When dealing with an injury in a place of business your priority should be your safety, make sure your surroundings are safe and you aren't in more danger, if you need immediate medical attention call 911. Next, you should begin collecting evidence. Visual evidence will be extremely helpful during an injury claim. If you have your phone on you and feel okay to move, take pictures and videos of your surroundings. Be sure to include signs of hazard you see or the lack thereof indicating those hazards. Your goal should be to help explain what caused your accident. Next, you should talk to an employee. Businesses make reports when an injury or accident occurs, make sure to provide a clear, factual account of what happened (don't speculate). The last thing you want to do is give the store anything they can use against you to avoid paying for your damages.
Once you leave the store, you should go to your doctor, even if you feel okay. This visit has two reasons, first is to get yourself checked for any injuries, head, neck, or back injuries sometimes don't have immediate symptoms. Without getting these injuries diagnosed, they can get worse. Second, a doctor's report also serves as important evidence in a case.
Finally, your best chance at receiving a payout is by hiring an experienced and knowledgeable attorney. An attorney will look into what happened and prepare a case to take to court. He or she will look into how long this hazard has been around and if the business was negligent in dealing with the issue. By trying to handle the situation on your own, you'll be dealing with the store's insurance company and possibly its lawyers. They will likely either deny negligence or try to negotiate down to paying you the smallest amount possible. If you've been seriously injured in a store, we can help. Contact RTM Law as soon as possible for a 15-minute consultation, we'll go over your case and put together the best strategy to fight for you.
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