Richard D. DiTomaso | Lawyers.com | December 21, 2018
Premises liability covers injuries from accidents that happen on someone’s property. A huge part of premises liability involves slip and fall accidents. In a potential slip and fall accident, you may be walking down a grocery store aisle and step in a slippery substance. You fall hard and wind up with a significant injury to your head, brain, or bones.
The injury turns out to be a serious setback for you. You are unable to work for months while you mend. You have doctor bills, but no income to pay them. That is premises liability from your point of view. However, it is a very different story from the grocery store owner’s point of view.
The Challenge Facing Supermarkets and Stores
Big supermarkets and box stores do not set out to injure customers, and they certainly do not want to be sued by injured customers. To prevent accidents and lawsuits, they are turning to high-technology approaches that allow them to see trouble coming before it happens.
One sensor-driven application that is seeking to reduce injuries and ensuing litigation is Argo Risk Tech, which keeps an eye on dangerous locations in a store, restaurant, or other business. The real-time database allows workers to record inspection metrics and automated alerts.
Argo Risk Tech allows employees to check off danger points on their cell phones. Traditional inspection in the past involved one worker with a clipboard. Argo Risk Tech deploys sensors that act as inspectors. If there’s a spill in aisle three, it is likely to be detected in moments to inform staff of a cleanup.
The application can even check temperatures of refrigerated areas to ensure that the refrigeration is on target, and the food is safe. It can even photograph and date danger areas to prove their commitment to safety.
The Limitations of Technology
However, the question arises if sensor-based safety technology spells an end to in-store injuries and subsequent lawsuits. Argo Risk Tech will help put businesses on their toes about dangers arising on their properties, but there are many dangers that do not lend themselves to this kind of detection because environments are always changing, and danger is not always predictable.
The following examples include:
A runaway shopping cart in the parking lot
Thin levels of ice on the sidewalk
Shelves collapsing without warning
Chemical spills
Forklift accidents
Window glass breaking when a child leans against it
You can supply your property with hundreds of sensors, but stores must still pay attention to all the data flowing in. Many large stores are already utilizing sensor technology to prevent slip and falls and other premises liability accidents. However, when you are injured and need compensation to pay your medical bills and other expenses, you will still need to work with a knowledgeable slip and fall attorney who cares about your future and recovery.