What to Do When You Get Injured at a Restaurant 

A restaurant injury is really no different than being injured anywhere else. First things first, take care of your medical needs. Once those priorities have been attended to, reach out to a personal injury lawyer. Many times people think it’s going to be as easy as calling their insurance company and getting reimbursed for their medical bills. 

That is not the case. Far too often, injured people don’t contact personal injury lawyers until they’ve exhausted all of their other options. Instead of facing that stress and hassle alone, a personal injury lawyer can handle all of that on your behalf while you recover. 

Steps in a Restaurant Injury Case 

If you’ve been injured in a restaurant, you may be entitled to additional money for things like pain and suffering or punitive damages. Here are the steps to take if you’ve been injured in a restaurant.  

• Call 911 – 911.gov makes it very clear that they would rather you call them and be told, “This is not an emergency,” than for you to need emergency help and not call. Also, 911 call centers are equipped to receive text messages if you are in an environment where making a voice call could endanger you. Let the dispatcher decide if you require a first responder. Too many injuries are not obvious immediately after an accident (slip and fall, food poisoning), but it is important to call 911 either way. Calling 911 is also a crucial element in establishing the timeline for your restaurant injury case.  
• Protect the Injury Scene – If you are able (or you can ask a bystander), take photos or videos of the location in the restaurant where the injury occurred. Keep detailed records (including receipts, text messages, etc). 
• Record What Happened – Did you know that diary entries, texts, and emails are admissible in court and can help you get the best possible settlement? Write down everything you remember (things people said, dates, times, full names, and anything else relevant). The sooner you can record your account after it happens, the better. If you don’t keep a journal, write your version of what happened in an email and send it to a friend. 
• Recovery & Medical Treatment – Follow the recovery regimen given to you by your medical team. Whiplash, for instance, is an injury people often mishandle because it gets worse over time, not better. Your neck might not even feel injured immediately after your restaurant injury, but a paramedic will no doubt give you a collar to wear around your neck. If you don’t follow your doctor’s orders, this could diminish your chance of winning your restaurant injury case. 
• Contact a Lawyer – You have nothing to lose by calling a restaurant injury lawyer. Not only can the lawyer help you sue for damages, but s/he can help you negotiate the maximum settlement with the insurance companies. Even if you don’t move forward with the case, some free legal advice never hurts.
• Settlement – Your restaurant injury lawyer will contact your insurance company and start negotiating your settlement. If a suitable settlement can not be reached out of court, a lawsuit will be filed. The vast majority of cases do settle. 

Time Is Essential After a Restaurant Injury 

Because you don’t have experience dealing with big insurance companies, when you try to navigate their bureaucracy, it will chew you up and spit you out. Here are some reasons why it’s better to call a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible: 

• By yourself, you may accept the first lowball offer the insurance company throws out because you don’t understand how to negotiate with them. 
• You might allow key evidence to not be preserved because you didn’t know what kind of documentation you’d need for your case. 

There’s Nothing to Lose 

You have absolutely nothing to lose at all by reaching out to a restaurant injury attorney right now. If the lawyer can’t help you, then at least you know your case is not viable. However, if your case is strong, you only stand to gain with an attorney advocating and negotiating for you. 

Because restaurant injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, you genuinely have nothing to lose. “Contingency” means that you will not pay an hourly rate or a retainer to have the lawyer work on your case. On a contingency basis, the lawyer will only get paid if they get a settlement on your case. When the settlement arrives, your attorney will take an agreed-upon portion to pay themselves and send you the remainder. 

Restaurant Injury Lawyers Pay for Themselves  

Did you know that injured parties who are represented by attorneys get 3.5 times bigger settlements, according to the Insurance Research Council? Research from Jury Verdict Reporter revealed that an average personal injury award was $27,220. Three and a half times more is $100,000—what a difference. After paying your restaurant injury lawyer fees from the settlement, you still might get much more than what you would have been awarded without a lawyer. 

Your First Meeting with a Restaurant Injury Lawyer

• Understanding Your Case – The first thing a restaurant injury lawyer will do is try to understand all the facts about your case. If you have a police report, copy of your insurance policy, medical records, and photos, definitely bring those with you. 
• Fees – Generally, in an injury case, your lawyer will work on a contingency fee, Don’t expect any discussion about hourly rates or a retainer fee. Your lawyer will explain what percentage of the award will go to cover their fees. 
• Legal Concerns – There may be legal ramifications you are not aware of that can significantly affect the outcome of your case, like an impending statute of limitations. The lawyer will also check for glaring legal issues during this consultation.  

Contact a San Francisco Restaurant Injury Lawyer Now

If you’ve been injured in a restaurant, reach out to our San Francisco restaurant injury attorneys now to set up a consultation. The consultation is free, and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have at the time. Contact our offices now to get started.