If you’ve fallen in a store, you could pursue a lawsuit through a law firm like Tolbert Beadle.
Slip-and-fall accidents happen often, and they can happen anywhere. If you’ve experienced a slip-and-fall accident in a store or other business, you may consider hiring a law firm to represent your interests in pursuing compensation. However, there are several misconceptions and lots of misinformation out there about these incidents.
It Can Happen Anywhere
Most slip and falls happen in places like grocery stores, supermarkets, shopping centers, malls, convenience stores, gas stations, department stores, bars, and nightclubs. Slip and fall accidents are most often caused by liquid spills, but they can also be a result of tripping over items fallen from shelves or other surfaces.
Report It
People get embarrassed when they slip and fall. Many people who slip and fall leave the premises without reporting the accident. However, they must then call or return to the store to inform the manager if they turn out to have a serious injury.
Don’t Rely on Camera Evidence
Security cameras in stores often don’t cover every area and are unlikely to capture slip-and-fall accidents. Unscrupulous store managers may even intentionally delete security footage that proves their liability. The law firm representing you may not be able to prove this, but if there’s sufficient evidence, this could be a crucial point in court.
Assess Your Injuries Immediately
When people slip and fall, they commonly fall backward and to the side. This often results in lower back injuries. Back injuries include herniated and bulging discs as well as sciatic nerve issues. Hip fractures are also common in slip-and-fall accidents. People tend to fall with outstretched arms in an attempt to catch themselves during the fall. This can cause strained or sprained shoulders, torn rotator cuffs or tendons, and fractured shoulders. Broken elbows and wrists are also common when people fall with outstretched arms. If you pursue a lawsuit, make sure your law firm has an accurate list of your injuries from a qualified medical professional.
It’s Not a Get-Rich-Quick Scheme
Any reputable law firm will tell you that you’re not guaranteed a huge settlement just because you slip and fall on a store property. Your law firm must prove that the property management was neglectful in correcting the circumstances that led to the fall. It’s unreasonable to expect a property manager to clean a spill or obstacle within seconds of it happening. Your law firm may look for evidence like footprints or shopping cart tracks through a puddle of liquid to prove that management had sufficient time to clean the spill before your accident.
Contact our Law Firm for Slip and Fall Accidents
If you do experience a slip and fall accident, the Tolbert Beadle law firm can help determine the validity of your case. Contact us today for more information or for representation.
