Supermarkets are not accident free. There are many possible accidents in a busy supermarket. Customers may slip over on something slippery, like a wet floor. They could trip over items that have fallen off a shelf because they were not stacked carefully enough. Some injuries are caused by heavy items falling down on top of an unwary customer. Anyone who has been injured in a supermarket through no fault of their own may be able to obtain compensation for medical treatment, lost earnings and the pain and suffering of the injury by filing a personal injury claim.
Most claims are more likely to succeed if help is sought from an experienced personal injury attorney.
How Soon Should You Settle?
The state you were in where the accident happened decides the maximum time limit for any claim. This is most commonly either two or three years from the date of the injury. Even if you make a claim within weeks of the injury happening, don’t expect that a settlement will be immediate. Some settlements take many months before completion. Generally, the more serious your injuries, the longer it will probably take to settle. It would help if your claim is well prepared and you have taken time to make sure that you can prove that supermarket was negligent and this negligence caused your injury.
One good reason for filing a claim as soon as you are able to do so is that proof of negligence may mean using eye witness accounts of the accident. Every large supermarket will have plenty of potential eye witnesses who would have seen you have your accident. They are more likely to cooperate and remember the details of an accident sooner rather than later after the accident.
Why You Should Take Your Time to Settle
While you should start thinking about a claim as soon as your injuries allow you to do so, this doesn’t mean you should rush a claim without having prepared it as well as you can. The main drawback with rushing a claim off too soon is that you are more than likely to forget key details that could convince an insurance adjuster that their client is liable for your injury. Insurers don’t just hand out payments in compensation without carefully checking all the details first. If there are documents missing, e.g. receipts for medical treatment or a justification for a payment for pain and suffering, then this part of the claim may be rejected. Your attorney can advise you about the documents you need before submitting your claim.
How an Attorney Can Help
It is never easy making a claim against a major company. However, it is certainly not impossible, but you must be methodical about the claim. You are strongly advised to discuss the accident with a personal injury attorney before filing the claim. The attorney can provide legal advice, suggest what you should include with the claim and negotiate a suitable settlement on your behalf.
Additional Resources
- How Long Will it Take to Settle a PI Claim Against Ryder
- How Long Will it Take to Settle a PI Claim Against Swift?
*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 WinCo, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
