Grocery Store Owners and Managers are constantly on the lookout for any slip-and-fall injuries that may occur. The problem is that One cannot easily verify these incidents. When an injury like this occurs, it can have a huge impact on the victim’s ability to work and live his or her life normally. Here is what you should know about Grocery Store Fall Injury Lawsuits Atlanta.
First, if you or a loved one has suffered an accident within the premises of your grocery store, you must report the incident as soon as possible to the store’s management team. This is true whether the accident involves a fall, a slip, or an incident in which merchandise is damaged. It would be best if you kept detailed notes about the incident. Write down the name of the employee involved, the store’s contact information, and an emergency number (or a nearby number if no emergency numbers are available).
It is important to document every step in your process for filing a claim. Keep copies of all medical reports and police reports, photographs of the injured person (if possible), a list of all your receipts, and all your lost property. It would help if you also took pictures of the immediate area where the fall occurred. Grocery stores are required to place this evidence within the store’s premises, but if not, you may have to provide a copy of the pictures to the store’s property loss claim department. You should also keep track of the claim number for your records.
The Physical Cost of a Slip and Fall Accident
You fall as you cross the ground in a slip and fall accident, usually falling a relatively short distance. Unfortunately, even those short distances can leave you dealing with serious injuries, including injuries that may have a long-term impact on your life and your ability to do the things you enjoy every day. After a slip and fall accident, you may deal with:
Traumatic brain injury. Did you strike your head against a table or shelf on the way down? Did your head bounce off the floor as you landed? Unfortunately, any time you hit your head, you may suffer a traumatic brain injury. You may lose consciousness, or you may note symptoms several hours after the accident: difficulty with comprehension, confusion, memory problems, or difficulty participating in ordinary discussions. Sometimes, these symptoms resolve relatively quickly. Other victims, however, may struggle with the symptoms of traumatic brain injury for weeks or months. In some cases, traumatic brain injury can cause lifelong damage.
Spinal cord damage. A slip and fall can occur with a substantial amount of force. If you strike your back during your accident, you may suffer spinal cord damage. Spinal cord damage may lead to paralysis. Typically, victims of spinal cord damage suffer paralysis either from the waist down or from the neck down. Damage, however, can occur at any point on the spinal cord. Paralysis often significantly limits the activities victims can enjoy long-term.
Broken bones. Many victims break wrists, ankles, fingers, and toes in a slip and fall accident as they attempt to catch themselves. Sometimes, broken bones heal within a few weeks. However, in other cases, broken bones may lead to ongoing weakness or a struggle to return to normal daily activities. During the healing process, victims may find themselves unable to complete their usual job duties or unable to participate in the activities that typically please them.
Deep cuts and lacerations. Some scrapes are normal from a slip and fall accident. However, injuries from slips and falls may also involve serious damage due to foreign objects, sharp corners, or hazards left in the area. Sometimes, lacerations may require surgical intervention. Serious lacerations may also leave substantial scarring behind.
Organ damage. In addition to other types of injuries, victims of slips and falls may suffer blunt force trauma that passes through the body, resulting in damage to their organs. Organ damage grows more likely with age or preexisting conditions.