Shopping carts are a staple at every grocery store, supermarket, and big box retailer. They make our lives easier by allowing us to transport more items, keep track of our purchases, and reduce strain on our bodies from carrying heavy loads. However, these ordinary tools can also become dangerous weapons in the wrong hands. Shopping cart injuries are an often-overlooked public safety issue in South Carolina that can cause both physical and psychological harm.
Statistics on Shopping Cart Injuries
According to statistics, there are an estimated 24,000 shopping cart related injuries in the United States each year. Children under the age of 5 accounted for the majority of these incidents. Tips overs are the most common cause, but other major causes include falls from carts and collisions with other objects or people.
Physical and Psychological Effects
While kids are particularly susceptible, adults are not immune. Issues like improper use, defective parts, and poor maintenance can put anyone at risk when using a shopping cart. Common injuries include bruises, scrapes, broken bones, head trauma, and back or neck strains. However, the impacts go far beyond just physical damage. Being injured in a place most people consider safe, often in front of others, can be embarrassing and traumatic. Many victims develop anxiety, stress, or phobias related to the incident that hamper their ability to perform daily activities like shopping. Children may become fearful and clingy with parents, refusing to let go of their hand or throwing tantrums when placed in cart seats. These psychological effects can last months or years after the actual accident.
Determining Liability
Legal recourse is complicated by mixed liability between customers, retailers, and cart manufacturers. Shopping cart injury lawyers can help determine fault and fight for deserved compensation in these cases. Damages may include medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and reimbursement for counseling or therapy costs due to emotional duress.
Retailers also bear responsibility for preventing these incidents by providing carts in proper working order, imposing reasonable use rules, monitoring children’s activities, and quickly addressing recognized hazards. Some best practices include:
- Regular cart maintenance checks and removal of damaged units
- Providing safety straps for child seats and enforcing their use
- Prompt cleaning of spills that cause slippery floors
- Posting visible cart return areas and rules near exits
- Ensuring carts are not overfilled/unbalanced or used recklessly
Shoppers must also exercise caution when using carts by heeding all guidelines and never leaving children unattended. Safe habits like using seat belts, controlling carts carefully, staying aware of surroundings, and reporting problems to staff can help avoid preventable injuries.
No one expects a routine shopping trip to result in trauma and harm. But shopping cart accidents continue occurring in South Carolina stores at concerning rates. Their physical and emotional impacts, especially on vulnerable populations like children, constitute an overlooked public health issue. Through improved awareness, safety measures, and accountability, these injuries can be reduced and victims provided with proper support.
If you or a loved one has suffered a shopping cart injury in South Carolina, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Monge & Associates today at (888) 477-0597 for a free consultation on your case. With 32 offices located in 19 states, including South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia, our team is here to help victims and families recover damages and justice.