This case involves a man in Ohio who suffered serious and permanent injuries after a slip and fall accident in a supermarket. At the time of the incident in question, the man was shopping in the canned goods aisle of the store. The aisle had experienced a significant spill of vegetable oil that extended the entire length of the aisle, and the aisle had been blocked off with a cone at one end but not the other. The man was not aware of the spill when he entered the aisle, since there were no additional cones or warning signs in place to indicate the dangerous condition to shoppers. As a result, the man slipped on the oil and fell, suffering a traumatic brain injury that has severely impacted his day-to-day life.
Question(s) For Expert Witness
1. Do you have extensive experience managing supermarkets?
2. Are you familiar with with proper steps and protocols that need to be followed in order to prevent accidents?
3. Has a customer ever been injured after slipping on a spill at a supermarket you managed?
Expert Witness Response E-023913
I have extensive experience in managing big box stores furnished with grocery departments complete with food, drinks and liquid spill-able products. Having managed such facilities for years, I know the procedures customarily used to prevent further accidents subsequent to a spill and have written operations policies for such incidents. I have been deposed on several occasions, both as an expert witness and as the manager of a retail chain. In the course of my long career, I have managed many slips and falls while running stores. This is an inherent risk of the industry, however there are generally accepted best practices that should be put in place to prevent such accidents from occurring.
About the author
Joseph O'Neill
Joe has extensive experience in online journalism and technical writing across a range of legal topics, including personal injury, meidcal malpractice, mass torts, consumer litigation, commercial litigation, and more. Joe spent close to six years working at Expert Institute, finishing up his role here as Director of Marketing. He has considerable knowledge across an array of legal topics pertaining to expert witnesses. Currently, Joe servces as Owner and Demand Generation Consultant at LightSail Consulting.
