Large, busy stores, not unlike Costco, can be hazardous. Employees are often very busy during peak hours and may not attend to every emergency or incident as quickly as they might do normally. Some hazards that can cause slip, trip and fall accidents may get overlooked or even ignored.
Big stores have a duty to provide a safe environment for customers, so if you happen to fall over and injure yourself, you may have the right to claim compensation. If this is what has happened to you, then remember that your doctor will be an important factor in your attempt to obtain compensation. A personal injury attorney can also provide advice and help you with the legal aspects.
The Personal Injury Claim Process After a Slip and Fall Injury
You cannot claim compensation after any accident in a public place like a grocery store unless you are sure that the accident could have been avoided if the store workers or the management had taken steps to prevent it occurring. No-one expects store workers to be clairvoyants. If whatever it was that caused you to slip or trip over only appeared just before you fell over on it, then it would be unlikely to show that the store was negligent.
In addition to proving negligence, you must have proof that your injuries happened while in grocery store and they were a direct result of their negligence. This is the part of the claim process that can be influenced by the evidence provided by your doctor.
How Your Doctor Can Help With a Slip and Fall Claim
In addition to proving that any injuries you have were caused negligence, you also need to show evidence of the costs you are facing. Insurers often doubt that the injuries you are claiming for were actually caused by the accident you report. They may think that they predated the accident at their client’s store.
Eye witnesses are certainly useful in this respect. Your doctor can identify the injuries you have and provide a valuable opinion about what caused them and when. Your doctor will also outline what treatment you need and whether you are healthy or fit enough to return to work. These decisions or opinions help to determine the compensation you request in a claim.
Your doctor can provide evidence that you have suffered psychologically or emotionally from the injuries you received. One important component of most personal injury settlements is compensation for “pain and suffering.” This can be hard to determine without an opinion from a medical professional. Finally, if the case has to go to trial because of disagreements between you and the insurer, the doctor may be called as a witness to verify or confirm details that you provided with your claim.
A Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You With Your Claim
Most personal injury attorneys will provide a free consultation to determine whether a claim is justified and whether it is likely to succeed. If they do suggest going ahead with the claim, they will normally act on your behalf on a contingency fee basis, deferring any legal fees until settlement. Fill out the Free Case Evaluation on this page to get started!
*Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Costco, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
