Did You Get Hurt at a Florida Black Friday Sale? What You Can Do

Thanksgiving is a great holiday, but some people look forward the most to the day after Thanksgiving. They’re hoping to take advantage of some major deals at stores in their area.

Referred to as “Black Friday”, the day after Thanksgiving marks the official start of the Christmas shopping season. Often, retailers offer great prices on big-ticket items that people have a hard time passing up. The problem is, sales and quantities are limited, which whip shoppers into a fever pitch to score the best deals.

Unfortunately, this had led to some big problems, namely when it comes to the safety of shoppers. The National Retail Foundation estimates that over 114 million people will shop on Black Friday. But since the numbers started being tracked in 2006, there have been 11 people killed as a result of accidents on Black Friday – and many more than that injured.

If you get injured this Black Friday, what should you do? Here’s what you need to be on the lookout for to stay safe, plus the steps you can take to recoup damages if you are injured.

Most Common Black Friday Injuries

The most common injuries sustained on Black Friday include:

• Parking lot injuries – Parking lots are full, and people are simultaneously in cars looking for places to park and walking through aisles to get to the entrance. This can lead to injuries from both car accidents and pedestrian accidents in the parking lot before you even get to the store!
• Stampede – Though many retailers have taken steps to reduce the initial rush through the doors, it still happens. If you fall down or get caught up in a group of people, you can get crushed and injured.
• Falling items – Sale items are stacked high on shelves during sales, and, if something falls on you, then you can sustain major injuries of the head and body.
• Fights – Fights between customers do happen and can lead to injury.

Tips To Stay Safe

There are a few things you can do to stay safe if you’re braving the Black Friday crowds to win those deals. You should:

• Exercise self-care – Stay hydrated, get plenty of rest, and make sure to stay aware of your surroundings and people around you.
• Be defensive – When it comes to both driving and shopping, you should try to anticipate the actions of those around you to keep yourself safe.
• Ask for help – If there’s something you want but cannot reach, or if it’s too heavy, ask for help from an employee so you don’t injure yourself.

What to Do If You’re Injured

If, despite your best efforts, you are injured while shopping on Black Friday, there may be some things you can do to help cover medical costs and get the damages to which you may be entitled.

In order for a party to be held responsible, it must be shown that they were negligent, which means they should have known about the danger and done things to help prevent it. If you are injured, make sure to seek medical care as soon as possible for your own safety and to document your injuries. If there were witnesses, make sure to get their contact information. And, finally, contact an experienced attorney to see if you have a case. It’s possible that you can be compensated for the injuries you sustained.

About the Author:

Andrew Winston is a partner at the personal injury law firm of Winston Law. For over 20 years, he has successfully represented countless people in all kinds of personal injury cases, with a particular focus on child injury, legal malpractice, and premises liability. He has been recognized for excellence in the representation of injured clients by admission to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and named one of America’s Top 100 High-Stakes Litigators. Mr. Winston is AV Preeminent Rated by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, enjoys a 10.0 rating by AVVO as a Top Personal Injury Attorney, has been selected as a Florida “SuperLawyer” from 2011-2020 – an honor reserved for the top 5% of lawyers in the state – was voted to Florida Trend’s ”Legal Elite,” recognized by Expertise as one of the 20 Best Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys, named one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the Miami area for 2015-2017, and one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Florida for 2015-2017 and 2019.