Restaurant Slip-And-Fall Accidents in Coeur d’Alene WA

Restaurants in Coeur d’Alene cater to all tastes and offer up some amazing dishes. But what if the unthinkable happened and you slipped on a puddle in the dining area or tripped over a rolled-up rug and suffered a head injury.? How would pay for your medical recovery and cover your monthly bills while missing work?

Restaurants owe their customers a decent meal, but they are also responsible for their safety. This protection for diners is offered under Idaho premises liability laws but proprietors don’t always accept the blame for injuries caused by the hazards on their properties.

Whether you are facing off against a local restaurant owner or forced to take on a national chain just to get some help with your recovery, get in touch with a Coeur d’Alene Slip-And-Fall Accident Lawyer.

Insurance companies working for these restaurants aren’t legally bound to alert victims of everything that’s available to them. Contact us to find out what level of support you should demand from a negligent restaurant owner.

Coeur d’Alene Restaurant Slip-And-Fall Hazards

Whether you enjoy the steak and fish at spots like Beverly’s or The Cedars or you’re happy with a brown bag of fast food from along Government Way, safety is probably your last thought when you’re hungry. That’s okay because it’s the owners and operators who invite you in that should do the worrying.

They have a duty to monitor messes that pop up, even during lunch rushes, so that you don’t accidentally lose your footing and hit the ground. The hazard may be some broken tile on the floor that sends you tripping forward. The danger could come from a step or some stairs that are crumbling or have a loose handrail.

Those obstacles can be something inside or even a pothole out in the parking lot. That hole could catch your foot and send you to the pavement to land on your knee. An owner may have had plenty of notice to fix such hazards but put it off. A customer may have spilled coffee near the front counter an hour ago and a barista didn’t bother to mop it up in a reasonable amount of time.

Common Injuries In a Slip-And-Fall

A stumble at a café may not be any big deal, but if you hit the hard floor or catch your head on a table or some other obstacle a serious outcome can result. These hazards can lead to painful wounds and require months of medical care.

The CDC found one out of five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury. In fact, falls are the number one cause of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). These falls can rob you of your mobility and your memories in the worst cases.

It’s important to take any fall seriously because of the problems that can arise the next day or even weeks from now. Here are just a few of the potential injuries you may suffer:

  • Broken Bones and Dislocations – These injuries can take you off your feet for weeks and in extreme cases months and years. Hip fractures are a great risk and can resist healing and leave you in need of a walking aid for the rest of your life.
  • Head and Brain Injuries — Skull fractures are possible after hitting the back of your head on the floor. Concussions can leave you to deal with amnesia, blackouts, and even nausea.
  • Damage to the Spinal Cord – Injuries can leave you with numbness in many parts of the body. Others feel needling pain shooting down their bodies. In severe cases, patients can lose control of their extremities.
  • Arm Injuries – People throw their hands out to catch themselves when they fall forward after tripping. Hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries are often treated in emergency rooms but can lead to more medical issues in the weeks to come.
  • Facial and Mouth Injuries – Failing to catch themselves with their arms, victims can land on their jaw, face and forehead. This impact can fracture facial bones and damage teeth.

What to Do After a Fall at a Coeur d’Alene Restaurant

If you feel you need emergency medical care, call 911. Be sure to give paramedics a full account of how you hurt yourself and every pain you feel.

If your injuries will allow, unlock your phone and take pictures of the hazard that took you down. Also, take photos of any visible wounds and damage to personal property. Make sure to keep any damaged items and don’t throw away your shoes. Lawyers representing a restaurant may claim that your shoes didn’t have enough tread and that’s why you fell.

Talk to any witnesses and get their contact information. If they’ll write down what they saw, have them sign and date it. They could also discuss what they saw as you recorded them with your phone.

Another important step is to visit your personal physician in the days to come. Make an appointment even if you’ve already been to the emergency room. The shock of the moment can mask some of your injuries. In the days that follow you should document any new pain that arises with your doctor.

Contact a Slip-And-Fall Accident Lawyer Serving Coeur d’Alene

There’s one more important thing you can do. Talk to a local slip-and-fall accident attorney before you speak to anyone representing a restaurant. Lawyers or insurance agents will call you asking for a recorded statement. Decline that request.

Any statement you make about what happened or the severity of your injury can later be twisted and used against you. The truth is you might believe you were partly to blame for your accident when in fact the restaurant legally bears all of the responsibility. You might think your injuries weren’t that serious and later find that you require surgery or weeks of expensive physical therapy.

Contact Crary & Domanico, P.S. serving Northern Idaho when any fall results in a serious injury for a free case evaluation. We will only offer you advice that is in your best interest.

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