Slips and falls on the hard, slippery ground of a gas station can be painful and inconvenient. You may need to be treated for your injuries and take time off to recover sufficiently so that you are able to return to work. It could be that if you have been so incapacitated that the chance of returning to a full-time job is sharply reduced or even may never happen.
Fortunately, you are not alone.
If you can prove that your slip and fall accident was a result of negligence, you may be entitled to file a personal injury claim against the person who caused your accident, which could cover the financial hardship of your injuries.
Don’t wait too long after your slip and fall accident; contact a personal injury attorney who will assess your eligibility to make a personal injury claim against a station.
Why Would You Slip and Fall In A Gas Station?
Slipping and falling in a gas station is often due to the employment of inadequate staff, so there is not enough time to check the station for unexpected hazards.
This most likely occurs when the manager isn’t vigilant enough in keeping his or her premises free from hazards. This is often due to not employing enough staff to oversee this part of the fast food establishment.
A minor injury doesn’t have too much of an effect in the long term. A more severe injury like a broken bone or a spinal injury could have a greater impact. Additionally, falling forwards could lead to a traumatic brain injury if you hit your head on a sharp protrusion like the edge of a shelf or table.
There can be hazards inside a gas station convenience store, but it's also a functioning gas station. If your car was hit, you may want to take a look at our page: Car Accidents at a Shell Gas Station.
Slip and Falls at a Gas Station
If you stop at a gas station to pump gas into your vehicle or to buy items in the convenience store, you expect the premises to be clean and safe from any obstacles, risks, or dangers. It is the responsibility of the store to make sure the premises are properly cleaned and any repairs are made in a timely manner. If you have been injured in a slip and fall at gas station, you can pursue a personal injury claim against the store to recover compensation for the damages you suffered.
You can slip and fall outside or inside the store. When at the gas pump, you could slip and fall on automotive fluids. The paved area around the gas pumps might be saturated with oil, gas, or other fluids that are slippery.
Snow and ice can also make the concrete or pavement slippery, and such falls can result in serious injuries, such as back injuries, broken bones, and traumatic brain injuries. Any of these injuries can affect you for the long term and lead to mounting medical bills and the loss of earnings.
How Falls Can Occur in a Gas Station
Foot traffic going in and out of the store can lead to water being tracked in and causing slippery floors. These slippery floors are very hazardous.
The store employees must make sure they properly clean up and mop the floors, or post a wet floor sign. If a drink has been spilled by the soda fountain, or food has been dropped onto the floor, the employees must promptly clean it up or block the area off and warn their customers of the risks.
If the floors have been mopped to clean up dirt and residue, there should be wet floor signs placed or the area should be blocked off until it is dry and safe for foot traffic. Often, these accidents are caught on surveillance videos. These videos can be used as evidence in a court of law where an accident victim is pursuing compensation for a personal injury claim.
How to Win a Personal Injury Claim Against a Gas Station
If you suffered injuries in a slip and fall at a gas station, you will need to maintain evidence and gather supporting documentation to show your losses were a direct result of the fall at the gas station and then show that the accident was caused by the negligence of the gas station employees. If you can prove all four elements of negligence have been met, you can increase the chances of having a successful personal injury claim and recovering compensation for your damages.
Be sure to notify store management of any slip and fall accidents at a gas station. Tell them if you were near the gas pump or inside the store, how it happened, and what injuries you suffered.
If you are physically able to do so, get photos of the accident scene and of any visible injuries. You must establish medical care right away, and be sure to maintain documentation of your medical treatment and injuries. Delaying medical care can make it difficult to prove that you were injured in the fall at the gas station.
Here are some pieces of documentation or evidence that can help you win your personal injury claim:
- Photos of the accident scene
- Photos of the visible injuries
- Medical bills
- Medical records
- Prescription records
- Proof of missed work and lost wages
- Proof of the need for future medical care
- Proof of the future loss of earnings
- Surveillance videos of the slip and fall incident
- Statements from any witnesses
There are various damages that might result from a slip and fall at a gas station. Here are some of the damages that you might claim:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Future loss of earnings
- Property damages
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Long-term disabilities
- Mental anguish
A personal injury lawyer will help you gather supporting documentation for your damages and then itemize your claim, coming up with a total value for your overall claim.
Many people are injured in slip and fall accidents at gas stations every year. As an example, in December 2013 a snowstorm left the Portland, Oregon metro area slick. A consumer was visiting a gas station when he slipped on ice and suffered a broken elbow.
He filed a personal injury claim seeking $50,000 in damages** for his injuries. In the lawsuit, he said that the store was negligent because they had a duty to shovel snow or sprinkle salt or gravel to make the premises safe for customers and so they wouldn’t slip and fall.
Enlist the Help of a Personal Injury Lawyer
If you have suffered a slip and fall at a gas station, you should enlist the help of a personal injury attorney who is licensed to handle such cases in your state. With the help of a lawyer, you can prove that the store was negligent and that caused your injuries and damages. When you have a lawyer representing you, you are much more likely to have a successful claim and be awarded compensation for your damages.
Personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means you don’t have to pay anything upfront and your lawyer will not be paid until your case has been won and you get a settlement or a judgment for your damages. There is a statute of limitations for pursuing an accident injury claim after a slip and fall, so don’t wait too late to try to recover compensation for your damages.
Maintain all evidence and gather supporting documentation for your claim after a gas station slip and fall. Talk with a local personal injury lawyer and be sure you get ready to take legal action against the gas station. Schedule your free case review today, so you can make sure you are fairly compensated for the losses caused by the negligence of the gas station employees.
Business owners can be difficult to negotiate with in a slip and fall accident. However, an experienced personal injury attorney can help you through each step of the process and fight tirelessly on your behalf to win a claim for you that will cover the financial burden of an accident that should not have happened.
Personal injury attorneys have the knowledge to be able to influence insurers and other parties to pay a claim that is rightfully yours.
*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 a Shell gas station or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
