Why You Need a Lawyer After a Slip and Fall at Walmart

Slip and fall accidents can occur anywhere, but these serious accidents frequently happen at Walmarts across the country.

Below, learn why Walmart’s fall rate differs slightly from other stores, and why a personal injury attorney gives you your best chance of maximizing your compensation in a Walmart slip and fall.

How Slip and Fall Cases Happen At Walmart

Slip and fall cases are common at Walmarts nationwide.

Frequent hazards at Walmart that can lead to slip and fall claims include:

• Spilled liquids or foods, including items knocked from shelves or items dropped by customers.
• Water leaks from pipes or the roof and from refrigerated and frozen displays can cause hazards that lead to falls.
• Recently waxed or mopped floors.
• Ice, snow, mud, or water that is tracked into the store during bad weather.
• Torn or loose carpeting.
• Cords or wires laid across aisles.
• Loose floor tiles.
• Trash on the floor or ground in the parking lot.
• Product displays that stick into the aisles.
• Potholes and broken pavement in the parking lot.

Walmart customers who slip and fall on the premises can suffer serious injuries. Head trauma, broken bones, spinal injuries, herniated discs, internal injuries, and sprains and strains can result from these accidents.

Walmart Sees Many Slip and Fall Claims

Slip and fall cases happen for many reasons in Walmart, from wet or oily floors to poorly maintained floors and sidewalks.

Many stores are just getting bigger, and many are getting large grocery sections. This boosts the risk of danger, and workers must inspect more square feet daily to look for dangers that can injure customers. The bigger the Walmart, the higher the chance the staff will miss something that injures a customer.

You should see a doctor immediately if you suffered an injury in a Walmart slip and fall accident. Then, call a personal injury attorney to represent you. Walmart slip and fall claims proceed differently than those at many other retail stores.

Walmart Self-Insures

Unlike most retail stores, Walmart doesn’t have liability insurance.

It self-insures, which makes obtaining compensation in a slip and fall claim more difficult. It may appear that you are filing a standard insurance claim, but you are filing a claim with a division of Walmart that handles liability claims involving its stores.

Self-insurance is an advantage for Walmart. It gives the retail giant more control over a claim and gives Walmart a strong incentive to deny every personal injury claim it can. Walmart’s self-insured status means you need a skilled slip and fall lawyer to handle your claim.

Walmart employs many defense attorneys who can defend the company against slip and fall claims. It’s even more important to have a tenacious personal injury attorney fighting for you in a Walmart claim.

Remember, Walmart has huge financial resources, and its experienced attorneys can make it hard to get the compensation you deserve. Always have an experienced slip and fall lawyer on your side.

How Walmart Saves Money by Denying Personal Injury Claims

Walmart wants to make as much money as possible. The retail monster is known for low prices, and part of its strategy to lower costs is to cut corporate costs when possible. It often includes paying as little as possible for personal injury claims. Walmart will deny liability when it can.

Walmart pays its attorneys well to deny slip and fall claims or pay them low settlements. The attorneys may argue that the victim caused the accident or that their injuries are less serious than they claim. Walmart lawyers use many shady tactics to skirt liability if they can.

It’s easier for Walmart to avoid liability when a customer files a claim without a personal injury attorney.

Hiring a slip and fall attorney means you level the playing field with Walmart. Your attorney knows how challenging personal injury claims are with a self-insured corporation and will fight for the most money for your losses.

Walmart Is Known to Offer Fast Settlements – Don’t Take One!

After falling in a Walmart and injuring yourself, the company may offer a small settlement to end the case. For example, a Walmart claims adjuster can offer to pay your medical bills and provide a few thousand dollars for the inconvenience.

Don’t fall for this tactic.

When Walmart tries to settle a claim before you have a lawyer, they want to reduce their liability before your attorney takes over. The small sum they offer might seem fine initially, but it is usually significantly less than you deserve.

