Michigan Shopping Cart Injury Lawsuit Lawyers

Our shopping cart injury lawyers help people who suffer serious injuries at grocery stores and major retail stores. The injuries caused by shopping carts are often catastrophic to both adults and children.

An experienced premises liability lawyer at Buckfire Law will help you receive fair compensation for your injuries caused by the negligence of the store and its employees.

• Reasons For Shopping Cart Accidents
• What To Do After a Shopping Cart Injury
• Can I Sue For a Shopping Cart Accident?
• How Much Can I Get in a Settlement Payout?

How much do Shopping Carts Weigh?

A standard steel shopping cart weighs about 70 pounds and plastic ones weigh approximately 50 pounds. These carts weigh much more with items in them. And because they are on wheels and moving, the impact of a heavy cart on a person’s body can cause a major injury.

In addition, multiple carts are often hooked together by store employees in both the parking lot or inside the store for ease of transport. However, when these carts are stuck together and attached, the weight is often several hundred pounds. A person hit by a shopping cart train will rarely walk away without being hurt and requiring medical care and treatment.

Reasons for Shopping Cart Accidents

Shopping carts are a necessity for grocery shopping and use in other major retail stores. While great for convenience, they do pose a serious risk of injury and harm to store customers and patrons.

There are many reasons for shopping cart accidents that cause injury and harm, including:

• Carts left by customers on areas with ramps and inclines that roll away and strike people
• Careless customers pushing their carts and striking other customers
• Stray carts not properly secured or restrained
• Employees striking people with shopping cart trains
• Carts with damaged wheels and parts

A major cause of shopping cart accidents results from employees pushing multiple carts at one time and negligently striking a customer or store patron. These “shopping cart trains” have great weight and force when being pushed or pulled and cause serious injuries when they hit someone.

Common Injuries from Being Hit by a Cart

A person hit by a shopping cart can sustain a serious injury due to the size, weight, speed, and force of a moving cart. Common injuries include:

1. Cuts and lacerations;
2. Fracture bones, like broken arms and legs
3. Shoulder injury, like torn rotator cuff
4. Back injuries, especially to the lumbar spine
5. Neck injuries, to the cervical spine
6. Knee injuries, including ACL and MCL tears
7. Concussions and head injuries from knockdowns

Many injuries require medical treatment, including surgery and hospitalization. A trip to the grocery store can result in an unsuspecting injury that is life-changing.

What to Do After a Shopping Cart Injury

There are several things you can do after a shopping cart injury that are helpful to a personal injury lawyer. If possible, we suggest you do the following:

• File an incident or accident report with the store
• Get the names of eyewitnesses and store employees
• Take photos or videos of the carts and the area of the accident

Our experienced attorneys will also gather the evidence needed to win your case.

Can I Sue for a Shopping Cart Accident?

You can sue the store for a shopping cart accident if it was negligent or if a store employee caused your injury. The theories of liability in lawsuits are similar to other personal injury cases.

Shopping cart lawsuits are often based on the liability of the store for the negligence of an employee. For example, a grocery store can be held if it fails to train an employee on proper cart safety procedures and the employee ends up hitting a customer with a long train of carts.

Many stores set a limit to the number of carts that an employee can push at one time. This is because it is often impossible to stop a long train once it gets in motion going forward. And, the sheer weight of a long train is very likely to cause a serious injury if it strikes someone.

Another legal theory is a defect with the shopping cart itself. For example, a broken wheel can cause a collision or result in the cart tipping over and causing an injury, especially to a child.

Finally, it may be possible to even sue a customer that hits you with the cart. Customers have a legal duty to act in a safe and reasonable manner and can be held liable for their own negligence. The homeowner insurance company for the customer may pay you a settlement.

How much can I get in a Settlement Payout?

A shopping cart injury settlement payout depends on a number of factors. These include the degree of negligence by the store, employee, or other customers, the seriousness of the physical injury, the degree of mental anguish, and the type of medical treatment received by the victim.

Medical records and testimony are used to support such claims. Money damages can include compensation for physical pain and suffering, mental distress, loss of earnings, and medical bills. There is no set guideline or settlement calculator and each case is determined on its own merits.

Shopping Cart Settlement Example

A 71-year-old Michigan man was struck by a shopping cart train in the parking lot of a large Michigan retail store. He fell to the ground and suffered injuries to his hip and neck, both of which required surgeries.

The lawsuit alleged negligence by the employee, improper training, the failure to follow required written policies and procedures. The store agreed to pay the injured man a settlement of $425,000.

No Fee Unless You Win Lawyers

The Buckfire Law Firm will represent you under our No Fee Promise. This means you pay no legal fees unless you win a settlement. And, we pay all of the case costs and expenses. If your case is unsuccessful for any reason, you owe us nothing. We put that in writing for you!

Contact a Shopping Cart Injury Attorney Today

Get started today by contacting an experienced shopping cart accident attorney at the Buckfire Law Firm. Our experienced personal injury lawyers will listen to your story and start working on your case immediately. There are strict time deadlines for filing lawsuits so call us now!