Fresno shoppers rush in and out of grocery stores and big-box retailers often stocking up for the week ahead. These trips should only require your attention for finding the snacks you crave and checking price tags.
Unfortunately, while store owners and operators are happy to ring up your total, they may not be so enthusiastic about your safety. Spills and damaged merchandise can be left on aisle floors out-of-sight until your foot slides and sends you hard to the ground.
If you are injured in a fall at a local place of business, or on someone else’s property don’t trust your recovery to a store owner or his or her insurance provider. Contact a Fresno slip-and-fall accident lawyer who works to protect injured victims from insurance companies who seek to sabotage their attempts to get basic help with their medical recoveries. We offer a free consultation that comes with no obligation to victims.
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Slip-And-Fall Dangers Around Fresno
A slip or trip can happen almost anywhere. If it happens at home, it’s often no one’s fault but your own. But if you fall and get injured while out at a supermarket, a home improvement store, gas station, or some other public location, there’s usually someone who may be held liable.
Store proprietors and the corporations who many own the franchise are required to provide any visitor they invite in a safe journey from their vehicles all the way to the back aisle. Property owners owe this care to anyone who visits places like an apartment complex, a pool, or any other attraction.
A pothole in a parking lot that sends you tripping forward can result in a serious knee injury. A slip on a puddle in the produce section may send you sideways to fracture a hip. These are all cases that trigger “premises liability” and leave a property or store owner obligated to support victims as they recover.
Common Slip-And-Fall Injuries
An embarrassing stumble in the middle of Wal-Mart can seem like a minor thing, but falls can result in serious injuries with long-lasting consequences.
People sent to the ground in a slip-and-fall accident often fall sideways or backward. These are some of the more serious outcomes for victims:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) involve a dangerous blow to the head. This strike can come from the corner of a shelf, a cement pylon around a gas pump, or just a hard smack to the back of the head on the floor. The symptoms can involve a minor concussion but lead to something as serious as memory loss and a loss of control in parts of the body.
- The back and spinal cord can be damaged. A nagging back injury can be with you for decades and at times keep you from attending work. Spine injuries can lead to paralysis and a permanent disability.
- Dislocations and fractures. A hard fall can dislocate a shoulder or fracture the skull. A broken hip can be a dangerous injury at any age. Hips can take a while to heal and all the while put you at risk of other health issues.
Trip-and-fall accidents usually send victims falling forward. These can be triggered by potholes in parking lots, rolled-up carpets, and boxes left in aisles. Broken flooring and stair surfaces are also common culprits.
The head is also vulnerable in a trip-and-fall. People break fingers, hands, and wrists when they try to catch themselves in a forward fall. People may also fall flat on their faces to damage noses, jawbones, and teeth.
What You Should Do After a Slip-And-Fall Injury In Fresno
Business owners and operators are liable for any injuries caused by a hazard their employees created. They are also liable for any hazard created by another visitor or customer. They must clean these obstacles up in a reasonable amount of time.
You may be well within your rights to expect help with your recovery, but owners, and particularly their insurance companies will do their best to shed liability for your injury.
That’s why it’s so important to build a case supported by strong evidence. The strongest evidence will be found on the scene of your fall in the moments after an accident. If you are strong enough, try to gather these details:
- See to your wounds – Call 911 if you need medical care. If you can’t stand or you’re sent to the emergency room, ask someone with you or a helpful bystander to take photos of the scene.
- Use your cellphone to get images – Take photos of the obstacle that caused your fall. This hazard will be gone shortly after you leave. Show the warning signs up around the hazard or show where the signs should have been. Take a picture of any visible injuries and damage to clothing.
- Tell a store manager about what happened – A manager will need to prepare a store incident report for his owner or corporate office. Your personal injury lawyer can use this report as evidence later. Don’t talk about how badly you are hurt or accept any blame for what happened. You likely won’t know the answer to these questions until you’ve had some time to get over the shock of the fall.
- Chat with witnesses – Get their contact information. Employees who saw the accident may also be willing to help.
- Keep evidence – Retain any personal items damaged in your fall. Don’t throw out the shoes you were wearing when you fell. Insurance agents sometimes like to lay blame on old shoes with worn soles. You can show them visual proof that they are wrong.
- Visit your physician – Make an appointment with your doctor. Get all pain and injuries detailed on a medical report. Add any injuries that suddenly appear in the days after a fall.
Contact a Fresno Slip-And-Fall Lawyer
After a slip-and-fall accident, be sure to discuss your case with an experienced slip-and-fall attorney serving Fresno. You should be able to focus on your recovery without worrying over the hospital bills piling up and the rent and a car payment coming due while you’re out of work.
Allow Maison Law to go to work on your case to secure the most compensation possible for your recovery. Contact us today for a free case evaluation to find out how we can help you.
