Slip and Falls at Starbucks in California

Maison Law assists people who have slip and fall accidents at fast food restaurants in California. Fast food places, especially busy ones like Starbucks, can have slip and fall hazards. If you slip and get hurt because the restaurant didn’t ensure your safety, you have legal options. Our California slip and fall accident lawyers can guide you through the process. Contact us today for a free consultation about your situation.

Do You Need a Lawyer?

In California, you don’t have to hire a lawyer for an injury claim, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need a lawyer if you slip and fall at Starbucks. It basically comes down to how hurt you are. The more injured you are, the more help you’ll probably need. Our team can help you by:

• Explaining the legal process and your options
• Helping you gather evidence
• Negotiating with insurance companies
• Giving you a full appraisal of your damages
  
  

We aim to make the legal process easier for you and your family. That’s why we offer free consultations and work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you don’t pay anything upfront. With that information, you can make the best decision on how you want to move forward.

How to Build a Strong Claim After a Starbucks Slip and Fall Accident

You can file an injury claim against Starbucks or anyone else responsible for your slip and fall accident, but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll receive financial support. To maximize your claim, you need to build a strong case. Here’s how to do that after a slip and fall at Starbucks:

• Seek medical help – Get immediate medical attention. Ask a Starbucks employee for assistance or go to the emergency room or urgent care if necessary.
  
  

• Tell Starbucks about what happened – Inform a Starbucks employee or manager about the accident as soon as possible. Ensure they document all the details in a report and get a copy for yourself.
  
  

• Gather evidence and document the accident scene – If possible, take photos or videos of the accident scene, including any hazards and your injuries. This evidence will be crucial later.
  
  

• Get contact information from witnesses – Get the names and contact information of anyone who saw the accident. Their accounts can be helpful.
  
  

• Preserve any damaged clothing or property – Keep the clothes and shoes you were wearing during the fall, as they might be needed as evidence. Don’t repair or replace anything that got broken.

 

• Keep track of your injuries – Show the progression of your injuries by taking photos as they heal, and keep a journal of any pain or problems. Save all your medical records and bills.
  
  
• Be careful with statements and social media posts – Don’t speak to Starbucks lawyers or insurance representatives without consulting our lawyers first. Also, you should keep from posting about the accident on social media, because people will be looking for any statements they can to use against you.
  
  

No matter how hard they try, Starbucks sometimes has conditions that increase the risk of accidents. You can help reduce this risk by paying attention to warning signs and reporting any hazards to the staff. The bottom line is that Starbucks is responsible for maintaining a safe environment and addressing hazards quickly. If they fail to do this and you get hurt, our team can help you get the best value out of your injury claim.

What Damages Can You Get in a Starbucks Slip and Fall Claim?

When you file an injury claim, you’re aiming to recover “damages,” which means getting financial support for the losses you’ve experienced because of your injuries. You generally have two options for filing an injury claim:

• Filing an insurance claim out of court
• Filing a personal injury lawsuit inside the court system
  
  

Both processes are fairly similar, again with the main goal being that you recover certain financial support for your injuries. While there are certain types of damages available in every claim, what you’re specifically able to recover depends on the facts of the case and how well you present it. Usually, you’re looking at recovering the following damages:

• Medical expenses and bills – This covers all the costs related to your medical treatment, such as doctor visits, hospital stays, surgeries, medications, and physical therapy.
  
  
• Lost income – If your injury prevents you from working, you can claim financial support for the wages you would have earned during that time.
  
  
• Repair or replacement costs – If any of your belongings were damaged in the fall, like your phone or clothes, you can get financial support to fix or replace them.
  
  
• Pain and suffering – This relates to the physical pain and discomfort caused by the injury.
  
  
• Emotional distress – If the accident has caused you mental or emotional suffering, like anxiety or depression, you can receive financial support for this as well.
  
  
• Loss of companionship or quality of life – If your injuries affect your relationships or your ability to enjoy daily activities, you can claim financial considerations for this impact on your life.
  
  

In California, you have two years to file an injury claim. If you don’t file within this time, you lose the chance to get your damages. But this is only a general outline. If you really want a better idea of how your case will play out, it’s important to understand the concept of liability.

Who’s Liable for a Slip and Fall Accident at Starbucks?

Just because you slip and fall at a Starbucks doesn’t automatically mean you have an injury claim. Along those same lines, it’s also not automatic that Starbucks will hold liability for your injuries. The deciding factor in both scenarios is “negligence,” and specifically, a “breach of duty.”

This just means that the person or party that’s liable for your injuries in a slip and fall is whoever didn’t take proper care with your safety, and thus caused your injuries in the slip and fall accident.

In real-world terms, this obviously depends heavily on what actually happened. There’s any number of potential slip and fall hazards at a Starbucks, from wet floors to broken pavement in the parking lot.

• Starbucks and its employees – Starbucks must keep their store safe for customers. They could be responsible for a slip and fall if they knew about a hazard and didn’t fix it, if they should have known about the problem but didn’t check, or if they created the hazard themselves. For instance, if an employee spills a drink and doesn’t clean it up or if there are broken tiles that aren’t repaired, Starbucks might be at fault.
  
  
• The owner of the building or property – If Starbucks leases its location, the building’s owner or landlord could also be liable, especially if the accident involves the building’s structure or common areas. The landlord might be responsible if there are structural problems like uneven floors or poor lighting, or if the lease says the landlord should maintain certain areas and they don’t. If the landlord knew about a hazard and didn’t fix it, they could be held liable.
  
  
• Local government – Local government agencies might be liable if the slip and fall happens on public property they maintain. They could be responsible if public sidewalks or paths are unsafe, if they fail to put up necessary warning signs, or if they don’t fix reported hazards in a timely manner.
  
  
• Other customers – Other customers could be responsible if they contribute to the hazard. They might be liable if they create a spill and don’t clean it up or report it. For example, if a customer leaves something in a walkway and someone trips, that customer could share responsibility for the accident.
  
  
• Yourself – You might share some responsibility for the slip and fall under California’s “comparative negligence” law. You could be partly at fault if you weren’t paying attention, ignored warning signs, or wore unsafe footwear. Your damages would then be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you.
  
  

Again, liability is rarely straightforward, even when it happens at a Starbucks. But with our team’s guidance and help, you can figure out every liable party, then file a strong claim to get the damages you need to recover.

Free Consultations for Slip and Fall Accident Victims at a California Starbucks

If you’re hurt in a slip and fall accident at a California Starbucks, you don’t have to handle it alone. At Maison Law, we can guide and support you through your claim. We know how to manage these claims and deal with insurance companies. For a free consultation, contact us today.