Restaurants are ubiquitous. They are everywhere and attended upon by people of all ages from all demographics. Restaurants can come in all shapes and sizes, with some small run by one or two people, others can fill up entire buildings and requiring a large staff to run.
Any business establishment can have accidents occur which cause injury to individuals, usually to do with unsafe premises, unsafe walkways, unsafe lighting, and similar issues. Restaurants carry with them all the risks such businesses could have and then add in the service, storage, handling of food products, the service of alcoholic beverages, and staff moving in-between customers and tables carrying hot food and liquids. There can be dancing or live music, or a host of different forms of entertainment for customers that could lead to potential accident and injury.
Some of the more common ways in which injuries occur through restaurant negligence are:
- Slip and Fall Accidents
- Occupiers Liability accidents
- Food Poisoning
- Allergic Reaction
- Foreign objects in food resulting in choking or damage to teeth or internal injury
- Burn Injury from hot or scalding liquids
- Concussions or physical injury from unsafe conditions
What To Do If You’ve Been Injured Due to Restaurant Negligence
If you’ve suffered an injury due to restaurant negligence you should make sure to get the necessary medical attention immediately. If the situation is not urgent you should notify the restaurant staff, preferably a manager, before seeking medical attention. If the situation is urgent then do so after. A restaurant manager or employee will want to take an incident report from you detailing what occurred. If possible, ask for a copy of the incident report. If there are video cameras ask for confirmation that video footage exists and ask them to preserve the footage.
If possible, take photographs or videos of the scene of the accident.
Make sure your family doctor is aware of your injuries and the accident, and that they follow your recovery process. If you incur medical or other costs due to the negligence of a restaurant make sure you keep receipts to prove the costs as those costs may be recoverable in a lawsuit.
What Compensation Is Available For Restaurant Negligence?
Each case is dependent on the specific facts, however generally speaking for restaurant negligence cases you could be awarded damages for:
- Pain and suffering (or non-pecuniary damages)
- Past loss of Income
- Future loss of income
- Loss of capacity to earn income
- Loss of homemaking capacity
- Cost of future care
- Out of pocket medical expenses (or special damages)
- In-trust claims
Timelines for Restaurant Negligence Claims
There are strict timelines in which you have to bring a claim for personal injury caused by restaurant negligence. If you believe you have a restaurant negligence claim, contact the experienced lawyers at Taylor & Blair LLP today for a free consultation.