What To Do If you Are Injured at a Fast-Food Chain Restaurant

| Personal Injury Lawyer

Fast food restaurants have elaborate public safety policies and maintenance protocols to minimize risk of injury to their patrons. Despite the policies, patrons are injured every year, leading one to conclude that staff do not always follow the policies.

Common causes of slip and fall accidents

Injured at a Fast-Food Chain Restaurant

Common causes of slip and fall accidents at fast food outlets include:

  • Slipping on water from toilets and sinks in the washrooms
  • Tripping on broken or uneven steps
  • Burns from spilled coffee and other hot drinks
  • Trips on cramped quarters indoors
  • Slipping on slick floor after improper cleaning of spilled beverages and foods
  • Loss of footing on gravel patches and other uneven ground that are common in outdoor entrance areas
  • Freshly mopped or wet floors which lack caution signs

If you are injured as a result of a slip and fall accident at a fast food chain, the law requires that you prove that restaurant was negligent and did not meet its duty of care as envisioned in the Occupier’s Liability Act.

How to Prepare for a Personal Injury Suit

Fast food chains such as Starbucks have business liability insurance, meaning in case of an accident, you will be dealing with the insurer and not directly with the company. Once you’ve been injured, the first step in making a claim is writing a demand letter to the chain’s store and head office. The letter should be as detailed as possible if you are to win the claim and it should include:

  • Your personal information (name, address, date, etc.)
  • A statement of why you are seeking compensation
  • A detailed description of how the injuries occurred, including moments before, during, and after the accident, and why you believe the chain was negligent
  • A statement of how much you are seeking in compensation (actual costs of the different components such as medical costs and lost wages)
  • Evidence that you may have collected at the scene of the accident, such as photographs
  • Statements from customers and workers who may have witnessed the accident
  • Medical bills resulting from the injuries and the doctor’s diagnosis
  • Work checks and other documentation to help you demonstrate lost wages

The demand letter should be written in proper legal format, meaning you should leave this to a lawyer.

Once their insurer receives the claim, you will get a response accepting or denying liability or asking questions around the incident and your resulting damages.

Liability is often denied or not accepted. An experienced lawyer should guide you on the merits of your claim and the litigation process. If liability is proven, settlement discussions can be arranged to resolve your claim out of court. If the claim is disputed, litigation can proceed and the parties including store supervisor, manager or employee, will be required to attend court to answer questions about the incident by way of an examination for discovery.

Additional articles

What You Should Know If You Slip and Fall at a Fast Food Restaurant

What You Should Know If You Slip and Fall at a Fast Food Restaurant

Slip and fall injuries in fast food restaurants are fairly common. They can happen as a result of a wet and slippery floor, obstructions in your path, or floor defects among other reasons.

Many falls result in injury which can cost the victim significant losses including healthcare and rehabilitation expenses. It is not unusual, therefore, for injured people and their families to seek compensation by filing a personal injury claim against the businesses for their negligence.

Personal injury claims are meant to cover your medical costs and compensate you for any pain and suffering which you may have experienced along with any economic losses.

A slip and fall accident can happen as a result of negligence on the part of fast food restaurant owners and their employees. Vigilant employees can avoid accidents by quickly cleaning up spills and removing any safety hazards from the restaurant environment and taking reasonable measures to ensure the restaurant is clean and safe for patrons.

There are many conditions which will determine whether you have a rightful claim against an establishment when it comes to slip and fall accidents. These include:

  • What caused you to slip?
  • Did the property owner know or ought to have known of the condition that caused you to slip?
  • How long had the slip hazard been there?
  • Were there hazard/caution signs in place?
  • Was there poor lighting or limited visibility?
  • For a liability claim to succeed, there must have been negligence on the part of the owner or his employees. They must have legal responsibility for the accident and resulting losses.

What to Do If you Fall in a Fast Food Restaurant, private property or other related establishment

Take note of the surroundings

Try to get a full understanding of what caused you to fall. Was the floor wet? Were there obstructions? Was there sufficient light? You can use these details to determine what the staff could have done to prevent the accident.

Use your smart phone to take photos of the scene. Pictures of all the surrounding areas could help you to convince the jury of your version of events.

Find witnesses

Other customers in the fast food restaurant at the time could serve as witnesses to what took place. Approach witnesses and get all their contact details including name, address, phone number and email address.

Get medical attention

Your state of health as determined by the doctor is the first step in building up case when you’ve slipped and fallen. By seeking medical attention quickly, you not only have the best chance of recovering quickly, but it provides proof of timing. This will prevent the defendant from claiming that you were injured after the incident.

A doctor can also identify injuries that you may not have noticed so that you can build a complete case with all the relevant details.

Make a report and write things down

Report the accident to management.

As soon as you get a chance make full notes of exactly what occurred. Memories fade and the sooner you record the facts, the better.

Engage the services of a good personal injury attorney

An experienced personal injury attorney will ensure that your side of the story is told. They know what questions to ask and what evidence will strengthen your case to help establish the legal groundwork to prove your claim.

The team at Grillo Law has years of experience in personal injury claims. We understand what it takes to win a claim. Call us today at (416) 614-6000 for a free consultation. Note we do not charge any money upfront, and you do not pay unless and until the claim is won.

CALL 1-855-225-5725 for a FREE consultation regarding your accident benefits claim.

Remember, you will not pay any fees until your case is won or settled.

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