Many people slip and fall at fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s. Customers drop their French fries and spill drinks. Employees drag out mops to wipe up dropped beverages, creating slippery floors. Although understandable, conditions that cause a customer to slip, fall, and suffer injury fall under McDonald’s responsibility.
When a slip under McDonald’s “golden arches” turns into a costly injury, you should not have to bear these expenses. State laws and industry regulations require the restaurant owner to keep their property clean and safe for customers, employees, and other visitors. When the owner, manager, or other McDonald’s employee fails to fulfill their duty in this regard and someone suffers an injury, the property owner can be liable for your medical expenses, lost income, and other damages.
A Ben Crump Law, PLLC injury lawyer for slip and fall accidents at McDonald’s can inform you of your legal options to recover compensation to cover your injury-related losses. Call today for a free consultation by dialing (800) 647-3113.
Causes of Slips and Fall Accidents at McDonald’s
A slip and fall accident can occur due to a number of reasons. Some causes include the following:
- Spills
- Leaky plumbing
- Uneven tiles or flooring
- Parking lot potholes
- Broken steps or staircase rails
- Loose rugs, runners, or mats
- Inadequate lighting
- Safety code violations
- Unmarked curbs in parking lots
The restaurant industry, by its very nature, invites a large number of slips on spilled drinks, ice, food, and grease. Even amongst employees, slips and falls account for more than four times the paid losses than those from punctures or cuts, according to AmTrust Financial Restaurant Risks Report.
Outside a restaurant facility, hazards in parking lots also increase risks of slips and falls. Regardless of how such an accident happens, if the restaurant management knew or should have known of a danger and did nothing to fix it or warn customers about the hazard, the restaurant assumes liability for injury-related damages.
Legal Responsibility of McDonald’s Property Owners
By law, McDonald’s owners must ensure that their restaurant staff takes reasonable steps to keep their facilities clean and safe for customers and others who occupy their restaurant. They need to vigilantly monitor all areas of the restaurant, post signage that notifies others of hazards, and work to remedy the danger within a reasonable period of time.
For example, the staff should know soon after a customer spills a drink in the dining area. They should immediately take measures to clean dry the area, and while the floor section poses a slipping hazard, place signs that warn customers. If the staff has had a reasonable amount of time to handle these matters, but they do not, and someone slips and injures themselves, McDonald’s should pay for resulting damages.
In order to collect compensation, your injury lawyer for slip and fall accidents at McDonald’s must prove the following:
- Defendants from the McDonald’s restaurant owed you a duty to keep you free from injury.
- The defendants failed to fulfill this duty.
- The defendants’ breach of duty caused your slip and fall accident.
- You suffered physical, financial, and psychological damages from the accident.
To prove the above elements, known as the “Care of Duty” doctrine, your lawyer will need to investigate your accident and gather compelling evidence.
Gathering Evidence to Establish Liability
When you hire Ben Crump Law, PLLC to handle your McDonald’s slip and fall accident, we will launch an evidence-gathering investigation to prove all the required elements of your case. The sources we target for this evidence will include:
- Evidence from the scene of the accident
- Witness testimony
- McDonald’s accident report if one exists
- Medical records related to your slip and fall injury
- Pictures
- Wage statements from your employer
- Videos from surveillance cameras
We will also seek out experts in the fields of medicine, economics, occupational therapy, and psychology who can speak to the extent of your damages and how they will continue to cost you into the future.
Call Ben Crump Law, PLLC today so we can get started on the investigation of your accident while evidence remains intact and witnesses’ memories remain fresh: (800) 647-3113.
Recoverable Damages in Your Slip and Fall Case
The damages you might recover from your slip and fall case correspond directly with the types and severity of your injuries, the costs for treating them, the time and wages you have missed from work while you recover, and the extent to which you have suffered and will continue to suffer other losses related to your injury.
For this reason, your lawyer can calculate the value of your case only once they have reviewed the evidence supporting your damages.
To give you an idea of possible areas of compensation you might recover in your case, consider the following common types of recoverable damages:
- Doctor’s fees
- Surgeon’s fees
- Hospital stay
- Emergency transportation
- Physical rehabilitation and/or physical therapy
- Lost income
- Diminished future potential earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
If your loved one passed away from injuries they suffered in a slip and fall accident at McDonald’s, you should also know that you may be entitled to pursue a wrongful death action. Your lawyer can discuss your legal options in this legal pursuit.
Consider the Statute of Limitations in Your State
Every state limits the amount of time you have to take legal action following a slip and fall accident. This time restriction appears in your state’s statute of limitations for civil actions/personal injury. Your lawyer can tell you how long your state gives you to file a lawsuit in your case.
Keep in mind that, regardless of these particular time constraints, you should consider hiring a lawyer sooner rather than later. You will want to give your attorney a healthy amount of time in which to conduct their investigation, gather evidence, and build your case.
Call an Injury Lawyer for Slip and Fall Accidents at McDonald’s
Our law firm works on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you pay us no legal fees unless or until we win you an insurance settlement or jury award for your case.
Call us today for a free consultation. A Ben Crump Law, PLLC injury lawyer for slip and fall accidents at McDonald’s wants to help you seek the compensation you deserve (800) 647-3113.
