Most people would never think of safety as an issue when visiting their local coffee chain for their morning coffee.
Unfortunately, accidents can happen — but that doesn’t mean it is your responsibility to cover.
Continue below to learn how you may be eligible for financial compensation for your cafe accident by filing a personal injury claim.
Potential Hazards While Visiting a Coffee Shop
Of the multitude of coffee shops, the majority are composed of a kitchen, an ordering station, tables, chairs, and a restroom area. It may be hard to imagine how severe injury can come from such a simple set-up.
However, the majority of injuries are due to slip and falls caused by any variety of accidents, such as:
- spilled tea, coffee or water in the dining area
- cleaning solution on the tile
- leaking condensation by the beverage coolers
- soap or water in the restrooms
Other accidents can be caused by falling ad displays, hot surfaces/drinks, or malfunctioning store fixtures like toilets or sinks.
Just at any business, there are a variety of things that can go wrong. Regardless of how you were injured, it is important to prepare for your personal injury claim as soon as possible — due to PI claim’s “statute of limitations”, people are only eligible for compensation
up to 2 years after their accident.
Applying for Compensation
In order to receive compensation for your injury, you must prove that it was due to the negligence of the store that you were part of an accident.
“Negligence” is a very important word in personal injury cases, because it determines who is or isn’t at fault, and who will be responsible for all damage caused.
To prove negligence, you must compile everything you know about the accident to include on your PI claim. Start by writing down everything you know that led up to the accident. Include pictures of the scene and your injuries if you can.
Try to also get statements from witnesses if you can — while this may be difficult if you didn’t get fellow customers’ contact information after the accident, your best bet will be to ask any present employees.
It is also important that you save all bills from medical tests, doctor visits, hospitalization records, and prescription receipts. These will be included on your claim to prove why you are asking for a certain amount in compensation.
If your injury was severe enough to keep you out of work, you can also provide W-2s or other documents to demonstrate lost wages.
Once this information in compiled, you are ready to send in your personal injury claim.
Preparing for Deposition
When most companies receive personal injury claims, they will do a great deal of their own investigation to determine what happened during your accident. Part of this investigation may include an unofficial out-of-court questioning session called a “deposition”.
Depositions are not as scary as they sound, and should be pretty simple. All you need to do is answer questions just as you did on your statement, and be as thorough and honest as possible.
Considering a Personal Injury Attorney
Personal injury attorneys can make the difference between winning or losing a case. They can help you to write your claim in official legal language, prepare all supporting documents for you, and represent you should your case go to deposition or court.
They aren’t even allowed to take payment for their services unless they win your case. To see if legal assistance may be right for you, consider a free consultation with a local PI attorney today.
*Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information, and should not be construed as legal advice or opinion. You may not be entitled to compensation if you file a claim against Dunkin' Donuts, or any other party, for your accident.
