What Happens When You Are Injured in a Store?

Sustaining an injury in a Georgia store can lead to costly medical expenses and interfere with your ability to work or enjoy hobbies and activities you love. What happens when you are injured in a store due to someone else’s carelessness? You may be eligible for financial recovery. Store injury settlements can compensate victims for medical bills, lost wages, and related losses.

Is a Store Liable for a Customer Injury in Georgia?

Property owners have a duty to those they invite (whether expressly or implicitly) onto their properties. They must exercise “ordinary care” to guard against injury to guests. Can you sue a store if you get hurt? Often, you can. However, to recover compensation, you must show you got hurt because ownership failed to exercise ordinary care.

For example, maybe you got hurt in a trip and fall due to an uneven surface that should’ve been repaired. Perhaps a liquid spilled on the floor and didn’t get cleaned up.

Can you sue if you fall in a store? Your claim will come down to whether:

• The store owed you a duty of care to prevent accidents and injuries
• The store failed to honor its responsibility by creating or failing to prevent or address dangerous conditions
• You suffered injuries as a result of this failure
• Your injuries resulted in actual losses

How you build a case depends on the circumstances of the incident in which you suffered injuries. The goal is to show that the store didn’t fulfill its duty to exercise the care it owed you.

Steps to Take After a Store Accident

Taking the right steps immediately after getting hurt at a store can improve your odds of securing compensation. After a slip and fall or similar incident at a store, you should:

• Check yourself for injuries. Tend to any requiring immediate attention. If there are any visible signs of injuries, like bruises or cuts, take pictures of them.
• Report the incident to a manager or owner. However, an employee will suffice if no one else is available.
• Don’t say anything to suggest you caused your injuries, or that you’re “okay” when you know you’re hurt.
• File an incident report with accurate information. If someone asks you to sign a liability waiver, don’t agree to do so.
• Photograph the scene of the incident. Capture the scene from multiple angles. Your goal is to document any dangerous conditions that contributed to or caused the incident.
• Get eyewitness identification and contact information. Some witnesses may even be willing to provide recorded statements at the scene.

Visit the emergency room or an urgent care clinic next for the medical attention you need. Save all documentation of your medical care. Seeing a doctor right away doesn’t just help with your physical healing. it also establishes a clear link between the incident and your injuries. An insurance company will have a harder time suggesting your injuries resulted from a separate incident if you have proof you sought treatment right away.

Can You Sue a Store for Negligence in Georgia?

You can file a lawsuit seeking compensation for injuries in a Georgia store. However, you should first file an insurance claim against the store. Doing so involves:

• Gathering evidence of liability
• Gathering documentation of your losses
• Filing claim paperwork
• Negotiating a settlement

A Georgia personal injury attorney can guide you through this process and protect your interests. They can even handle negotiations with the insurance company and fight for fair compensation. If the insurance company doesn’t make a fair offer, your attorney can file a lawsuit on your behalf.

Don’t delay in taking legal action following an injury in a store. You have just two years from the date you get hurt to file a lawsuit in Georgia.

Contact a Georgia Store Injuries Lawyer

Seeking compensation through a claim or lawsuit can help you recover the funds you need following an injury. However, it’s important to understand how complex this process can be. Gathering evidence showing an owner failed to exercise reasonable care is just the beginning.

A Georgia premises liability lawyer at Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. can guide you through the process of seeking compensation and justice. Learn more about how we can help with your claim by contacting us online or calling us at (770) 205-8827 today for a free case review.