Retail & Shopping Center Fall Lawyers — North Charleston
North Charleston is a major retail hub for the Lowcountry, with shopping centers, big-box stores, outlet malls, and grocery stores lining Rivers Avenue, Ashley Phosphate Road, and Tanger Outlets. Every year, hundreds of shoppers are injured in slip and fall accidents caused by wet floors, spilled merchandise, uneven surfaces, poor lighting, and neglected parking lots. Property owners and retailers have a legal duty to maintain safe premises — when they fail, they are liable for your injuries.
Common Causes of Retail Slip and Falls
- Wet floors: Spilled liquids in grocery aisles, mopped floors without warning signs, rainwater tracked inside entrances, condensation from refrigeration units
- Spilled merchandise: Dropped produce, broken containers, scattered clothing items, loose packaging creating trip hazards
- Uneven flooring: Transition strips between surfaces, raised tiles, damaged carpet, worn thresholds
- Parking lot hazards: Potholes, crumbling pavement, uneven curbs, ice/frost in winter, inadequate lighting
- Stairway defects: Worn treads, missing handrails, inconsistent riser heights, poor lighting in enclosed stairwells
- Mat and rug hazards: Bunched entrance mats, curled rug edges, unsecured floor coverings
- Inadequate maintenance: Failure to clean spills promptly, ignoring reported hazards, deferring repairs
Major Retail Locations in North Charleston
Roden Law handles slip and fall cases from retailers and shopping centers throughout North Charleston, including (but not limited to):
- Tanger Outlets North Charleston
- Northwoods Mall
- Centre Pointe shopping area
- Rivers Avenue retail corridor (Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes)
- Ashley Phosphate Road commercial strip
- Grocery stores (Publix, Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Aldi)
Proving a Retail Slip and Fall Case
South Carolina premises liability law requires you to prove three elements:
- Dangerous condition existed: A wet floor, spill, defect, or other hazard was present
- The property owner knew or should have known: Either they created the hazard, knew about it and failed to fix it, or the hazard existed long enough that a reasonable inspection would have discovered it
- The condition caused your injury: You slipped, tripped, or fell because of the specific hazard
The “Constructive Notice” Standard
You don’t need to prove the store actually knew about the hazard. If a spill existed for 15-30+ minutes without cleanup, courts can infer the store should have discovered it through reasonable inspection. Evidence of how long the hazard existed includes:
- Dirty or dried appearance of the spill (not fresh)
- Shopping cart tracks through the spill (indicating time elapsed)
- Witness testimony that they noticed it before your fall
- Store inspection logs showing no recent check of that area
- Surveillance footage showing when the spill occurred
What to Do After a Retail Fall
- Report it to the store manager — Ask them to create an incident report. Get a copy or photograph it.
- Photograph the hazard — Capture the spill, defect, or condition before it is cleaned up. Photograph your shoes (to prove they are not contributory).
- Get witness names — If other shoppers saw the hazard or your fall, get contact information
- Preserve your clothing and shoes — Don’t wash or discard the clothing and footwear you were wearing
- Seek medical attention — Even if you can walk, soft tissue injuries and fractures may not be immediately apparent
- Do not give a recorded statement — The store’s insurance company will contact you quickly. Consult an attorney first.
Common Injuries from Retail Falls
- Hip fractures: Especially in older adults — can require surgery and extended rehabilitation
- Wrist and arm fractures: From instinctively bracing against the fall
- Back injuries: Herniated discs, compression fractures, and soft tissue damage
- Head injuries: Striking the head on flooring, shelving, or displays during the fall
- Knee injuries: Torn ligaments (ACL, MCL) from twisting during the fall
South Carolina Law
You have 3 years to file a premises liability claim (S.C. Code § 15-3-530). South Carolina’s comparative fault rule allows recovery if you were less than 51% at fault — stores often argue the hazard was “open and obvious,” but a wet floor in a store aisle is not something shoppers reasonably expect to encounter. Call Roden Law at (843) 612-6561.
