Despite the popularity of online shopping, millions of Americans still prefer to go shopping at their local department store or supermarket in order to actually see what they want to purchase before making their purchase. Costco is a big box retailer that rivals the likes of Walmart, and it receives millions of shoppers across its thousands of branches across the country each week. What’s great about shopping at a large retailer like Costco is the ability to browse through endless rows of shelves so you can pick exactly what you need. However, these shelves often carry a hidden danger due to the number of goods they carry, and because of sometimes rushed stocking, these shelves can buckle under the weight and poor organization skills of workers and can send huge boxes flying down and onto an unsuspecting shoppers head or back. Injuries from falling merchandize can lead to some serious and life-changing injuries such as spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury, and these can cost a pretty penny when it comes to their treatment and rehabilitation, with the real possibility of you having to stay out of work for weeks and even months in order to make a full recovery. Immediately after your injury, Costco management may try to get you to sign a waiver while offering you a settlement worth a couple thousand of dollars. This is just about the worst thing you can agree to, because there are laws that will help you recover compensation to the tune of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, and we’re here to help you with this.

Are you looking for a best Costco injury attorney? The experienced countrywide premises liability Costco injury lawyers at McCready Law have for over 20 years helped thousands of individuals injured at department stores and residential areas recover compensation after becoming the unwitting victims of the negligent actions of other parties. McCready Law prides itself in having national reach, running a bilingual office (hablamos Espanol), providing personalized and attentive legal services to each client, as well as not being afraid to litigate cases if we believe we can get you a much higher dollar amount compared to insurance company negotiations which most law firms get into due to either limited experience when it comes to litigation, or lack of resources to take these cases to court. Injury claims against Costco are taken on on contingency fee basis, and what this means is that there are ZERO UPFRONT FEES for the duration of your claim, as we only recover our legal fees at the end of the process, and only if we’ve recovered compensation on your behalf. Regardless of where you are in the country, we can help: please call us NOW at 312-444-0214 to receive your 100% FREE legal consultation into your potential Costco injury claim so we can determine your Costco injury settlement amount – our intake team is standing by.

Costco’s History and Secret to Success

Costco is a giant retailer loved and known across the country by shoppers looking for great deals on home items and electronics. In the late seventies, Price Club by James Sinegal and Sol Price in San Diego, California were born, with the idea of providing bulk goods at discounted prices to individuals that signed up to be members, in an attempt to get rid of superfluous marketing and undercut expensive storefronts and malls. The Price Company, later named Costco, opened in Seattle which then changed its name to Costco in 1983, providing shoppers with a much wider variety of goods such as clothing, groceries and electronics. Price Club and The Price Company decided to merge in 1993, which resulted in the creation of Costco Wholesale Corporation. Over the years, Costco has cornered the retail shopping market, perhaps due to its low prices, high-volume sales, quality products and a strong commitment to customer service.

Costco Injuries and Premises Liability

Accidents and injuries that occur at any Costco across the country are subject to a legal principle known as premises liability. This doctrine holds property owners culpable should anything happen to you while you’re conducting business at their premises (shopping). They are legally responsible for keeping you safe while shopping, and this includes protecting you from any potential hazards by placing clear warning signs on the same, as well as mitigating these hazards before they turn into veritable injury hotspots. Legally, property owners have a duty of care to you, to ensure that your environment is safe, failure to which and should an injury occur, they will be held liable for the same via the filing of a Costco premises liability lawsuit.

Do I Have a Valid Case if I Got Injured at Costco While Shopping

In order to have a successful premises liability claim targeting Costco as an injured shopper, you must show that the store owner or manager had a duty of care to protect you from any injury-causing hazards. This can be demonstrated by you actually going into the store to purchase items and leaving with a receipt at that particular date, or receipts garnered from past shopping events, or even a shopping list created prior to going shopping. You must also show that they breached said duty of care by failing to meet a standard of reasonable care other stores would have met had they had a similar situation, and that their negligent actions were the proximate cause of your injuries. Lastly, you must show that you suffered legitimate, harm that can be translated to damages such as the cost of medical treatment, lost wages, pain and suffering and so on.

Potential Injuries With Falling Merchandise

Some of the most common injuries associated with falling merchandize at Costco include:

Head Injuries

These are typically caused by large and heavy objects falling on a shopper due to unstable or overloaded shelves. One can sustain bumps and bruises, as well as skull fractures and concussions or even traumatic brain injuries if the item weighed tens or hundreds of pounds, or if it fell from a considerable height.

Spinal Cord Injuries

The spinal cord houses a delicate bundle of nerves that run down the center of the spine, transmitting signals between the brain and the entire body. A spinal cord injury caused by a falling object onto one’s back can disrupt these signals, causing either sensation loss or paralysis below the point of injury. Spinal fractures, part of spinal cord injury, occur when one of the bones or vertebrae endures some form of sudden trauma, leading to their breaking or fracturing. Stable fractures where the bones are still aligned and there is no spinal cord compression has a better prognosis compared to unstable fractures which result in spinal misalignment that can cause neurological damage. Herniated discs are also associated with spinal cord injuries and occur when the gel-like, soft center of the cartilage separating vertebrae in the spine pushes through the outer layer, creating abnormal pressure on nerves in the periphery. Herniated discs from falling merchandize at Costco stores can lead to numbness, pain, weakness and spinal cord complications such as partial paralysis or immobility.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Despite the severity of injuries such as spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries, soft tissue injuries can be just as equally debilitating, traumatic and disabling as their catastrophic counterparts. Soft tissue injuries typically affect structures such as ligaments, muscles, and tendons, and cause inflammation, pain, immobility and even lasting physical complications if not treated comprehensively and in a timely manner. Bruises, also called contusions, happen when the body receives a sudden blow, causing blood vessel damage and the leaking of blood to surrounding tissues. In addition, bruises can be so severe that they can cause underlying tissue damage and internal bleeding. Sprains, on the other hand, occur when ligaments are torn or stretched due to sudden twisting or forceful joint movement. Ligament sprains often cause bruising, pain, limited range of motion, and in some cases may require surgery particularly if there is any joint instability. Soft tissue injuries can have lasting consequences to a person’s quality of life; this is because the chronic pain and immobility can lead to a feeling of helplessness, anxiety, frustration and depression. In addition, one can become isolated and unable to participate in social activities they previously enjoyed.

Best, Countrywide Costco Injury Attorneys – Call Us Today!

If you got injured at a Costco anywhere in the country, it is vital that you work with an experienced attorney so you can secure substantial compensation for your injuries, their care, lost wages as well as compensation for any pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life you may have had to endure. As a trusted Costco injury law firm, we will help you understand your legal rights so you have a clear picture of what you can recover in terms of compensation, help you gather evidence to build a strong case on your behalf, square off with the insurance company or take the case to court and take over the frustrating minutiae of filing a lawsuit against a mega corporation such as Costco. Want to learn more, or just want clarity on your rights as an injured shopper? Please call us NOW at 312-444-0214 to learn more about your legal options for justice and compensation. Thanks for choosing McCready Law, and we look forward to helping you.