I Slipped and Fell in Firehouse Subs Restaurant, Now What?
Imagine you are on your lunch break, or maybe taking your child or friend out for food, and you head over to a Firehouse Subs Restaurant. You walk inside, already beginning to scan the menu, when suddenly your legs come out from under you. The next thing you know, you are on the floor of the restaurant with a throbbing tailbone.
Maybe you don’t need to imagine this scenario. Maybe this, or something similar, has recently happened to you. Whether you have personally found yourself with a restaurant slip and fall injury, or you are trying to be proactive, this article will walk you through the appropriate steps to take after experiencing a fall in a restaurant.
What is Considered a Slip and Fall?
Restaurant slip and fall injuries can happen virtually anywhere. While restaurants have a legal obligation to reasonably take steps to correct hazardous conditions on their premises, this does not always happen.
Contrary to its name, restaurant slip and fall injury does not only cover accidents involving people who slipped on wet surfaces and fell. “Slip and fall” covers most accidents involving a person being directly affected or injured by a hazardous condition in their environment.
Restaurant slip and fall injury is considered to be a branch of personal injury law. Under personal injury law, the owner(s) of the establishment in which the slip and fall occurred, can often be charged with negligence.
Common Restaurant Hazards
Restaurants are full of potential hazards. Some common restaurant slips and fall hazards include spilled substances on the floor, no signage on wet or snowy floors, broken or uneven floors, dim lighting, missing handrails, or obstructed walkways.
In a Firehouse Subs restaurant, there could be broken floor tiles which could result in tripping. There could be dying lightbulbs resulting in people bumping into things in the dim light. There could even be olives spilled on the floor which could cause people to trip and fall. Any number of preventable hazards can be found in restaurants.
Evaluate Your Condition
You have slipped and fallen in a restaurant. Now what? As you are laying on the floor, you will most likely be in shock. It is important to remember to evaluate your condition. Are you sore? Out of breath? Did you hear a ‘crack’? Do you suspect and sprains, bone breaks, or a concussion?
If you fear that you have been seriously injured, stay where you are and have someone nearby call 911.
If your injuries are not serious, you should still visit a doctor after leaving the restaurant. Even if you think your injuries are only minor, your doctor may find more serious injuries. It is not uncommon for concussions can be mistaken for headaches, or for sprains to be mistaken for general bruising. Having official medical documentation will also help you later on in a restaurant slip and fall lawsuit.
Procure an Accident Report
After you have determined your physical condition, it is important to talk to the supervisor, manager, owner, or anyone who is in change at the restaurant. Make sure you get an official accident report written up to document your restaurant slip and fall injury. Procure a copy of the accident report for your own records.
It is important to keep in mind that when you talk about your accident with the person in charge of the restaurant while filling out the accident report, you should be careful what you divulge.
Anything you tell the person in charge of the restaurant has the potential to come up during the lawsuit, so it is important to choose your words carefully. You should simply tell the person in charge of the hazard in their restaurant and how if affected you and caused your injury. Do not go into too much detail about your specific injuries until they are confirmed by a doctor.
Similarly, do not try to soothe the person in charge of the restaurant by telling them that you are “fine”, or by saying, “no harm done”. Phrases like this can be brought up in court and can work against you.
You should also abstain from telling the person in charge of the restaurant exactly what you were doing leading up to your restaurant slip and fall injury. You do not want to supply them with any reason to believe that the accident was your fault. Telling them that, for example, you were not watching where you were going, or that you have no tread on the bottom of your shoes, can end up working against you in court.
Take Photos of the Scene
Photo evidence is extremely valuable. If possible, take photos of the hazard that leads to your restaurant slip and fall injury. Try to capture anything that could have lead to your accident. If, for example, you slipped on a wet floor, try to take a picture in which the liquid on the floor can be seen. In addition, take a wider picture to show that there was not adequate wet floor signage.
Acquire Witnesses
Having witnesses will also benefit you in a restaurant slip and fall lawsuit. After your fall, you should ask the people around you if they witnessed your accident. If so, you should take note of the names and phone numbers of those witnesses.
Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
After you have completed the steps above, have taken care of any medical issues from the accident, and documented your accident, it is time to consider a personal injury lawyer. Hiring a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible will improve your chances of winning the lawsuit.
After experiencing a restaurant slip and fall accident in Fort Lauderdale or in the West Palm Beach Area in Florida, you should contact The Injury Firm and get in contact with Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Lawyers. Even if you are stuck in the hospital as a result of your accident, one of our personal injury lawyers will meet with you to discuss the accident.
You can rest assured that between the highly-trained investigators to procure evidence and the personal injury lawyers to build a solid case, you will be well on your way to getting the compensation you deserve.
