Can I Sue If Fell In A Store While Wearing A Mask?

Hi, it's Attorney Ryan McKeen from Connecticut Trial Firm and I'm here to talk to you today about personal injury claims that we're seeing in Covid-19 that we never saw before.   

The number one claim that we're seeing is folks who are wearing masks in stores, tripping over things, displays cracks in the pavement. Unmarked dangers on the floor that didn't happen before because the masks obstruct people's vision and they obstruct people's vision, particularly looking down.   

And how does this play out legally? Well, on April 20th, governor Lamont ordered that anybody who's going into a store should be wearing a mask. And that's an oversimplification of the order. But it, it's an essence of the order you should or have to be wearing a mask when you are going into a store. So that gives stores and retail establishment knowledge that people are going to be coming into their business wearing masks.  

And really what stores have to do is look at anything that could be a trip hazard. And you know, we don't expect things to be fixed overnight or anything like that, but notice has to be given signage, warnings, cones, all of those things are really easy.   Things that stores can, can put out just doing a walkthrough and, and noticing maybe displays that are, that are are low to the ground, that could present trip hazards and removing those displays or altering the displays or providing warnings.  

 So we're seeing a lot of folks who are getting injured in stores that weren't before. And the law is pretty clear.   The law is that if a landowner knew or should have known that this was a dangerous condition, then they could be held responsible for the damages from a fall on the property, which that's been law for hundreds of years in Connecticut.  

Nothing has changed. And what has changed is now that stores really have noticed by governor Lamont's order that these trip hazards exist and they should remove them, or they should warn customers. Those are the things that landlords should be done.   So if you have been hurt at a store, wearing a mask, you know, you should call a personal injury lawyer and at least get your case assessed.   

Look, not every fall case is a case.   There's a whole number of factors. But it's worth getting your case assessed by somebody who does this work and by somebody who can understand you know, understand all the various factors at play.   

And there may or may not be a case, but we see folks often break collar bones and get very significantly injured by falls. So these can be very serious cases with lifelong impacts.   

And if you have any questions, you can give us a call and we're here for you 24/7. Call us (860) 471-8333  

Learn More:  https://cttrialfirm.com/glastonbury-s..