Lawyer for Slip and Fall at PetSmart
PetSmart is a popular choice among pet owners who spend ample time and money shopping for food, toys, and other items for their dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, and other pets.
Whether visiting PetSmart for needs or browsing the aisles for cool things to buy for their pets, shoppers risk dangerous slip and fall accidents. This risk is especially prevalent when management and staff do not quickly remove hazards, leaving shoppers to sustain serious, sometimes permanent injuries with massive medical bills, lost wages, and other financial difficulties.
If you have suffered injuries in a slip and fall accident at PetSmart, you have the right to seek compensation for damages from your injuries.
The skilled legal team of premises liability lawyers at The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers understands the struggles accompanying your recovery in the coming weeks and months. We can evaluate your case, determine your eligibility for compensation and advise you on the next steps for recovering damages.
Why Choose The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers for Your PetSmart Slip and Fall Accident Claim
The experienced legal team at The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers has been advocating for victims of negligence since 2005, including those injured in slip and fall accidents. Their dedication to seeking justice and client service has led to the recovery of millions of dollars in damages from jury awards and settlements. Additionally, The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers has received national recognition from Super Lawyers and maintains a high rating at Avvo.com.
If negligent management or staff at a Pet Smart injured you in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Florida, our premises liability lawyers can manage your claim while you focus on recovering. Our main Philadelphia offices are downtown at Two Penn Center, right across from Love Park and close to the 15th St. Trolley Station. We also have offices in Atlantic City and Fort Lauderdale.
Contact The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers today for your free case evaluation to discuss how your slip and fall accident occurred at PetSmart. No matter where you suffered your injuries, we are here to help. We enjoy meeting potential new clients in person, but we understand this is not always possible because of injuries and other circumstances. If you cannot travel to us, we can come to you, or we offer convenient virtual meetings.
Compensation in PetSmart Slip and Fall Accident Cases
You have the right to sue PetSmart for damages related to your slip and fall accident injuries if they occurred because of negligence. An experienced slip and fall accident lawyer from The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers can review your case and determine the viability of your claim.
If you have a claim against PetSmart, your settlement or jury award could include compensation for:
- Medical expenses, including ambulance service, emergency room treatment, hospital stay, X-rays, lab tests, surgery, prescription, aftercare, and travel expenses to and from your medical appointments
- Estimated future medical treatment costs when someone suffers slip and fall accident injuries that require ongoing treatment
- Rehabilitative costs related to specialized treatment with physical therapists, occupational therapists, mental health professionals, and others who help people deal with the physical and mental challenges of their injuries
- Lost income from time away from the job related to injuries and recovery
- Estimated future lost wages when a PetSmart slip and fall accident leads to permanent injuries that prevent someone from working
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium with a spouse
- Diminished quality of life
The circumstances of your case impact the type of damages you receive and the compensation you might receive for your injuries. Some major factors include:
Scope of Injuries
Those who suffer the most severe slip and fall accident injuries typically receive more compensation, with permanent injuries and scars carrying the highest value. For example, if you suffer a traumatic brain injury that leaves you with permanent brain damage after a slip and fall at PetSmart, you could receive more compensation than someone who broke their wrist or arm.
Total Economic Loss
The economic loss someone incurs from a slip and fall accident at PetSmart relates to the severity of their injuries. The most severe injuries require more medical treatment, and victims must take more time off work to recover. Some might not be able to return to work. High medical expenses, extensive lost wages, and other injury-related expenses greatly increase the claim’s value.
Legal Representation
Sometimes slip and fall accident victims try to handle their own claims against PetSmart or other large retailers. This gives the insurance companies the advantage because many victims do not know their claim’s true value and do not understand how to apply the law to receive the most compensation for their slip and fall accident injuries. Hiring an attorney at The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers to handle a claim gives a victim someone on their side to build a solid case against PetSmart and helps ensure the insurance company does not use tactics to reduce or deny your claim.
Statute of Limitations for PetSmart Slip and Fall Accident Claims
Pennsylvania law gives PetSmart slip and fall accident victims two years to bring a lawsuit to recover damages related to their injuries; the same is true in New Jersey, but Florida residents have four years. Courts strictly comply with this time limit, referred to as a statute of limitations. Failure to meet the statute of limitations deadline typically results in losing the opportunity to recover damages related to slip and fall through civil court. The law does allow for some exceptions, but only in rare cases.
Regardless of which state your PetSmart slip and fall accident occurred, it’s wise to consult with a premises liability attorney as soon as possible. Stores have video surveillance, and other shoppers might have witnessed your fall. If you wait, you risk losing the chance to obtain video evidence, and witnesses sometimes struggle to recount the details of the incident as time passes.
