Slip and Fall at Coffee Shop Causes Significant Injury

ByMichael Talve, CEO

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Updated onOctober 27, 2017

Slip and Fall at Coffee Shop Causes Significant Injury

This case involves an injury to a woman who, while playing an augmented reality game in the cafe, slipped and fell on a wet floor at an urban coffee shop. The plaintiff, a twenty-nine-year-old female, became severely injured after slipping on coffee. The coffee was spilled by a customer after they accidentally dropped it in the entranceway of the coffee shop. Half of the coffee spilled on the rug which customers were to wipe their feet on as they entered the shop, and the other half fell on the tile floor. Subsequently, an employee collected the rug to take it in the back for cleaning but did not mop up the remaining coffee on the floor. The employee also failed to place a warning sign on the floor indicating that the surface was wet. Shortly thereafter, the plaintiff entered the coffee store. Upon entering, she slipped on the remaining coffee, and, as a result of her fall, the plaintiff suffered a fractured tailbone and broken wrist. Additionally, she has missed a substantial amount of work due to hospital treatments and doctor’s appointments.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Should the coffee shop have placed a warning sign indicating that the area was wet and/or cleaned up the wet floor immediately?

Expert Witness Response

inline imageMaintaining the upkeep of a store is an important part of any business. In many cases, such as the one here, it is crucial to providing a safe environment for the store’s customers. Typically, businesses will have procedures for how to deal with incidents. This usually entails marking a wet area with a caution sign, and cleaning up the mess promptly before someone can become injured. While the employee did pick up and remove the wet rug, he failed to mark or clean the remainder of the surface impacted by the spill. As a result, a customer was injured when she unknowingly stepped on the wet surface. Based on these facts, it appears that a warning sign should have been placed at the area of the spill and the coffee should have been mopped up in a timelier manner. However, in order to give a definitive answer, a full review of the circumstances, including training, any literature distributed to employees, and pictures of the coffee shop in question, is needed. I have over twenty-five years of relevant experience, with fourteen years experience as the manager of a coffee shop and eleven years managing a restaurant. As such, I know the procedures and guidelines for dealing with restaurant safety and food-shop maintenance.

About the author

Michael Talve, CEO

Michael Talve, CEO

Michael Talve stands at the forefront of legal innovation as the CEO and Managing Director of Expert Institute. Under his leadership, the Expert Institute has established itself as a vital player in the legal technology arena, revolutionizing how lawyers connect with world-class experts and access advanced legal technology. Michael's role involves not only steering the company's strategic direction but also ensuring the delivery of unparalleled intelligence and cutting-edge solutions to legal professionals. His work at Expert Institute has been instrumental in enhancing the capabilities of attorneys in case preparation and execution, making a significant impact on the legal industry's approach to expert consultation and technological integration. Michael's vision and execution have positioned the Expert Institute as a key facilitator in the intersection of law and technology.

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