Slip and Fall at Restaurant

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of restaurants in Seattle, Kirkland, Olympia, and Bellingham. The vast majority of them are perfectly safe places to be. However, there are accidents that occur at these establishments because the management and employees fail to make the premises safe for people to use. The most common injury at restaurants are slip and falls.

In most restaurant slip and fall cases, the reason someone slips and falls is because the restaurant failed to mop up the floor. This is most common in areas where many people are coming and going, such as by the tables in the main part of the restaurant or near the area where the food is cooked and the bar. Many times a customer will spill milk, water, ice, or some other substance, fail to notify the restaurant, and another customer will come along, with their attention directed to an eye-level, and slip and fall on the spilled substance, having never seen the substance that was left on the floor. Restaurants have a duty to check the restaurant’s floors to make sure they are free of spilled substances that can cause people to slip and fall.

In a restaurant slip and fall case, you have to prove that the owner the restaurant or knew or reasonably should have known that the floor was slippery to be the point of being dangerous. This may be very obvious or it may be difficult to prove.

A lawyer can help you achieve the desired outcome in a case like this by doing any number of things, such as obtaining surveillance footage to show when the substance or content that you slipped and fell on was spilled. In these kinds of cases, timing is very important. If you slipped and fell on a substance that was only on the floor for a very short period of time, then the restaurant will likely prevail on the argument that it could not have reasonably have known to clean up the spill, assuming the spill did not occur within the sight of the restaurant’s employees or management.

However, if the spilled substance has been on the floor for a long period of time and the restaurant’s employees and management neglected to clean it up or neglected to do a timely check of the premises to make sure it was free of dangerous substances, then your case is much stronger.

These cases are not always easy to win. Sometimes the restaurant is able to win these cases if they can prove that they had no way of knowing that they either did know or should have known that the restaurant was dangerous because of the spilled substance. It may seem unfair, but this is the reality and the challenges posed by these kinds of cases.

The most common winning arguments advanced by the insurance company for the defense is that the substance you slipped and fell on was obvious, or that you should have seen where you were going, or that you were using the property in a way that was not safe.

For instance, the latter might be applicable in a case where a child is running or rough-housing around the restaurant. If this sounds like an argument that is being used against you in your case, feel free to call The Jackman Law Firm for a free consultation to discuss your case.

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident at a restaurant, then you may have suffered one of the following injuries:

• Broken bones
• Soft tissue injuries
• Fractures
• Back injuries
• Butt or tailbone injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries

Injuries of this serious of a nature rarely just heal on their own. Rather, they require medical attention to address them. Medical specialists such as osteopaths, physiatrists, and chiropractors can help you get back to the path to health after suffering a serious injury on someone else’s property.

If you have been injured on a restaurant property, you may have a claim against them to recoup compensation for your injuries. The Jackman Law Firm has the expertise to effectively represent you with the insurance company, in arbitration and if necessary in court to secure your rights for compensation and relief. After your injury, you are understandably upset and likely unsure of your options and which way to with your case. You are likely receiving a lot of phone calls from insurance companies, you’re going to the doctor or the chiropractor, and you may be missing work.

If this is the case, do not go through this process alone. We can help you every step of the way. We can work with the insurance companies so they do not contact you. We can help you secure all of the compensation you are owed for your injury under Washington State Law. The Jackman Law Firm can help you recover the following:

• Money for pain and suffering
• Money for lost wages
• Money for out of pocket expenses
• Money for medical bills

We have the resources, experience, and successful track record to win your case. There may be instances when you find yourself having to defend yourself from untrue accusations from the insurance company for the party that injured you. They may claim that you are somehow either entirely at fault or partly at fault for your injuries.

For instance, if you suffered a spinal cord injury because of a slip and fall at a business’ parking lot, the insurance company for the business may argue that you should have watched where you were going. If this is the case, the Jackman Law Firm can help you by sending a subpoena for documents from the company, interviewing key witnesses, and speaking to the police to see if we can do everything possible to prove your case in your favor. Feel free to call for a free consultation.