What to do If You Slip and Fall in a Restaurant

Would you know what to do after a slip and fall accident happens to you? Imagine it’s Saturday night — date night. You’re dressed to impressed and looking forward to a nice evening. The hostess starts leading you to your table when suddenly the earth seems to disappear beneath your feet and you’ve fallen onto a cold stone floor. As other diners stare and you try to figure out what just occurred, the hostess says, “Oh, it happens all the time,” referring to the slipperiness of their lobby. You just want to pretend it didn’t happen and wave off offers of ice from the restaurant manager, though you can’t help but notice that your wrist and knees feels a little bit off. The next morning you’re sore and having a hard time even grasping your toothbrush. A trip to the emergency room reveals that you’ll need to be in a splint for weeks, and may even require physical therapy.

Slip and fall accidents are often portrayed as no big deal, but they can lead to significant injuries, and even death. Where one victim’s reflexes may allow them to catch themselves when they fall on a slippery fall, another may not and could lead to striking their head and a traumatic brain injury.  Other common injuries that result from a slip and fall include:

  • Back and neck injuries, including herniated discs
  • Head injuries, including concussion
  • Pelvic injuries, including broken hips
  • Torn or strained tendons or ligaments

Not every slip and fall necessarily leads to a premises liability lawsuit. If the scenario above only led to a red face and bruised ego, there’s little to be done. But if your morning stiffness and swelling leads to a trip to urgent care, things can swiftly change, especially in the face of the hostess’ statement of the situation being common. The owners and managers of a restaurant or any other property has a duty to take effective action in the face of a known dangerous condition. This means that they can be held responsible for the damages that you’ve suffered. This may represent the costs of your diagnosis and medical treatment, or could extend into compensation for loss of mobility, lost wages, or pain and suffering depending upon the extend of your injury.

There are several steps you can take to protect your rights if you’ve suffered a slip and fall in a restaurant or any other public establishment. Start by taking a good look around and getting the names of anybody that may have witnessed the incident. If you have the opportunity to take a photo of the condition that led to your fall, do so. The most important thing you can do is to seek diagnosis and treatment quickly and get in touch with an experienced premises liability attorney as quickly as possible. To set up an appointment to speak with one of our experienced attorneys, call us today.