This is a step-by-step guide of what to do if you slip and fall in a supermarket. Depending on the details of your scenario, you might need to take additional steps as well. If you were hurt in a slip and fall in a supermarket, talk to a lawyer for help.
1. Assess Your Physical State.
Do not assume that you should immediately jump up. If you have broken an ankle or injured your back, for example, trying to get up could make your injuries worse. Sit and breathe for a moment. Collect your thoughts and evaluate if you are hurt.
2. Report the Accident to the Store Management.
The store can claim that you were hurt somewhere else if you do not let them know right away about the incident. If your injuries permit, fill out their incident reporting form before leaving the store. You do not want to give the store an excuse to refuse to pay your injury claim.
3. Take Photos, Get Contact Info Before Leaving the Store.
If possible, take photos of the conditions that caused you to fall. Get the contact information of people who saw what happened to you. Also get the contact information of anybody who saw the dangerous condition that led to your accident. For example, another customer may have warned the store employees about a slippery substance on the floor before you fell.
4. Get Medical Attention.
It is essential that you get medical help right away if you slip and fall in a supermarket. The main reasons are:
- Untreated injuries do not tend to heal as well as ones that receive professional medical intervention. We want you to live your best life, and not have unnecessary medical problems for years to come.
- The medical records will serve as evidence of the date and extent of your injuries. Be sure to tell the nurse and doctor that you got hurt by falling in the store, so that we can use the medical records to link your injury to the accident.
- The defendant store may allege that your injuries would be less severe if you had gotten medical care right after the fall.
5. Talk to a Lawyer.
Let your lawyer handle phone calls and other communication with the insurance company. People often feel pressured to accept a small settlement to get the insurance adjuster to leave them alone. When you have an attorney, she will work directly with the insurance company so that you do not have to.
Your lawyer can protect you from lowball settlement offers and from signing away your rights to compensation. Your lawyer can negotiate on your behalf so that you can focus on getting well.
Attorney Sheryl Burke was once an insurance adjuster, giving her insider information of how insurance companies work.
6. Do Not Settle Your Claim Too Early.
Sometimes people accept a check for a few thousand dollars early on, thinking it is just the first of several payments they will get. Do not fall into this trap. When you take the money the adjuster offers, you will have to sign paperwork. Those documents will contain language that says you waive your right to additional compensation.
What this means is that, regardless of how badly you are hurt, you can never come back and ask for more money to pay your medical bills or lost wages. You could get stuck with a stack of medical bills you have no way of paying.
7. Prove How Much Your Case is Worth.
You do not have to go it alone. If you are asking yourself what to do if you slip and fall in a supermarket, call S. Burke Law. At no cost to you, we will evaluate what happened and discuss possible courses of action with you.
Your lawyer will gather evidence to prove the value of your case. Some of the evidence we may present includes:
- Medical bills
- Wage records
- Expert testimony
Call us today at 404-842-7838 to get your no-obligation claim analysis.