California Staples Injury Lawyer

When you’re shopping at Staples and you’re hurt in an accident, you can count on our experience at Maison Law. Our California big box store injury lawyers will be there to explain your rights and help you through the legal process. Don’t hesitate to contact us today to get the recovery process started.

What Damages Can You Get in an Injury Claim?

Most everyone is aware of the damage that can result from an accident and an injury. Whether it be the physical effects or emotional trauma, any accident has the potential to turn your life upside down. When this happens at a Staples or other store, it’s often even more troubling because you’re not expecting it.

California law tries to take this into account when determining what exactly you can recover in the claims process. While it depends heavily on the circumstances, you or other injury victims can recover the following in a claim:

• Medical expenses – An accident often results in significant injuries requiring immediate medical attention. This includes hospital bills, surgeries, prescription medications, rehabilitation, and ongoing medical treatment, alleviating any financial burden on your part.
  
  
• Lost wages – If the accident prevents you from working, this category compensates for the income you’ve lost due to the injury, preventing financial hardship resulting from the incident.
  
  
• Pain and suffering – Beyond physical injuries, an accident can cause emotional and psychological distress. This category recognizes the emotional trauma, pain, and suffering you endure, providing financial support for the intangible hardships you face.
  
  
• Property damage – These accidents may occasionally damage personal property during an incident, such as your clothing, phone, glasses, etc. Support for property damage provides reimbursement for these losses.
  
  
• Scarring and disfigurement – An accident can lead to permanent scarring or disfigurement, impacting your self-esteem and overall quality of life. Support in this category addresses both the physical changes and emotional distress resulting from scarring or disfigurement.
  
  

Even though it might seem like liability is clear-cut, there’s a number of different things that can make the claims process challenging after these accidents. More to the point, when you’re hurt, the process of dealing with all this can be overwhelming.

Should You Hire a Lawyer?

Even though it’s not required, having a lawyer can definitely help you in this situation. Accident cases, even seemingly simple ones, require a great deal of time and energy. So, if you’re thinking about taking legal action, here’s a few things you need to consider:

• Injuries and damages – If you’ve sustained injuries or incurred damages due to the accident, our lawyers can help you take the necessary steps to recover medical expenses, lost wages, and other related costs.
  
  
• Liability issues – Determining who is at fault in an accident can be complex. We’ll investigate the incident, gather evidence, and establish liability, which is crucial for building a strong case.
  
  
• Negotiating with insurance carriers – Dealing with insurance companies is typically challenging, by design. Our lawyers can assist you in navigating the claims process, making sure that you’re treated fairly by the insurance company.
  
  
• Legal knowledge and guidance – Our experienced lawyers understand the relevant laws and regulations in California, helping you navigate the legal system more effectively.
  
  

Before making any decisions, you can talk to our team for free. We’ll examine your case in this initial consultation, letting you know what’s ahead.

Liability After an Accident at Staples

The key question you’ll need to answer is: who is responsible? In legal terms, this is known as liability, and is established in these types of cases by confronting and determining who acted negligently and caused the accident that hurt you.

This, obviously, depends on the circumstances of the accident. Hazards in a store environment, such as wet floors, uneven surfaces, poor lighting, obstructed walkways, damaged floor mats, spilled products, negligent staff, and defective shopping carts all can contribute to accidents. Staples-or more specifically, their liability insurance carrier–is typically held responsible when any of these conditions lead to an accident. However, several legal considerations come into play:

• Where you were when the accident happened – The reason for being at Staples is a factor. For instance, if you trespass on the property, Staples may have a lower obligation to protect you from hazards. The same goes if you were in an “employees only” area.
  
  
• Store conditions – The overall condition of the Staples store is crucial. If you slip on a wet floor that Staples was aware of but didn’t address, they are likely liable for your injuries.
  
  
• Awareness of potential problems – Staples’s awareness of potential hazards is a significant factor in determining liability.
  
  

While the company will be largely responsible for covering your injuries in these accidents, a number of other parties could share some liability:

• Staples employees, if they are aware of a hazard and don’t take action to remedy it or warn customers, they may share liability.
  
  

• Contractors or cleaning services responsible for floor maintenance could be liable if they fail in their duties.
  
  

• If a defective product or merchandise causes the slip and fall, the manufacturer or distributor may be liable.
  
  

• Lack of security or surveillance contributing to the incident may make the security company responsible for the store share liability. Likewise, if the store uses security guards or contractors and they don’t do what they’re supposed to, they could share some liability.
  
  

In order to fully recover what you’re owed from Staples, it’s crucial to figure out all responsible parties. This is because, under California law, you have a right to bring your injury claim against any liable party. The more people or entities that are involved, the more avenues you have to recover damages. That said, what you’re able to recover is going to depend on how strong your case is.

What Evidence Will Make Your Case Stronger?

No matter how straightforward you think your case is, it’s ultimately on you and our team to present a case in an effective way. The best way to do that is to make your case as strong as possible, which in turn requires strong evidence. In a typical accident at a Staples, there’s going to be key pieces of evidence that can help you do this:

• Medical records and documentation – Your medical records, documenting injuries, treatments, and related expenses, are essential to prove the extent of your injuries and the medical care you received.
  

• Security footage – Many stores, including Staples, have security cameras that record incidents on their premises. This footage is valuable evidence to illustrate the conditions at the time of the accident and how it transpired.
  
  

• Witness statements – Statements from individuals who witnessed the accident are crucial. They can give their version of what happened, and hopefully can confirm your story.
  
  

• Reports about the accident – Staples employees may have filed incident reports detailing the accident. These reports provide information about what occurred, the conditions leading to the slip and fall, and any immediate actions taken.
  
  

• Maintenance records – Staples’s records of maintenance and inspections demonstrate whether the property owner was aware of and addressed potential hazards.
  
  

• Staples’ handbooks – Information on store policies for cleaning, maintenance, and safety procedures is relevant in showing whether Staples acted responsibly.
  
  

• Communications with and between Staples representatives – Correspondence with Staples, such as emails or letters, is relevant if they acknowledged or responded to the incident.
  
  

• Damaged property – Preserving the shoes or clothing you wore at the time of the accident can be valuable evidence to depict the circumstances of the fall.
  
  

It’s worth repeating that the relative strength of your case is going to rest on the evidence you’re able to provide. Still, regardless of the circumstances, working with our experienced lawyers can put together the strongest possible case for your damages.

Work With Our California Big Box Store Injury Lawyers

When you’re hurt in an accident, you have a lot to worry about. This doesn’t even include having to try to navigate the legal process. At Maison Law, we take pride in our ability to make the process easier for you and your family. If you’ve been injured at a Staples or any other big box store in California, contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to learn more about our approach and how we can help you.