Due to the worldwide pandemic, many restaurants are changing the way they serve customers and provide service. As take-out options increase for dining establishments, so does the chance for a slip and fall accident. While some slip and fall accidents are truly just a clumsy mistake, others might be the direct result of the negligence of a restaurant.
If you’ve been involved in a slip and fall accident at a restaurant, then consider how the restaurant may have been responsible for your injuries. You may be unaware of the many ways a restaurant can be held negligent in an injury case.
Take-Out Areas
Not every restaurant was equipped to handle take-out orders. In some cases, restaurants had to shift, adjust, and make do with limited amounts of space. For example, some restaurants may have an outdoor waiting area. The outdoor space may not be properly lit or have proper safety precautions.
If a patron has to step up over a curb or sidewalk, then the take-out space should have warning signs, especially with the expanded foot traffic. Without the warning signs, guests can easily trip and fall in this area. After your injury occurs, images will provide clear views of the take-out location and the presence of natural dangers.
Walking Conditions
A restaurant’s entranceway and lot should also provide ideal walking conditions for guests who walk in and out. In many cases, the food you carry could block out views of obstacles and objects as you head back to your car. A parking lot with potholes, loose gravel, or obstacles could turn into a disaster as you slip and fall.
The weather conditions and proper care could also play an impact. For example, you may have been injured due to icy walkways in front of the restaurant. Soaked entry carpets could create slippery puddles. During poor weather conditions, employees and managers should keep up with the ground conditions both inside and outside the restaurant.
In some conditions like heavy snowfall or downpours, constant cleaning may be impossible. In those cases, safety signs should be used to indicate potential problems. A lack of proper safety and warning signs could create a negligent situation for a restaurant.
Restaurant Cleanliness
Weather is not the only factor that contributes to injuries, as cleanliness plays a big role in consumer safety. Straw wrappers, receipts, and pieces of food can all create dangerous walking conditions and may cause a person to slip when stepped on. Negligence occurs when an injury incident could have been avoided with proper care, such as when such litter is ignored rather than cleaned up.
Witness statements, pictures, and video surveillance can present extra details for such a case. For example, if there was a food spill, the surveillance video can show exactly when the spill occurred and how long the mess was ignored. With enough evidence, a lawyer can hold a restaurant liable for your injuries.
Food Temperatures
Food and beverages may contribute to slip and fall injury cases. If hot soups or hot drinks spill out of containers, you could suffer from serious burns. A third-degree burn includes the charring of the skin, potential scarring, and emergency room treatment.
In some cases, these injuries could be worse than the fall itself. Restaurants could also be liable for serving food at temperatures that are too hot. Even if take-out orders are meant to cool off, customers should not handle dangerously hot food when they pick up take-out in the first place.
Based on the burns, a doctor can determine the temperature that the food was served, and if the food was served too hot.
Move forward with your case with the help of the trained lawyers at Hernandez Law Offices. We will help you seek compensation for your slip and fall injuries.
