floor. If the store is at fault, you may recover money for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
At Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer, our Oxford Circle, Philadelphia slip and fall accident lawyers represent people hurt in supermarkets and grocery stores. This discussion explains why the floor near these counters is risky and what to do after a slip and fall accident.
The Supermarket on the Western Edge of Philadelphia’s Oxford Circle
Oxford Circle is a rowhouse neighborhood in lower Northeast Philadelphia. Most of its brick-and-stone homes were built by the Hyman Korman Company, starting in the early 1940s and continuing into the 1950s. These rowhouses fill a tight grid of residential streets.
ACME Markets, a mid-size chain supermarket, is located on Oxford Avenue, the street that forms the neighborhood’s western edge. The store is open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. every day. Its departments include fresh produce, meat, seafood, and a pharmacy. The Service Deli and the Bakery both serve customers from staffed counters.
How Do Parked Shopping Carts Create Hazards at an Oxford Circle Deli Counter?
Carts parked beside a deli counter can leave other shoppers with only a narrow space to walk through. That space often runs along the base of the display case, where drips from prepared foods tend to land.
At a service deli, customers usually keep their carts with them while employees slice and weigh each order. Carts can gather the same way at the bakery counter. Both counters also draw foot traffic into the aisle around them.
A cart parked at an angle can trip a passing shopper. Items dropped in that narrow space can also cause a slip and fall accident.
How Can a Spill Near the Deli Case Go Unnoticed?
The employees closest to a spill often cannot see it. Workers behind a tall display case face the customer, leaving the floor on the shopper’s side out of view.
Food handed over the top of the case can drip or crumble onto the floor. The spill might be juice from sliced meat, dressing from a deli salad, or icing from a pastry. On a polished floor, a small smear can be hard to see against the shine. Shoppers who notice it may step around it without telling anyone, leaving it in place for the next person.
A slick patch near the counter can also be left uncleaned, and shoppers may walk right into it if no warning sign is in view.
What Makes Carrying a Party Tray or Cake Box Risky?
Large orders block your view of the floor and leave you no free hand to catch yourself. The deli at this ACME prepares party trays and platters, and the bakery takes custom cake orders.
A tray or cake box carried flat at chest height hides the tile just ahead of your feet. If you slip, you cannot grab a cart or the counter to steady yourself, making a hard fall more likely. A heavy order can also make it harder to keep your balance if your foot starts to slide. Because pickup orders are handed over at the counter, you start walking away from the same spot where drips and parked carts tend to gather.
Are Supermarket Floor Falls Only a Risk for Older Shoppers?
No, falls on floors injure working-age adults in large numbers as well. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission tracked emergency room visits for fall injuries involving floors from 2017 through 2021. Adults ages 25 to 64 accounted for an estimated 2,284,800 of those injuries, or about 456,960 a year. The same report, which focuses on adults 65 and older, found that their injury rate from floor falls was about 6.3 times the rate for adults 25 to 64.
How Can You Protect Your Claim After a Fall Near the Counter?
Report the fall to a manager and take photos right away, before anyone cleans the floor. Capture the spill or crumbs, the display case, and any carts in the aisle, and note whether a warning sign was nearby. See a doctor as soon as you can, even if the pain seems minor at first. Tell the doctor how the fall happened, and keep every follow-up appointment.
Ask for a written incident report, and collect the names of shoppers or counter staff who saw you fall. Keep your receipt, which shows when you were in the store. Write down what you remember while it is fresh, including where you were standing and what you were carrying. Set aside the shoes and clothes you were wearing, and do not wash or clean them.
You do not need to handle these steps alone. If your injuries kept you from taking them, our slip and fall accident attorneys at Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer can step in to help with your claim.
Frequently Asked Questions About Supermarket Fall Claims in Oxford Circle, Philadelphia
- How Soon Can a Claim Against a Supermarket Be Resolved?
Some settle within a few months after medical treatment ends, whereas others take much longer. A serious injury or a dispute over what caused the fall usually adds time.
- Is the Store Responsible for the Floor Around Its Service Counters?
Yes. Pennsylvania premises liability law requires a store to keep the areas shoppers use in a reasonably safe condition, including the floor in front of its deli and bakery cases. If staff knew about a spill or other hazard there, or should have found it during a routine check, the store may be held liable for your injuries.
- Can My Health Insurance Pay My Medical Bills First After a Supermarket Fall?
Usually your own health insurance pays first. If the claim succeeds, the settlement or award can include your past medical expenses, and an insurer that already paid them may ask to be reimbursed from it.
If You Fell in a Supermarket, Contact Our Oxford Circle, Philadelphia Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers at Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer
When a fall near a supermarket deli or bakery counter leaves you injured, reach out to the Oxford Circle, Philadelphia slip and fall accident lawyers at Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer. We will work to find out what was on the floor near the counter and whether store employees should have cleaned it up before your fall. 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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