What to Do If You Slip and Fall in a Grocery Store

If you slip and fall in a grocery store, you should immediately notify the manager on duty and ask them to call 911 if you need emergency medical assistance. Do not make assumptions about your injuries, either. Report the incident to the store manager and see a doctor. You may even call the police to the scene to help document the incident.

If you do not go to the emergency room, see your primary doctor for medical care as soon as possible. Your doctor can run tests and diagnose any obscured injuries you may be facing. You can also consider hiring a slip and fall accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale to help you file a premises liability claim. They can handle your case from start to finish while you recover from your injuries.

Have a Manager Call the Police and Write an Incident Report About Your Slip and Fall

Slip and fall injuries can be severe and may require emergency room care. Victims may suffer such injuries as: 

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• Neck and spine injuries
• Broken bones in the wrists
• Dislocations
• Soft tissue injuries

In truly catastrophic falls, victims have been known to become paralyzed or even die.  

Immediately after slipping and falling in a grocery store, make your health a priority and call emergency services. You should also report the fall to the manager on duty and request that they write an incident report. The police and first responders will also write a report.

These pieces of documentation can support your case for compensation. 

Follow Through With Your Doctor-Prescribed Treatment Plan After a Slip and Fall

It is imperative to your health and your claim that you attend all your doctor’s appointments and complete your treatment program. If you feel like you are making progress, discuss it with your doctor before you make any changes to the treatment plan. Everything must be documented during your recovery.

Do It For Your Physical Recovery

For one thing, according to the Mayo Clinic, falls can be life-threatening, especially for older adults. Even a seemingly minor injury could lead to long-term conditions if you forego treatment.

The sooner you start your doctor-prescribed treatment, the better chances you have of making a full recovery. For example, you may require physical therapy to regain mobility and function in one or more parts of your body. 

Do It for Your Personal Injury Claim

For another reason, seeing a doctor and following through with your treatment plan will support your slip and fall claim for compensation. When a personal injury lawyer in Fort Lauderdale gathers evidence to prove your accident-related losses, nothing will speak louder than your medical records. 

Additionally, your doctor’s prognosis will help them estimate your future medical expenses, which you can also seek awards for.

Seek Compensation for Your Slip and Fall Injuries

If you slipped and fell in a grocery store, you have the chance to seek fair compensation for your losses, known as damages. Each case is unique, but some of the common types of damages you may be eligible to receive include the following: 

• Current and future medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Lost income
• Reduced earning capacity
• Loss of quality of life
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Emotional distress
• Disability

If you lost a loved one in a slip and fall accident, you can seek compensation for their funeral expenses, income, and medical expenses through a wrongful death claim. Other losses may also warrant compensation. Our wrongful death lawyers in Fort Lauderdale can explain who is eligible to file and the damages your family may seek. 

Consider Hiring a Slip and Fall Attorney

You have the right to hire a premises liability attorney after a slip and fall accident in a grocery store. Their help will give you a chance to focus your energy on healing from your injuries while also pursuing fair compensation.

Premises liability cases can be complex. A slip and fall attorney from our law firm can handle all the details and provide you with client-focused legal services, such as:

• Investigating the cause of the accident
• Looking into the grocery store’s history of maintenance and repairs
• Gathering other forms of evidence to establish a store’s negligence, such as store surveillance footage, witness statements, pictures of the accident scene and your injuries, and testimonies from workers
• Handling all the paperwork associated with your insurance claim and filing your personal injury lawsuit before the statute of limitations expires
• Negotiating for a fair settlement from an insurer
• Communicating with all involved parties, including their insurers and defense attorneys
• Representing you in a trial if necessary

The negligent party and their insurance company will be represented by adjusters and lawyers looking to protect their clients and save them money. You deserve to be represented by a lawyer on your side who can fight back and seek maximum compensation for your losses. 

Establishing Negligence in a Slip and Fall Accident Case

Proving the grocery store’s liability requires establishing that a hazardous condition on the property led to your slip and fall accident. Premises liability law can be tricky, though. For example, according to Florida Statutes § 768.0755, if you slipped on a transitory substance and fell, you have to demonstrate that the store owner either knew or should have known about this potential hazard.

However, it may seem common to come upon a spill or wet floor in a grocery store aisle, but if such a hazard persists past the amount of time that a reasonable person would address it, this is considered negligence. 

There are other unsafe conditions that can go unaddressed in a grocery store, such as:

• A leaky ceiling
• An uneven walkway
• Unstable shelves
• Stock packages left in the middle of an aisle
• Loose railing on stairs if the grocery store has a second floor
• Poor lighting
• Lax security

If any of these dangerous conditions caused your slip and fall, our personal injury attorneys will work to gather evidence of their existence and build a case against the grocery store or property owner. 

Our Slip and Fall Accident Team Works on a Contingency-Fee Basis

At Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers, our legal team understands that you may already be facing mounting medical bills and lost income. We would never add to your financial struggle while you seek compensation.

Instead, we can work on your case immediately without charging any upfront fees. This is because we only take a percentage of your potential awards when your case concludes. 

Call Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers If You Slipped and Fell in a Grocery Store

You may be wondering what to do if you slip and fall in a grocery store. Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers can explain how to seek compensation step by step and how our slip and fall accident lawyers can help. 

Work directly with our founders, Attorney Debi Chalik and Attorney Jason Chalik, for your financial recovery. Call us today for your free consultation. You don’t pay anything unless and until we recover damages for you.

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