Injured in an accident at a business? You may be eligible for compensation. Every case is unique so each case will be different. Your claim will depend on the business’s liability and the extent of your injuries. There will be insured to protect your losses if you are hurt at a business. Many businesses have medical payment insurance that will cover your medical expenses and liability insurance that will help you pay the rest of your losses.
St. Petersburg Personal Injuries Attorneys Jenkins Law P.L. specializes in business claims. There are many legal options available to obtain compensation for a business. We have dealt with many claims against insurance companies and businesses. This article will help you understand the types of claims that are available and how they work.
Responsibilities for Business
Businesses have a responsibility to ensure that their property is safe for customers and invited guests. They are responsible for maintaining the property and fixing any dangerous conditions. These are some examples of their responsibilities:
Wet floors
All liquids and water that may be on the floor should be removed. Safety mats should be provided at both the entrance and exit for wiping feet. A wet floor sign or warning sign should be placed in any wet areas.
Sidewalks
To prevent falls, cracks and tripping hazards must be fixed. A warning sign should be posted if there is any crack, uneven surface, or hole.
Parking lots
The parking lot must have sufficient lighting to allow customers to see. It also acts as a deterrent to criminals who might want to harm customers. It is important to keep the parking lot free of carts and other hazards like cracks and holes.
Dangerous objects
To avoid merchandise falling on customers, a business must ensure that it is properly stacked. The aisles must be clear of obstructions.
Doors
Doors must work properly in a business. Because automatic doors do not always function properly, they pose a serious safety risk. It would surprise you to learn how many people are hurt when automatic doors close on them and cause serious injuries.
Examples Of Injuries At a Business
Below are some examples of injuries sustained by businesses. Although this list is not exhaustive, it is a selection of cases I have dealt with over the years at Jenkins Law P.L. Personal Injury Attorneys St. Petersburg.
- Slip and fall on concrete, blacktop, or a hard floor
- Accidents on an escalator or elevator
- Shopping cart injuries
- Stocking goods that are not properly stocked or falling merchandise
- Sharp edges can cause cuts and lacerations.
- Broken automatic doors can cause someone to be crushed
- Cracked pavement causes injuries in the parking lot
- Sidewalk injuries from cracked or raised surfaces
- Fall on pallets and other merchandise stockpiled
- Parking lot assault or battery
Why You Were On The Property Matters
Only if you were there for a specific purpose will your injuries be covered. If you were invited, the first is covered. This is when you were invited to the property by someone else. Customers or anyone who is visiting the property to make repairs are examples of invitees. An invitee is anyone with a legitimate business interest. Licensees are the second category of people that may be covered. These individuals are allowed to visit the property but not for business purposes. These people can be friends, social guests, or children.
Trespassers are the only people not covered by a business for any accident that occurs at their establishment. Trespassers are not permitted to be on the property and therefore, the business has no duty.
How Do You Prove That The Business Is Responsible?
You can still recover compensation even if you were legally on the property. This means the business was negligent in any way that caused your accident. You must prove that the business was responsible.
- The business, through its manager, knew that a dangerous condition existed.
- The business had a reasonable time to correct the dangerous condition or warn about it.
- You were in a dangerous situation that caused you injuries.
- You were not aware of the danger and could not have prevented the accident.
- You did not cause or contribute to the accident
- You didn’t accept the possibility of an accident.
How To Make a Strong Claim
You must not allow the insurance company to deny or question anything in order to make a strong case against them. To make it as simple as possible for the insurance adjusters to pay you, you should spoon-feed them the evidence supporting your claim. This requires you to take several steps.
Notify The Business Immediately About The Incident
It is important to notify the business of an accident while you are still present on the property. This will allow the business to investigate and prepare an incident report. The business must determine what caused the accident as they will have to report everything to the insurance adjuster. They will also be able to interview witnesses and preserve video.
Receive Immediate Medical Treatment
Notifying the police is not enough. It’s just as important to get checked out by a doctor right away. Report the injury to an urgent care center or hospital as soon as possible. I don’t recommend you go to an ambulance. You should continue your treatment after your first visit. Follow your doctor’s instructions.
Get Witness Information
Do not rely solely on the business to prove your case. Get the contact information of witnesses if there were. It is impossible to trust the business to remove all information. They will seldom be in your best interests.
Take Photographs
Photograph the accident scene and any witnesses. If you fall on wet flooring, take pictures of it along with the worker who cleaned it up. You should take photos of any visible injuries. To show the healing process and scarring, you should take photos of your injuries over time.
Get in touch with a local business accident attorney
Every day, accidents at businesses occur. Broken bones, neck and back injuries, as well as knee injuries, sprains, and strains are all common results of these accidents. Torn hamstrings are another common injury that slip-and-falls can cause. As soon as the accident occurs, I recommend that you hire a skilled personal injury attorney. To learn more about the position of the insurance adjuster, the attorney can communicate immediately with them. After an accident, I don’t recommend anyone speaking directly to the adjuster without consulting with an attorney. Insurance companies will try to convince you not to hire an attorney or to offer you money to leave. Don’t fall for the trap.
For a complimentary consultation, if you were injured in an accident at a company and would like to talk about filing a claim, please contact me at St. Petersburg personal injury attorneys Jenkins Law P.L.
This post was written by Kelly-Ann Jenkins of Jenkins Law P.L. Kelly-Ann has the best personal injury attorneys. She focuses on personal injury, car accidents, and bicyclist injury. The information on this site is not intended to and does not offer legal advice, legal recommendations or legal representation on any matter. Hiring an attorney is an important decision, which should not be based on advertising. You need to consult an attorney for legal advice regarding your individual situation.
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