Hazards Associated with Slips and Falls in Commercial Businesses
There are many commercial businesses in the United States, including Walmart, a large retailer with many stores. The company is therefore subject to various personal injury claims, such as slip-and-fall accidents. Walmart has its own liability insurance, unlike other businesses. In the event that they are held accountable for a slip and fall accident, they are responsible for paying the compensation themselves.
Businesses with other types of insurance coverage compensate people injured on their property. It is your lawyer’s responsibility to investigate the accident and build a solid compensation case.
How Should You Respond to Slip-and-Fall Accidents?
Taking the following steps will protect you and help you recover fair compensation:
- Get medical attention
- If you slipped due to spills or other problems, take a picture with your cell phone
- Take a photo of where video cameras are located in the store
- Make sure that you fill out an accident report, and give specific details about where and what caused the incident
- Get the contact information of witnesses
- See if bystanders saw the spill or any other problem that led to your slip and fall
- You should take a photograph of your injuries
- Keep the clothes you wore when you fell
- If you fell, you should note if employees were present before, during, and after the accident
- Track your symptoms and keep all receipts related to your accident in a diary
Slip-and-Fall Accidents Expenses
Among the damages that may be recovered in a slip and fall accident are:
- Medical expenses: It is possible to recover all medical expenses associated with the slip-and-fall accidents such as transportation to and from the hospital, emergency room costs, medications, tests, X-rays and others.
- Wage loss: In this case, wage loss is the amount that would have been earned if the accident had not occurred. Funds earned by contract workers are also included. You can also include commissions, bonuses and other perks.
- Pain and suffering: You are covered for psychological, emotional and physical pain following the accident. Loss of consortium can also be claimed by a spouse.
- Out-of-pocket expenses: Payments for travel to and from the doctor’s office or rehabilitation center, as well as for prescriptions and assistive medical devices, are covered.
An Attorney’s Role
A slip-and-fall accidents attorney can help by investigating the accident, interviewing witnesses and obtaining video footage as well as reviewing the incident reports for mistakes. The latter is important since it is widely used in negotiations with the insurer and in civil court. A mistake can hurt the case against the commercial business owner or manager. Additionally, investigators can review the video footage to determine how often inspections were made and how long it took to clean the area. An attorney can prepare a robust case after obtaining all the evidence to be used during negotiations or in civil court.
Olinde Law Firm
If you suffered a slip and fall in a commercial business, you have the right to be compensated for damages. Turn to the Olinde Law Firm, and schedule a free case review. During this time, you can ask questions of our legal team and obtain options you may have. We can be reached at (800) 587-1889, or you can contact us online.