5 Steps to Take After a Slip and Fall Accident in a Supermarket in Georgia

Have you ever experienced a slip and fall accident while shopping in a supermarket? It can be embarrassing, painful, and even traumatic. Apart from the physical pain, it can also result in emotional distress, medical expenses, and the loss of wages if you are unable to work.

Slip and fall accidents are common occurrences that happen every day in Georgia supermarkets. In this article, an experienced Union City personal injury lawyer will take you through five essential steps to follow after a slip and fall accident in a supermarket to ensure your safety, protect your rights as well as get compensation for any injuries sustained.

Slip and Fall Accidents Can Result in Severe Injuries

Slip and fall accidents are one of the most common types of accidents that occur in supermarkets. They can often be caused by wet floors, spilled food or drink, or even tripping over merchandise that has been left on the floor. While these accidents may seem minor, they can actually result in serious injuries.

Some of the most common injuries that are sustained in slip and fall accidents include:

  • broken bones
  • hip fractures
  • concussions
  • back injuries
  • soft tissue damage

These injuries can be extremely painful and may require extensive medical treatment. In some cases, they may even lead to permanent disability. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, adults over 65 years old are more vulnerable and suffer severe injuries after a slip and fall accident.
Thus, if you have been involved in a slip and fall accident in a supermarket, it is important to seek medical attention right away.

Georgia Laws Require All Property Owners to Keep Their Premises Safe for Visitors

In Georgia, property owners are required to keep their premises safe for visitors. If you slip and fall in a supermarket, you may be able to file a personal injury claim against the store. In order to succeed in your claim, you will need to prove that the store was negligent in keeping its premises safe.

To this end, your Union City personal injury lawyer must prove that:

  1. you had a legitimate reason to be present on the property
  2. a hazardous condition existed on the property
  3. you suffered injuries and economic damages because of the hazardous condition
  4. the property owner should have had advance knowledge of the existence of the respective condition.

For example, on a rainy day, it is reasonable to expect that water will accumulate on the tiled store entrance, causing customers to slip on them. Thus, the owner should have placed an anti-slip mat at the entrance and sent employees to mop the floor whenever necessary.

These Are the Five Steps to Take after a Slip and Fall Accident in a Supermarket

An experienced Union City personal injury lawyer knows that big supermarkets work with even bigger insurance companies. And they will do anything to stop you from filing a claim successfully.
Thus, you must be careful about protecting your rights. Here is what you should do:

1. Notify Supermarket Manager about Your Accident

If you’ve been involved in a slip and fall accident in a supermarket in Georgia, the first thing you should do is notify the manager. This will ensure that the accident is properly documented. The manager is also obliged to provide you with the name and contact details of the store’s insurance company.

2. Take Photos and Videos of the Hazardous Area

Use your mobile phone camera to take pictures and videos of the area where you fell. Include pictures of any obstacles in the area, any wet or slippery surfaces, and anything else that may have contributed to your fall. These images are the essential evidence an Union City personal injury lawyer needs to prove your case.

Also, if there are any witnesses to your fall, get their contact information so that you can follow up with them later if necessary. While store employees may be unwilling to give statement against their employers, other shoppers will have no second thoughts about helping your case.

slip and accident

3. Do Not Sign an Accident Report Form which Contains a Waiver

If you have been involved in a slip and fall accident in a supermarket in Georgia, it is important that you do not sign an accident report form which contains a waiver. This could waive your right to pursue a claim against the store.

Instead, ask for a copy of the form and take it home with you to read over before you decide whether or not to sign it. If you have any questions about the form or the accident, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can help protect your rights.

4. Seek Medical Care Immediately

After a slip and fall in a supermarket in Georgia, it is important to seek medical care immediately. You may have suffered severe injuries and need appropriate treatment.
Additionally, seeking medical care promptly will help establish that your injuries were caused by the accident, which can be important if you decide to pursue a personal injury claim. In fact, if you wait several hours or days after the fall and only go to the doctor when you start feeling pain, you may have compromised your case.

An insurance adjuster will say that you cannot prove the source of your injuries. After all, you walked away from the slip and fall accident. Later, you suffered injuries in a separate accident and try to make the supermarket pay for your medical treatment.

You can see that it is very hard for an Union City personal injury lawyer to fight this kind of argument.

5. Do Not Talk to an Insurance Adjuster without a Lawyer

Once you reported the accident to a store manager, they will inform the insurance company. And you will soon have an insurance adjuster in your hospital room, ready to tell you that you don’t have a valid case. If you stand your ground, the adjuster will try one of these tactics:

  • offer you a lowball amount
  • ask you various questions aimed at making you say something self-incriminatory
  • ask you to provide a recorded statement about the slip and fall accident.

You should say no to all these options and inform the adjuster that your Union City personal injury lawyer will contact them to discuss your insurance claim.

Let an Experienced Union City Personal Injury Lawyer Handle Your Slip and Fall Accident Claim

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident in a supermarket in Georgia, the first thing you should do is contact an experienced Union City personal injury lawyer. At The Wade Law Office, we will review your case carefully and determine if you have a valid claim against the store.

If you do have a claim, we will help you file a claim and negotiate with the store’s insurance company on your behalf to get you the compensation you deserve. We offer every new client a free case review, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by discussing your case with us: 770-282-1188!

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