Slip and Fall Accident at a Restaurant
It’s easy to underestimate just how costly a slip and fall type accident can be. Sometimes the actual injuries don’t even show up for days or weeks after the actual accident.
Serious slip and fall accidents may mean many weeks off work while sprained joints and broken bones mend, burns recover, and doctors and surgeons figure out how to deal with spinal or brain damage.
These sorts of accidents are almost always unexpected and that’s why their financial implications can be so damaging.
If you slipped and fell in a public place like a restaurant because of dirty, greasy or wet floors, trash or food on the ground or some other reason you may be able to make a claim for reasonable compensation from the owners of the establishment or their staff citing negligence.
These sorts of claims are not easy to pursue successfully without the help of an experienced personal injury attorney.
The Main Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in a Restaurant
Common causes of slip-and-fall accidents include:
- Slippery floors
- Torn or loose carpet
- Rough floorboards
- Trash left on the ground
- Food left on the ground
- Cleaning equipment or other hazards in the way
For a personal injury claim to have any chance of success, it must be shown that the accident was due to carelessness or negligence on the part of the staff, managers or owners of the restaurant.
For example, a restaurant where it was company policy to allow patrons to spill their food on to the floor.
This represents a slip hazard which the company knew about, making them more liable in the event that one of their customers slipped over and injured themselves.
Lawsuits Against Restaurant Negligence
Restaurant owners and their staff are responsible for their patrons’ safety and each state’s premises liability laws help to protect members of the public from the negligence of property owners when they are in a public place like a restaurant.
Accidents in restaurants are not always slip and fall scenarios. One woman and her daughter took a restaurant to court over a flambé demonstration that went horribly wrong in a Manhattan restaurant called Bocca East.
The flames from the dish that had been set on fire spread to the woman’s body and then to her daughter who tried to help her.
The lawsuit cited negligence on the part of the staff and the injured women sued for an amount that included medical bills, lost wages and punitive damages.
Contact an Attorney as Early as Possible
It’s bad enough having to cope with being injured, but trying to negotiate with a restaurant when you believe they were responsible for your accident is unlikely to be fruitful unless you enlist the help of an experienced attorney.
A personal injury attorney will be able to assess your accident and give you a professional opinion whether a claim for compensation has a chance of success.
Because of the need to prove liability in a restaurant accident, your attorney can help with obtaining evidence, witnesses and negotiating with the defendant(s) and their insurer on your behalf.
*The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Hooters, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
