Hope you enjoyed your Black Friday shopping!
The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is considered as the shopping season. Even though many shoppers are considering online purchasing options, people still love going to stores, as actual shopping in actual places remains an important part of the holiday ritual for Americans. All major retailers promote their blockbuster sales during this season. But how many of them consider customer safety? Injuries on shopping mall premises are too common and often these injuries are caused by the negligence of mall owners or store operators. Those who are injured due to unsafe conditions in a shopping mall can hold the owners and operators accountable for their negligence. Assisted by legal transcription services, personal injury attorneys can help injury victims get the financial compensation and recovery they deserve.
Unsafe conditions at shopping malls or retail properties can lead to slip and fall accidents. Injuries from slip and falls at a store can happen due to many reasons such as liquids spilled onto the floor, aisle obstructions, faulty staircases, elevators, escalators, merchandise falling from shelves, jagged shelves and showcases, mechanical door breakdowns, and insufficient lighting in parking lots.
A personal injury claim begins with a demand letter, in which the injury victims can explain why they are filing a claim, and what compensation they are seeking for the incident. Lawyers gather evidence that shows store owners were aware of conditions in the store, yet still failed to take necessary precautions.
According to Find Law, to prove a store was legally responsible for a shopper’s injuries, the victim must establish that the store owner knew (or should have known) about a dangerous condition on their property, the owner did not regularly inspect the store for dangers, or provided inadequate maintenance, the shopper would not have been injured if there was not a dangerous condition on the property, there was a relation between the dangerous condition and the shopper’s injury, and that the shopper suffered actual “damages” as a result of it. Certain documents and pieces of evidence that might be helpful in an injury claim or accident claim include:
- Witness statements
- Video and photos of accident
- Audio recordings
- Photos of injuries
- Doctor’s examination reports
- Bills of medical costs
Depositions can also support personal injury claims, during which everything is recorded, including statements and facts, word by word by the court reporter so that it can later be used in court proceedings. It allows both the parties in the case to obtain important facts and gather information about the strengths and weaknesses of the case. Deposition transcription services can help attorneys craft an effective strategy for the case by providing accurate deposition transcripts.
If any such accidents occur, the victim must make sure to report the accident to a member of staff, get the name and details of any staff members who assisted after the accident, obtain details of any witnesses, take photos of any visible injuries if possible, check to see if there are any CCTV images of the accident, and check the area to see if any hazard warning signs are in place. All these details can support your compensation claims.
