What to Do if You Slip and Fall at a Store?
If you or someone you love slips, trips, falls, and suffers injuries in a retail store, you should:
- Get medical assistance and documentation immediately.
- Try to define the cause of your fall.
- Take photos and video or ask witnesses to do so.
- Insist on filing an incident or accident report.
- Contact a Lafayette personal injury law firm.
A lawyer serving Lafayette may help you determine what to do if you slip and fall at a store and want to seek compensation from the store owner due to negligence. Until you have the opportunity to consult with your personal injury team, avoid saying anything that might later be used against you. Doing so could protect you from losing compensation due to Louisiana’s comparative fault law.
Get Medical Attention and Start Compiling Your Medical Records
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, slip and fall accidents might lead to serious injuries, including head and skull injuries. You might also sustain bone fractures, like hip injuries—particularly if you fall sideways—or a broken arm or wrist if you try to break your fall.
Seek immediate medical attention to treat your injuries and start compiling your medical records to support your recoverable damages. In addition to compensation for your medical care, you might also be entitled to recovery for:
- Lost wages caused by your injuries
- Property damage or loss due to your fall
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental and emotional distress and trauma
This list is not exhaustive, and you may have unique expenses and losses your lawyer can help you uncover and document. Your legal team will work with you to ensure all valid, recoverable expenses are accounted for when your case receives its monetary value.
Define the Cause of Your Fall
At the time of your fall, your injuries might prevent you from preserving evidence that supports your personal injury case. If possible, ask a friend, witness, or bystander to take pictures of the area of the store where you fell. This may include documenting any substances on the floor, shelving or displays that fell over, and any worn, torn, or otherwise unsecured carpeting or flooring.
Your legal team may also request copies of the store’s security camera footage, along with other photos and videos available. They may request copies of any internal documents, as well, including incident and damage reports and employees’ names and contact information.
When you hire a legal team to aid in your pursuit of compensation, they can use these types of evidence to help you prove the store owner’s breach in the duty of care and their responsibility for your injuries and financial damages.
File Your Lawsuit in a Timely Fashion
According to Louisiana Civil Code (CC) §3492, you generally have two years from the date of your fall to file a personal injury lawsuit. Because your lawsuit allows you to assign financial liability to the at-fault party and compel financial recovery, complying with the timeline is of critical importance.
Filing your lawsuit on time is as essential as uncovering its cause and proving neglect. If the time the state gives you to file your lawsuit expires, you may not be able to file it at all. Even if you manage to file your lawsuit after the timeline expires, the at-fault party may request its immediate dismissal.
You might be able to avoid putting your right to compensation in jeopardy by getting a law firm involved in your lawsuit as soon as possible. As soon as you hire our team, we can start building your lawsuit while you focus on your physical recovery.
Seek Compensation After a Slip and Fall Accident with One of Our Attorneys
Knowing what to do if you slip and fall at a store can help you preserve important evidence that supports your right to compensation due to negligence. When you are ready to build a solid case against the at-fault party, contact our client intake team. Call (337) 777-7777 to reach us and speak with a qualified lawyer today.
