What to Do If You Slip and Fall in a Store Parking Lot

Every year, more than one million people visit hospital emergency rooms after they slip and fall in store parking lots or elsewhere. Common causes of store parking lot falls include poor lighting, uneven surfaces, and wet spots. Because parking lots are high-traffic areas, property owners have an enhanced obligation to maintain them in a reasonably safe condition.

The most important thing you can do if you slip and fall in a store parking lot is contact a slip and fall accident lawyer in Los Angeles. But as outlined below, a number of things need to happen before you make that call.

Attorneys obtain maximum compensation for serious injuries. But victims themselves have some responsibilities as well. This post focuses on these responsibilities.

Focus on Your Safety and Health

The average ambulance response time varies significantly, but it’s usually between seven and ten minutes. In those seven to ten minutes, victims should perform an injury self-evaluation.

Immediately after the fall, check yourself for injuries. Slip-and-fall accidents commonly cause sprains, fractures, back injuries, and head trauma. If you are seriously hurt, try not to move and ask someone nearby to call 911. Even if your injuries seem minor, adrenaline can mask pain. Take a moment to breathe, gather yourself, and do your best to move to a safe area away from cars or other hazards.

Also remember that symptoms of many injuries, especially soft tissue injuries, concussions, or internal bruising, don’t appear until hours or days later.

Furthermore, especially in parking lot slip-and-fall matters, many victims need to immediately move from a traffic area or other dangerous location to a relatively safe location.

Many slip-and-fall victims are too seriously injured to do anything for themselves. Don’t be afraid to ask a bystander for help in reaching a safe location or performing that injury evaluation. California has a broad Good Samaritan law, so in most cases, bystanders can help victims without worrying about future repercussions.

Immediately Report the Incident

After ensuring personal safety and performing the injury check, notify the store manager or property owner ASAP. Sometimes, victims or witnesses make this report. Other times, a Los Angeles slip and fall accident lawyer makes the report later.

Most businesses have protocols for documenting accidents on their premises. The official report is admissible in court and may be the most valuable piece of evidence in the case. If you interact with store management, be polite and factual, and avoid making statements like “I’m fine” or “It was my fault.” Such comments could torpedo a claim later.

This step is best left to a lawyer if the fall occurred in a shared parking lot or a plaza with multiple tenants. One of several entities could be legally responsible for a specific area’s maintenance. It may not be the store itself. Usually, a landlord or management company is responsible for parking lot safety and security.

Document Everything at the Scene

The official report is by no means the only evidence in a parking lot slip-and-fall case. Physical evidence at the scene is often game-changing as well. So, taking pictures may be one of the most important things to do after you slip and fall in a parking lot.

Parking lot conditions change rapidly. Spills are cleaned, potholes are filled, and lights are adjusted. Once physical evidence is gone, it’s gone forever.

If anyone saw the fall or noticed the hazard before your accident, ask for their names and contact information. Most people won’t voluntarily cooperate with police officers. But most people will voluntarily cooperate with accident victims. They just need to be asked.

Preserve Physical Evidence

Victims cannot control much of the physical evidence in a parking lot slip and fall case. But they can control some of it.

Keep the shoes and clothing you were wearing at the time of the fall. Do not wash or otherwise alter them. Believe it or not, stray debris, water, or other materials help illustrate what happened. Attorneys often partner with accident reconstruction professionals who use these tiny pieces of proof like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

On a related note, preserve any receipts or items showing you were legitimately on the premises, such as a timestamped purchase or appointment reminder.

Avoid Speaking with Insurance Adjusters

Almost immediately after they report accidents, insurance adjusters normally reach out to victims. Always remember their job is to protect the business, not you. So, politely decline to speak in detail until you’ve consulted a personal injury attorney. Anything you say can be used against you later.

Consult a Personal Injury Attorney

As mentioned, this step is the big one. Individuals cannot possibly handle cases against insurance companies, like a high school football team has no chance to beat an NFL team. A good Los Angeles slip and fall accident lawyer:

• Evaluates your claim,
• Investigates the incident,
• Gathers evidence,
• Communicates with insurance companies on your behalf,
• Calculates the value of your damages, and
• Helps you pursue compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

Calfironia has a very strict statute of limitations that sets a deadline for filing a slip-and-fall lawsuit. If you miss that deadline, you lose your right to pursue compensation entirely. An attorney helps ensure all paperwork and legal filings are completed on time.

Accident victims are entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced slip and fall accident lawyer in California, contact the Law Offices of Eslamboly Hakim. Virtual, home, and after-hours visits are available.