Millions of people walk through shopping malls every day, each of them browsing for great deals and the latest trends. Most of them wouldn’t give a second thought to their safety. After all, shopping is meant to be fun and exciting, and occasionally a little expensive.
Turns out, you can pay for your shopping trip in more ways than one. Malls are hotspots for accidents and injuries.
Although most shoppers who slip and fall can continue their errands with no adverse effects, some are not as fortunate. Data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention shows that 1 in 5 slip and fall accidents results in a serious injury.
If you were injured in a slip and fall in New Mexico, contact an Albuquerque personal-injury attorney from The Law Office of Brian K. Branch, PC. You may have grounds for a premises liability claim.
Call 505-764-9710 to schedule a free initial consultation. You can also learn more about personal-injury lawsuits in New Mexico by visiting http://personal-injury.usattorneys.com/new-mexico/.
Read on for some legal advice on what to do immediately after slipping and falling in a store:
What to Do after a Slip and Fall in a Store
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2.4 million people visited emergency rooms for treatment after unintentional falls in 2011. That makes falls the leading cause of all nonfatal injuries in the United States.
You do not need to be walking in the rain or snow to slip and fall; many ordinary surfaces in the most unlikely places are slippery enough to cause you to lose your footing. For this reason, storeowners and managers are required to take reasonable steps to keep customers safe – such as performing basic maintenance – and to warn customers about potential hazards.
If a storeowner or manager fails to do this and a customer suffers an injury as a result, then the victim can pursue compensation by making a premises liability claim.
Your actions and statements in the immediate aftermath of a slip and fall may affect your ability to bring a successful claim. Remember these seven steps if you fall in a store:
- Report the accident to the store manager or owner immediately;
- Take photos of the scene and your injuries;
- See if CCTV cameras captured the incident;
- Get the names and contact details of witnesses;
- Call the police and file a report;
- Visit a doctor;
- And consult a personal-injury attorney.
Were you injured in a slip and fall while shopping in New Mexico? Contact an Albuquerque personal-injury attorney from The Law Office of Brian K. Branch, PC to find out if you have a case.
The experienced injury lawyers at The Law Office of Brian K. Branch, PC have been providing compassionate yet aggressive representation to people throughout New Mexico since 1997. Call 505-764-9710 to schedule a free initial consultation.