What should you do if you slip and fall on a wet store entrance while black friday shopping?

Shoppers holding Black Friday bags outside a store, illustrating crowded holiday conditions that can lead to wet-entrance slip and fall accidents in New Jersey.

Black Friday brings intense crowds, long lines, and fast-moving shoppers to stores across New Jersey. As people hurry inside with coffee, umbrellas, and shopping carts, store entrances often become slippery. Water from rain or frost, spilled drinks, and soaked floor mats can all create hazardous conditions. Unfortunately, many slip and fall accidents happen before customers even make it into the store. If you slip on a wet entrance while Black Friday shopping, knowing what to do immediately afterward can help protect both your health and your legal rights.

Why Black Friday Makes Store Entrances More Dangerous

The entrance of a store is one of the busiest areas during Black Friday. Customers constantly come and go, and employees often struggle to manage foot traffic and maintain safe conditions at the same time. Several factors make entrances especially risky:

Water tracked in from wet sidewalks or parking lots
Spilled drinks from shoppers waiting in line
Oversaturated or crooked floor mats
Crowds blocking warning signs
Staff overwhelmed by heavy foot traffic

Because these hazards develop quickly, stores are responsible for inspecting and maintaining the area regularly. When they fail to do so, customers can suffer serious injuries.

1. Get Medical Help as Soon as Possible

After a fall, your first priority should be your health. Slips and falls sometimes cause injuries that do not seem serious immediately because adrenaline masks pain. Common injuries include:

Wrist, hand or shoulder injuries from breaking the fall
Knee sprains
Back and neck injuries
Concussions
Hip fractures
Soft tissue injuries

Getting checked by a medical professional if you are injured ensures your that injuries are properly documented and treated. Medical records also help connect your injuries to the fall, which becomes important later.

2. Notify Store Employees Right Away

Tell an employee or manager that you fell. Stores are required to create an incident report when a customer is injured. Request a copy or take a photo of it. If a manager refuses to create one, document their name and the time of the conversation.

Reporting the incident creates a record, which helps prevent the store from denying the fall occurred.

3. Take Photos and Videos Before Conditions Change

Store entrances can be cleaned quickly after someone falls, especially on Black Friday when employees panic about crowd control. Because of this, you should take photos and videos as soon as possible. Capture:

The wet floor
Any puddles, drips, or footprints
The mats, including whether they were missing, folded, or soaked
The lack of warning cones
The area’s lighting
Your shoes and injuries

Accurate photos preserve crucial evidence that could otherwise disappear within minutes.

4. Look for People Who Saw What Happened

Crowded Black Friday entrances mean plenty of potential witnesses. Someone ahead of you may have slipped slightly, noticed the wet floor, or seen employees ignoring the hazard. Ask witnesses for their names and phone numbers. Independent statements often help clarify what occurred when the store disputes responsibility.

5. Preserve the Clothing and Shoes You Wore

The condition of your clothing and shoes can be important. Wet fabric, debris stuck to your soles, or torn material can show how the fall happened. Store these items safely without washing or altering them. Your personal injury attorney may later use them to support your claim.

6. Avoid Making Statements That Could Harm Your Claim

Many people instinctively apologize or blame themselves after falling because the situation feels embarrassing. However, comments like “I’m fine” or “I should’ve been more careful” can be taken out of context later.

Keep your statements simple. Do not discuss fault or speculate about why you fell. The cause of the accident should be determined through evidence, not assumptions.

7. Understand the Store’s Legal Responsibilities

New Jersey premises liability law requires stores to keep their property reasonably safe for customers. This includes monitoring walkways, cleaning up hazardous conditions, and placing clear warning signs where needed.

A store may be negligent if it:

Failed to inspect the entrance regularly
Allowed water or debris to accumulate
Used floor mats that were worn, loose, or saturated
Cut back on staff despite heavy Black Friday traffic
Ignored customer complaints about the entrance
Failed to display a wet-floor sign where the hazard was visible

If the store did not take reasonable steps to prevent the dangerous condition, you may be entitled to pursue compensation.

8. Keep Track of Medical Bills, Missed Work, and Symptoms

Slip and fall injuries often require ongoing care. Keep records of:

Doctor visits
Physical therapy
Imaging tests
Prescriptions
Time missed from work
Pain or mobility issues

Documenting your symptoms also helps show how the accident continues to affect your daily life.

9. Avoid Posting About the Fall Online

Black Friday is a day when people post shopping updates and videos, but talking about your fall online can harm your case. Insurance companies may search your social media accounts and try to use your posts to downplay your injuries or contradict your claim. Staying offline about the accident is the safest approach.

10. Contact a New Jersey Slip and Fall Attorney

Slip and fall cases involving Black Friday conditions can be challenging. Stores may blame the weather, deny notice of the hazard, or claim the area was cleaned moments earlier. An experienced attorney can investigate the incident, request surveillance footage, speak with witnesses, and determine whether the store failed to maintain safe conditions.

A lawyer can also handle communication with the store’s insurance company, calculate your damages, and pursue compensation for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.

Common Questions After a Black Friday Slip and Fall

Can I still pursue a claim if it was raining or snowing?

Yes. Poor weather does not excuse a store from taking reasonable steps to keep entrances and the sales floor safe.

What if I didn’t notice the wet floor?

Distraction caused by crowds is normal on Black Friday. Stores are responsible for making hazards visible and preventable, and for removing them as soon as reasonable possible..

How quickly should I call an attorney?

As soon as possible. Surveillance footage, mats, and cleaning logs can change or disappear quickly.

Call Team Law if You Were Injured in a Black Friday Slip and Fall

If you slipped and fell at a New Jersey store entrance during Black Friday shopping, you should not navigate the aftermath alone. Team Law can investigate what happened, gather evidence, and pursue the compensation you need to recover.

Contact the firm today for a free consultation so you can focus on healing while a skilled legal team protects your rights. We represent clients throughout the state, including Paterson, Clifton, Orange, and Perth Amboy.

Disclaimer: This blog is intended for informational purposes only and does not establish an attorney-client relationship. It should not be considered as legal advice. For personalized legal assistance, please consult our team directly.