Accidental injuries can happen anywhere and it’s not unusual for them to occur at a major store or business. For example, let’s say that “Joanne” was shopping at a Publix one day and one of the Publix employees was pushing a giant cart and knocked Joanne, age 80, down on the ground. Joanne broke her hip because of the force of the fall.
The manager at Publix filled out an incident report, Joanne’s daughter called the police, and an ambulance was dispatched to the scene. After receiving medical care at the hospital, Joanne learned about her fractured hip, which will require surgery. Days after the accident Joanne received a call from Publix’s claims department. Now she’s wondering, “Do I need to hire a personal injury attorney or should I settle with the insurance company?”
Claims Against Large Chains
Large stores like Publix, CVS, Walgreens and Wal-Mart deal with premises liability claims all the time, but this is NO reason to let their claims department handle a personal injury case without the injured party hiring their own attorney.
Should Joanne hire a personal injury lawyer? Yes, absolutely! In fact, Joanne should not speak to the claims department until she involves an attorney. The goal of the at-fault party’s claims department is to hurt the plaintiff’s case, not help it. The department’s goal is to pay out as little money as possible.
In order for plaintiffs to get results in claims involving major chains like Publix, they have to get a personal injury lawyer on their side. When people are injured at major stores and businesses because of an employee’s negligence, they are entitled to compensation for medical bills, property damage, and lost income – all of these are paid for by the store’s insurance. Sometimes they’re entitled to pain and suffering.
If you were injured while visiting a major store, restaurant, amusement park, or other large business, your personal injury attorney will handle the entire claims process from the beginning to end. However, you need an injury lawyer who has experience handling cases involving such large chains – someone who is not intimidated by them.
Were you injured at a major retail store or business in Columbia, South Carolina? If so, contact our firm today for a free case evaluation!