Texas AutoZone Accident Attorney

For most car owners who take an active hands-on approach to auto maintenance a trip to Autozone is a regular occurrence. Even if you don’t like to get your hands dirty, you might occasionally need to visit your local auto store for essential items such as motor oil or windshield wiper fluid. Whatever the case may be, you never plan on getting injured while shopping at Autozone or an auto part’s store.

Unfortunately, Autozone slip and fall accidents have become quite common. Customers often end up encountering several in-store hazards that can lead to serious injuries. If you or someone you know was involved in an accident while shopping at Autozone and ended up experiencing a debilitating injury you should seek help from an experienced Autozone accident attorney.

Top Potential Hazards At Autozone Stores

Autozone is one of the top aftermarket automotive part dealers in the United States. This retailer has experienced significant growth over the last few years. While retail stores like Autozone pride themselves on providing a safe shopping experience for all their customers sometimes they fall short. After all, in a store that stocks hundreds of auto parts, there are always safety concerns. While shopping at your local Autozone you might run into hazards such as:

• Mechanical tools and accessories left on the floors and blocking aisles
• Spilled coolant, motor oil, power steering fluid, or some other type of liquid that can make the floors slippery
• Cracked pavement in the parking lots or uneven concrete flooring
• Advertisement displays partially blocking the aisles
• Build up of oil or fluid in the parking lot
• Heavy objects on the top shelf

When the store manager and employees aren’t careful such safety concerns can lead to slip and fall accidents.

Who Is Responsible For A Slip and Fall Accident In Texas?

Texas has a premise liability law that requires all businesses to provide reasonably safe conditions for their customers. Property owners can be held liable if someone gets hurt due to dangerous conditions or hazards on the property that could have been prevented. Yes, under the premise liability law retail stores like Autozone will be held responsible for slip and fall accidents that occur.

If you are considering filing an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit the business owner will more than likely argue that you share a portion of the blame for your slip and fall accident. Comparative negligence is a tort law in Texas in which both parties can share the blame for an accident. If the property owner argument is successful a jury might find that you are at least thirty percent responsible for your fall and the property owner is 70% at fault. This can result in a significant reduction of your settlement amount. You might be partially at fault if:

• You were wearing inappropriate shoes that can be considered unsafe for the situation at the time of your accident
• Not paying attention while you were walking such as texting on your cellphone or looking back talking to someone
• You walked in an area that was cordoned off to customers

If it’s found that you bear at least fifty percent responsibility for your slip and fall accident you won’t be able to recover any compensation.

Proving Autozone’s Liability For Your Slip and Fall Accident Injuries

No doubt, claiming a retail store owner’s negligence is one thing but actually being able to prove it is a different matter. While every business in the state has a duty of care the injured customer has to be able to successfully prove that their injuries were directly caused by the business’s negligence.

For a successful claim you will have to show that:

• A hazardous or dangerous condition caused your injuries
• The owner was aware of the dangerous condition or should have known about it
• The store owner failed to eliminate the hazardous condition
• This hazardous condition is what caused your injuries
• You bear no fault for the injuries you suffered

Gathering Evidence You Need To Support Your Case

The key to a successful personal injury claim is the evidence you have in place which should start from the moment of your injury. If you were injured at an Autozone here are some important steps you should immediately take:

Fill out an incident report

The first step should be to fill out an incident report with the store manager. You shouldn’t leave the store without filling out an accident report. Don’t forget to obtain a copy of the report for your records.

• Take Pictures – Make sure you take clear pictures with your cell phone of the hazard or dangerous condition that actually caused your accident. This will be one of the strongest pieces of evidence that you have in your arsenal.
• Eyewitnesses – Were there any eyewitnesses on the scene? If any customers or employees on the scene saw the accident occur you should take down their information. You can ask any of the customers who witnessed it to write down exactly what they saw on paper and sign the document with their name and the date.

Past Autozone Slip and Fall Accident Cases

In the last five years, there have been two major Autozone slip and fall personal injury cases. In Pennsylvania, a man slipped and fell over spilled oil in an Autozone parking lot. He incurred serious injuries that required surgery. The customer ended up suing Autozone and a jury awarded him 432,000 for the injuries he had suffered.

In 2017 a Philadelphia woman was seriously injured when she slipped and fell on ice in the parking lot of her local Autozone in North Philly. The fall left her with a fractured and dislocated ankle. Her injuries eventually required surgery and she had to undergo months of physical therapy before she could even walk again. The woman was awarded $534,000 to account for the damages she suffered.

Should I Hire A Personal Injury Attorney?

Were you seriously injured in an accident at Autozone? When you file a personal injury claim against a nationwide retailer like Autozone you’ll need the help of a skilled Autozone accident attorney. As the accident victim, you will bear the burden of proving fault within your case and this will require expert legal guidance. An experienced personal injury attorney can help obtain damage for your slip and fall-related expenses such as medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering.

Zero Fee Guarantee

Here at Lone Star Injury Firm, we don’t charge you a dime unless we win your case. Through our zero fee guarantee policy we offer personal injury victims and their families in Texas risk-free legal help. If our firm isn’t successful at recovering damages through a settlement or a verdict we don’t collect any fees.

No Fee Second Opinion

You should never feel hesitant to obtain a second opinion on your personal injury case. If your case has been rejected by a couple of law firms in Texas and you are unsure if you have a solid legal case a second opinion can be valuable. Or perhaps you’ve already retained an attorney but have lost faith in their ability to win your case. Our no fee second opinion can help you determine whether you are on the right track to winning your personal injury claim.

Free Initial Consultation

When it comes to your Autozone accident case you probably have several questions. Take advantage of our free initial consultation which is a priceless opportunity to find out whether you have a case that qualifies for legal assistance. Also, during this initial consultation you’ll find out all the necessary steps you will have to take if you decide to move forward with pursuing legal action against the retailer.

The legal world can be complex and many of our clients have found that the free initial consultations we offer are often very informative. Contact us today to schedule an initial consultation to see how you might be able to hold this retailer liable for your accident.