Walmart Slip and Fall Attorney in Hollywood, FL
Slip-and-fall injuries can happen in many different places under all kinds of circumstances, including at big-box stories like Walmart.
In fact, because of how big their stores are, how common they are throughout the country, and the variety of products they carry, Walmart stores are frequent locations for slip-and-fall accidents. Suing Walmart isn’t easy, though. Their size and corporate resources make any sort of legal action a potentially risky and expensive move.
With the right team at your side, however, you can pursue the compensation you’re owed if you slipped and fell at Walmart. To find out more, call the law offices of Rosen & Ohr. Our attorneys have extensive experience handling slip-and-fall cases, including a recent $1.3 million trial verdict against Walmart.
If you’ve been hurt, call us right away to schedule a free consultation.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in Walmart
Our recent win against Walmart involved a woman who slipped and fell on some body shampoo that had spilled on the floor and not been cleaned up. This is a common type of slip-and-fall accident in Walmart stores. Accidents like this can lead to broken bones, neck and back injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, soft tissue tears, and more.
Common causes of slip-and-falls at Walmart include:
- Spilled liquids on the store floor, such as water, soft drinks, soap, shampoo, motor oil, etc.
- Rainwater tracked in from outside and not cleaned up
- Objects left on the floor or on welcome mats in doorways
- Inadequate lighting
- Cluttered aisles
- Poorly maintained sidewalks and parking lots
Can I Sue Walmart If I Get Injured in a Store?
You could be eligible to take legal action against Walmart if you get injured in a store. You can file a claim in some circumstances if you were injured outside the store, such as on the sidewalk or in a parking lot.
Like any other business or property owner, Walmart is required to maintain a safe environment for both customers and employees, and they can be held liable for negligence if someone is injured on their property. The tricky thing about suing Walmart is their size and the vast resources they have at their command.
To successfully sue Walmart for compensation after a slip-and-fall injury, you’ll have to prove four elements of negligence common in most personal injury cases. Those elements are:
- That Walmart had a duty to remove whatever hazard caused your injury.
- That Walmart failed to adequately meet that duty by cleaning up the mess, properly maintaining their store grounds, etc.
- That you have documented, quantifiable injuries.
- And that Walmart’s actions, or failure to act, led to your injuries.
Does Walmart Have an Insurance Policy for Customers?
Walmart does not have an insurance policy for its customers. Instead, it created its own insurance company to protect itself from any liability claims filed by customers. This company is called Claims Management, Inc. CMI exists entirely to protect Walmart and limit how much the company pays out in insurance claims.
If you’re injured while shopping at Walmart, you may get a call from someone at CMI. They may say that they’re trying to get Walmart to pay for your medical bills after your injury, and that working with them and giving them a statement will help you get your money more quickly. DO NOT fall for this. CMI is out only to protect Walmart, and you don’t want to give them any statement of any kind before speaking with a lawyer, especially if you intend on filing a personal injury claim.
By giving your statement to CMI before seeking medical care or talking to an attorney, you may be playing right into Walmart’s hands. They can twist it and use that statement against you to argue that your injuries aren’t as severe as you say or that Walmart is not liable for your injuries.
Walmart will fight aggressively against any claim you file. It will take an experienced, aggressive attorney to fight back and win your case against them.
Can I Get Compensation for My Injury at Walmart?
Under the laws of premises liability, Walmart and other companies are supposed to provide and maintain a safe environment for customers and workers. This means Walmart can be held liable if they’re negligent in their duty, and you can claim compensation for your injury.
You can receive compensation for both direct and indirect damages as a result of your injury. As far as direct damages are concerned, you can recover compensation for things like medical bills (including physical therapy and hospital stays), lost income and wages while you were injured, future lost wages (depending on the extent of your injury), and so on. Indirect damages cover things like a lower quality of life after your injury, pain and suffering, and so on.
One way Walmart likes to take advantage of customers who file claims against them is in how they calculate their settlement offers. They know that not every customer has a full picture of what they can recover in a personal injury claim, or what the full value of their losses is.
An attorney who’s dealt with Walmart slip-and-fall cases can help a great deal in this regard. For example, there are obvious losses like medical bills and lost income, but what about lost time for things like physical therapy, the cost of prescription drugs, lost future earning potential, etc.? These are all things that are valuable to you and can be recovered in a slip-and-fall claim, but only if your attorney pushes Walmart to pay for your losses.
Contact a Walmart Slip-and-Fall Attorney Today
There’s no underestimating the value of an aggressive, veteran personal injury attorney when it comes to suing Walmart. Walmart is a corporate giant with billions of dollars at their disposal, allowing them the resources to retain some of the best legal defense counsel available. However, they’re not invincible or unbeatable. Our own case results demonstrate that.
The secret to beating Walmart in a slip-and-fall case is aggressiveness and knowledge. Walmart and their representatives at CMI will fight against any payout at all, and any offer will likely be significantly below what you deserve. It takes the right team of determined, knowledgeable lawyers to bring these cases to a successful conclusion. That’s what we do.
Our attorneys and investigators know how to fight a successful battle against a corporate behemoth like Walmart. First, we can investigate your case thoroughly, using every tool at our disposal to show how Walmart should have known about whatever hazard caused your injury and failed to act. This may included video and photo documentation, interviewing employees and witnesses, calling on expert witnesses, and more. Without the right legal team behind you, establishing Walmart’s liability can be a major challenge.
Second, we’ll handle all communication between you, Walmart, and their representatives. Remember, Walmart created CMI to handle all injury claims filed against them, and CMI is very good at what they do. They’ll do everything they can to make you accept a lowball offer or avoid paying anything at all, including twisting your own statements against you. You need a team of lawyers who knows their playbook and, more importantly, how to fight back against that playbook.
Third, we’ll take care of negotiating the best possible offer. If Walmart and CMI knows you have major bills looming, they may try to take advantage of that fact to put pressure on you and make you accept a lesser settlement. Don’t let them get away with that. We know Walmart’s tactics, and we’re ready to seek the best deal possible.
If you’ve got insurers or doctors on your back while your case is pending, we can handle them as well. That way, you can focus on healing and getting back to normal while we handle all the headaches for you.
Finally, you want to hire a firm that truly has your interests at heart. One of Walmart’s biggest advantages is all the money they have. It makes it easy for them to put pressure on anyone who sues them. But because we believe our clients should have access to the legal system no matter what, we don’t collect any fees from you until we’ve won your case. That way, you can pursue your case against Walmart without having to worry about how you’ll pay for it. It’s just one of the ways we work to help our clients as much as possible.
Are you considering a legal claim against Walmart for a slip-and-fall? If so, contact the offices of Rosen & Ohr today. Our caring, steadfast attorneys are ready to help defend your rights. Contact us now for a case consultation! If you need more reassurance, check out our client testimonials. We look forward to hearing from you.