If you take a fast settlement without talking to a slip and fall lawyer, you can settle for much less than the case is worth.

For example, suppose you settle for $3,000 and pay your medical bills. However, a month later, you can find out that your back injury is worse than you thought, and the medical bills are much higher than initially estimated. Then, Walmart can balk at paying for the extra medical care.

You can avoid this nightmare scenario by retaining a slip and fall lawyer immediately after being injured at Walmart. Your attorney will handle all communications with Walmart insurance adjusters. They will ensure you are fairly compensated for your medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.

If Walmart calls you to settle before you hire a lawyer, politely decline to talk to them. Tell the adjuster that you will have your personal injury attorney contact them.

When May Walmart Be Liable For Your Injuries?

Determining liability in your accident claim can be more difficult than you think. If it can, Walmart will try to avoid blame and say the accident was your fault.

However, you can hold Walmart can liable for your injuries if:

• Walmart didn’t maintain a safe environment: Walmart has a duty of care to keep its retail spaces safe for guests. The store can be liable if Walmart doesn’t fix a known danger or maintain its property safely.
• Walmart didn’t warn of dangers: If a dangerous condition exists in the store, such as a wet floor, Walmart must post a sign or other warning. Not warning of hazards can make the store liable for injuries.
• Negligent Walmart employee: If a Walmart worker’s negligence led to the accident, the company should be responsible for your injuries. This situation could arise if a worker didn’t mop up a spill thoroughly or didn’t put out a Wet Floor sign.

What Is A Walmart Slip and Fall Claim Worth?

Slip and fall claims can be for almost any amount.

Your slip and fall lawyer is the best resource to understand your claim’s potential value. They will provide an approximate case value range based on the circumstances of your case. Your claim’s value depends on these and other factors:

Medical Bills

Severe injuries always have higher current and future medical bills than minor ones. If you fell and hit your head and suffered brain trauma, you can have hundreds of thousands in medical bills for the first year alone. On the other hand, a broken wrist will probably incur several thousand in medical expenses.

A personal injury attorney will work with your medical advisors to understand your current and future medical bills for injuries.

Lost Income

Are you permanently disabled because of your fall injury? You may recover lost income and earning capacity, increasing your settlement amount. You would receive less lost income if you only were out of work for a few weeks.

Insurance Available

The amount of insurance limits many personal injury claims. For example, a car accident can result in a lower settlement if the liable driver has only $30,000 of coverage.

However, Walmart has ample funds to cover your full losses. Your attorney’s task is to persuade the retail giant to compensate you fairly in a settlement.

Critical Tip for the Best Slip and Fall Settlement

Everyone wants to get the most money for their personal injury claim. One of the most essential steps to getting more money is to see a doctor immediately. Walmart will check if you received prompt medical care after your slip and fall injury.

However, not every injury victim seeks prompt medical attention after an accident. They may not want to bother with going to the hospital or doctor, or they may not realize they’re seriously injured.

Going to the doctor the same or the next day is essential to maximize your compensation. Getting your injury on your medical record and connected to the slip and fall is critical to getting the most money.

Suppose you don’t think you suffered an injury initially, so you don’t go to the doctor for a few weeks. Then, you realize your back hurts every day, and it didn’t before. It turns out that you have a slipped disc from the accident.

But now, Walmart questions the injury and argues that the slipped disc is unrelated to the accident. So, see a doctor immediately after your accident.

Your slip and fall attorney will note that you got medical attention immediately after the accident, which likely proves that the slip and fall caused your injury. This fact may encourage Walmart’s insurance division to offer a fair settlement.

Getting more money in your pocket sooner than later is an important part of a full recovery.

Speak to a Slip and Fall Attorney Now

You fell at Walmart and hurt yourself. You shouldn’t pay your lost earnings and medical bills out of pocket. Instead, hire a slip and fall attorney to pursue Walmart for your damages. You can recover compensation for your losses, so speak to a personal injury attorney today for more information.