Home Depot Personal Injury Cases

Businesses of all sizes have a duty of care for their employees and customers. When they fail to provide that duty of care, it can result in personal injury and injury cases against the business. No matter what the business does in regards to employee training and implementing safety measures to protect customers, no one can ever be 100% safe in any business.

Home Depot is one such big-box retailer that sells home improvement products, construction materials, appliances, tools, and other such items. The retailer has more than 2,200 stores across the United States.

If you have ever been inside a Home Depot store—or a Lowe’s store, for that matter—you know there is a lot of activity going on. Forklifts are moving products up and down aisles. Aisles are blocked off and then reopened. There are tall shelves stacked up almost to the ceiling in some cases.

There are saws and other equipment the employees use to assist customers. Customers are moving around with shopping carts and flatbeds. With all the flourish of activity, accidents and claims against Home Depot for personal injuries have occurred.

This is not to say that Home Depot doesn’t care about the safety of its employees or customers or attempting to maintain safe conditions. However, what we have found is that often, with injury cases, management and employees made decisions about safety and lacked sufficient experience to make those decisions. Those decisions put employees and customers at risk.

Personal Injury Claims Against Home Depot

Some of the different types of Home Depot accidents that have led to premises liability injury lawsuits against the company include:

• Defective Products
• Slip and Fall Injuries
• Excessive Force by Store Security
• Falling Products
• Delivery Driver Accidents
• Parking Lot Accidents
• Forklift Accidents

Just because someone suffered an injury and filed a lawsuit against Home Depot does not mean they won their claim. Home Depot, just like other big-box retailers, is going to fight against frivolous lawsuits. However, they are reasonable and will provide compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, loss of wages, etc. on legitimate Home Depot personal injury cases where the company was negligent in some manner.

What Does Negligent Mean?

In general, negligent means that Home Depot failed to provide a duty of care to its employees or its customers in some manner that resulted in a dangerous condition that caused an accident and personal injuries.

The accident typically would have taken place on Home Depot property, although sometimes the accident may be off-property, such as if it occurred during a delivery to a home or business. To file a lawsuit against Home Depot and potentially have a successful outcome, the plaintiff must prove one or more of the following:

• A dangerous condition was created by the management or employees that resulted in an injury at Home Depot.
• Home Depot failed to provide sufficient warnings of a potentially hazardous situation.
• Home Depot failed to correct prior problems to avoid creating an unsafe condition.
• Home Depot was aware that an unsafe condition existed but failed to resolve the issue.

Establishing negligence can be difficult to do on your own. Successful cases rely on obtaining legal assistance from a qualified personal injury law firm.

Steps to Take When Injured at Home Depot

There are specific steps you will need to take after sustaining injuries at Home Depot. Failing to follow these steps does not necessarily mean you cannot file an injury claim, yet proving negligence may be more difficult.

1. Take pictures of the area where you were injured. Pictures can be hard to refute when presented as evidence.
2. Get contact details for any witnesses. If anyone else saw the accident, get their contact information, including their name and phone number.
3. File an accident report with Home Depot. The store will not have any idea you were injured if you do not file an accident report with them.
4. Seek medical treatment. Even for minor injuries, it is highly recommended to seek medical treatment. You might have internal injuries you may not notice immediately following the accident.
5. Contact a personal injury lawyer. Schedule a free consultation with an accident injury lawyer to discuss your case.

How Home Depot Handles Accident Report Claims

Home Depot has its own legal department that specifically deals with accidents and injuries to their employees and customers. They are skilled at attempting to get you to settle for the least amount possible when you try to negotiate a settlement on your own.

Often, the amount offered is far less than the amount of compensation you could be entitled to receive. In addition, Home Depot has its own claims adjusters who will attempt to interview you and get you to admit you were partially or fully at fault. If they are successful, then you may receive little to no compensation whatsoever.

As such, it is always in your best interest to get legal help and assistance from an experienced personal injury law firm like Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. We offer a free consultation. Should you have grounds for a lawsuit, we will take your case on a contingency basis.

You do not have to pay out of pocket for legal representation upfront. If we cannot reach a settlement or win your case against Home Depot, you owe us nothing. To schedule your free consultation, contact us now!