Walmart, like other stores, must provide a safe environment for shoppers. If you suffered injuries because store employees were careless and negligent, you may be able to hold the company accountable through a premises liability claim or lawsuit.
Walmart is unlikely to pay out a fair settlement in your case without strong evidence and effective negotiations. You may want to work with a lawyer who can protect your rights and handle the case for you.
Why Are Fall Injuries So Common in Walmart?
Every year, thousands of people suffer injuries in falls in retail and grocery stores like Walmart. You might assume that this occurs because of the sheer number of stores and shoppers. However, it may also indicate a culture of disregarding shoppers’ safety in some stores.
The causes of slips, trips, and falls in a store like Walmart vary. They could include:
Slip and Fall Injuries
- Spilled food
- Rotten fruit or vegetables on the floor
- Leaking freezers or other equipment
- Tracked rainwater
- Leaks
- Dripping from wet carts
Trip and Fall Injuries
- Items in aisles
- Displays in walkways
- Cords stretched across aisles
- Rolled mats or torn carpet
- Uneven floors
- Parking lot concerns, including potholes and uneven sidewalks
If you’ve been injured, knowing what caused your fall is important. In some cases, it may be easier to prove Walmart was aware of the risk because of a history of similar falls in the store. An experienced attorney may be able to identify evidence of this as part of developing your case for compensation.
Walmart Provides Its Own Insurance Coverage for These Incidents
According to Walmart, its stores serve around 220 million customers each week. The company has 137 stores in Louisiana alone. In fact, the corporation is so large that it self-insures.
Walmart Inc. operates a subsidiary known as Walmart Claims Services, Inc. This company handles all slip, trip, and fall claims for each of its stores. The staff acts much like any insurance company might; however, it is tasked with protecting Walmart’s bottom line.
If you are injured on Walmart premises, you can expect the company to want to:
- Obtain a recorded statement from you
- Speak with you and ask you questions about your incident
- Find some way to claim you caused or contributed to your fall
- Reduce the compensation you are eligible to recover
While some companies will settle many claims without much of a fight, Walmart is generally not one of them. Many premises liability cases against Walmart have gone to trial, and outcomes vary.
If you need compensation to cover your losses and expenses, you may want to work with an attorney familiar with handling cases against large corporations. Your legal representative should not be intimidated by Walmart’s size and influence.
An Attorney Familiar with These Cases May Be Able to Help
If you were hurt in a Walmart store and unsure what to do next, you should contact a personal injury attorney familiar with these cases. Most provide free case reviews. This allows you to discuss your accident, injury, your rights, and your legal options in a no-obligation, complimentary consultation.
Working with a law firm could benefit you in several ways, including:
- Protect your right to pursue a fair and just settlement
- Help you prove negligence occurred
- Handle an investigation into what happened
- Represent your best interests
- Fight the company’s desire to reduce your compensation
If the company is trying to reduce your compensation, you may want to work with an attorney to handle your case. For example, the items your lawyer may collect after a New Orleans East fall in a local Walmart store include:
- Video footage of your fall, if available
- Photos from the scene, including the hazard
- Witness statements regarding your fall or the hazard
- Your medical records, including your diagnosis and treatment information
- Your medical bills
- Records from your employer documenting lost income
- Any evidence showing a previous issue with the hazard in the same store
- Proof of any other financial losses you suffered that are related to your slip and fall accident
Obtaining some of this evidence may require sending a spoliation letter to Walmart, identifying and interviewing witnesses, and calling in experts to review the case. This process takes time, but your lawyer will need to work quickly.
Under La. Civ. Code Art. 3492, injured shoppers generally have only up to one year to sue Walmart in New Orleans. Circumstances could reduce this time even further.
Speak with the Morris Bart Injury and Accident Lawyers about Your Walmart Fall Injuries Today
You can talk to a team member from Morris Bart in New Orleans about your Walmart fall and the resulting injuries and losses. We provide complimentary case reviews and consultations.
We recovered financial compensation for more than 6,500 clients in 2019. We may be able to help you.
Call our office serving Orleans Parish and elsewhere in Louisiana today at (504) 613-4771.
Questions?Call (504) 613-4771
to find a Morris Bart office near you.
