Black Friday Injuries: When is the Store at Fault?

According to the National Retail Federation, more than 90 million people shopped on Black Friday, with the most significant percentage visiting brick-and-mortar stores. People wait outside some stores overnight, waiting for the doors to open to grab great deals. Unfortunately, the mad rush to get into the store can lead to injuries. A personal injury lawyer in Las Vegas says that it is more than likely that the store will be held at fault if you are injured on Black Friday.

 

OSHA Guidelines

After a Black Friday incident in which a security guard was trampled to death resulting in a $2 million settlement, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a set of guidelines for retailers to use on Black Friday. Stores cannot block or lock exit doors and trained security personnel hired if large crowds are expected. Retail stores should use barricades or lines some distance from the store’s entrance and crowd control measures implemented before customers begin showing up. When the store reaches maximum occupancy, no other customers may be admitted, and emergency procedures must be in place. Even if all of these are in place, a personal injury lawyer in Las Vegas says, if you are injured at a store on Black Friday, the business may still be at fault.

 

Common Black Friday Injuries

There are many ways you can be injured on Black Friday, the best personal injury Lawyer Las Vegas says. You can slip and fall at the entrance, or you could be pushed by a crowd trying to get inside the store. If it is raining, you could slip on wet pavement or the tile flooring of the store. You could even be injured in a fight over products in the store, even if you are a bystander. All of these are examples of injuries that may be deemed the fault of the business as they are issues that should have been anticipated before the Black Friday sale.

If you are injured at a Black Friday sale, you must speak to a personal injury lawyer in Las Vegas as soon as possible. You can set up a no-obligation appointment by calling the Schnitzer Law Firm at 702-960-4050, send us an email at Contact@TheSchnitzerLawFrim.com or fill out the secure online form to see what rights you may have.