Once you consult with a PetSmart slip and fall lawyer at The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers, we can immediately begin working on your case by investigating your accident and gathering relevant evidence to support your negligence claim against PetSmart.
Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents at PetSmart
A wide range of hazards and scenarios can lead to a slip and fall accident at PetSmart. However, some situations occur more frequently than others.
Here are examples of common scenarios that could lead to serious injuries and give rise to a personal injury claim against PetSmart:
- Merchandise improperly stored on shelves that stick out, creating a hazard for shoppers
- Slippery or icy sidewalks and entryways
- Wet and dry product spills that haven’t been cleaned up by a PetSmart employee
- Uneven or loose rugs near the store’s entryway
- Merchandise left on the floor in the store’s aisles
- Broken merchandise
- Electrical cords that pose a tripping hazard
Regardless of the situation that led to your PetSmart slip and fall accident, you should consult with an attorney. An experienced slip and fall lawyer from The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers can evaluate your case and determine if you have a cause for action against PetSmart.
Types of Injuries in PetSmart Slip and Fall Accident Claims
Sometimes a slip and fall victim can get up, brush themselves off, and go on with their day without injury. However, this is not always the case. Slip-and-fall accidents can lead to severe and costly injuries.
Examples of injuries that might lead to a PetSmart slip and fall accident claim include:
- Head trauma that causes skull fractures or a traumatic brain injury
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries, which often lead to paralysis in some or all of the body
- Fractures, especially those that require one or more corrective surgeries
- Dislocations
- Nerve damage
- Soft tissue injuries, including sprains, strains, and tears to ligaments, tendons, and muscles
Your attorney will discuss your injuries with your medical provider and may request you visit an independent medical professional to assess your injuries. Legal action can provide the money you need to cover current and future medical expenses.
Fighting the Insurance Company After a Slip and Fall at PetSmart
Insurance companies do not stay in business by paying each claim they receive. They do whatever they can to avoid financial liability, including denying and devaluing legitimate claims. PetSmart is a large company, so its legal team and insurance provider will be extra diligent in protecting its bottom line.
If they haven’t done so, you can expect PetSmart’s insurance provider to contact you for a recorded statement about your slip and fall. They will meticulously review your statement and other evidence to find a way to shift the blame to you for your injuries and give them grounds to deny or devalue your claim.
The experienced lawyers at The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers understand how insurance companies employ questionable tactics to get the outcome they want, and they know how to fight against these strategies. Hiring a lawyer to represent you ensures you have someone protecting your rights during the claims process.
Your lawyer will ensure you don’t give a recorded statement and only provide the information the insurance carrier needs to process the claim. Additionally, the insurance company will use posted warnings, signs, and other items to say the slip and fall accident was your fault. An experienced premises liability lawyer can ensure your voice is heard and position you to recover maximum compensation for your injuries.
It’s difficult to recover damages after suffering serious injuries, but the skilled lawyers at The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers are committed to holding negligent PetSmart management and employees accountable for their failures. Our team knows how to negotiate, and we can often obtain a better financial outcome for our clients than they could alone.
What to Do After PetSmart Slip and Fall Injuries
If you have sustained injuries during a slip and fall accident while shopping at PetSmart, you should have already visited the nearest emergency room for medical treatment. Regardless of where you went and your treatment plan, you must keep all medical appointments and follow doctor’s orders so the other side cannot claim you are not healing as well as you could.
Other things you should do after suffering injuries in a PetSmart slip and fall center around protecting the value of your claim.
They include:
- Keep all proof of economic loss from your injuries, including medical bills, pay stubs, receipts, and other related documents.
- Keep all photos and videos of the slip and fall hazard and your injuries to share with your lawyer.
- Enter your mental, physical, and economic struggles related to your injuries in a daily journal to convey noneconomic losses to your lawyer and other relevant parties.
- Bring all documents, photos, videos, your journal, and anything else you think is relevant to your initial meeting with The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers, so we can evaluate your claim and help guide you on the best path forward for your circumstances.
Injured at PetSmart? Let The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers Help You Recover Damages
Negligent management and employees at PetSmart put shoppers at risk when they don’t keep their store free of slipping and tripping hazards. Our team understands you are coping with the impact of a serious, possibly permanent injury.
You shouldn’t have to shoulder the financial burden of your injuries on top of your physical pain when PetSmart’s negligence caused you harm. Let one of our skilled slip and fall accident lawyers handle the details of your claim while you focus on your physical and mental health and well-being.
Contact The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers online or at (215) 825-5183 to discuss the details of your PetSmart slip and fall accident and learn more about how we can help you seek compensation for losses related to your injuries.