Last night, I walked into a local grocery store. When I reached the end of an aisle, there was a wet spot that I noticed after
I slipped and fell down. There was no one in the area when it happened (the store was getting ready to close). When an employee finally came down another aisle to put wet floor sign over a different wet spot, I managed to walk over and brought them to where I had fallen.
I brought to their attention not only the wet spot, but also the contusions and bruising that were already showing up. I followed her to the front of the store and she filled out incident report. Once at home, I had chance to look over the report and saw several mistakes on it. It's been almost 24 hours now, and I am having problems with my lower back as well as my right arm from the hand to the shoulder.
Receive immediate medical treatment for your injuries, and then speak to a personal injury lawyer in your area. The liability issue will turn on the facts of the case, including how long the wet spot had been there when you fell and whether the store had actual or constructive notice of the wet spot. The extent of damages is also unclear since we do not know the extent of medical treatment required for the contusions and brusing. The lawyer you speak to should be able to provide you with some guidance, and may be able to flush out the pertinent facts including the inaccuracies in the incident report.
Get the medical attention you need first. Next, contact a lawyer to protect your rights.
Please do not give any statements until you hire local counsel. Best of luck.
http://www.phillyinjurylawyer.com/
I do not handle personal injury matters, but here are a few things that I have picked up over 30 years of listening to my colleagues:
1) slip and falls on wet floors is very very difficult in Florida, without knowledge of the store of the existence of the wet floor your case is more of a nuisance case; and
2) regardless of the strength or weakness of your claim against the store, you must give immediate attention to your medical issues; having said that, the doctor you go to see and what you say can either strengthen or weaken your case. Some doctors do not like to testify or give depositions in personal injury cases so they tend to not be as....willing to see that there is a permanent injury as others. Or to put it another way, consulting with a lawyer FIRST will enable you to avoid doctors and health care providers that are not as willing to assist you in a claim against the store.
Lars A. LundeenPersonal Injury LawyerRutland, VT ·
You should obtain needed medical care and treatment immediately and follow the doctor's advice. Do not give any statement to the adverse party or insurance company nor grant them access to any medical records. Photograph the injuries and the damage done to any property. Contact a personal injury attorney in your area as soon as possible so that you can protect your rights. You may also find it helpful to review the Legal Guides I have published on .com dealing with many of the issues you are now facing.
Legal Disclaimer:
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Mr. Lundeen is licensed to practice law in Florida and Vermont. The response herein is not legal advice and does not create an attorney/client relationship. The response is in the form of legal education and is intended to provide general information about the matter within the question. Oftentimes the question does not include significant and important facts and timelines that, if known, could significantly change the reply and make it unsuitable. Mr. Lundeen strongly advises the questioner to confer with an attorney in your state in order to ensure proper advice is received.
