When you make plans to eat at one of your favorite restaurants, the last thing on your mind is having an accident while walking into or out of the dining establishment. However, slip and fall in parking lot accidents are very common on restaurant premises, and the restaurant could be to blame for injuries you sustain.
Here’s what New Yorkers need to know about pursuing a slip and fall restaurant lawsuit and what to do after you have fallen in a parking lot.
What Causes a Slip and Fall in a Restaurant Parking Lot?
It is not only the inside of a restaurant that can pose hazards to diners and the general public. A restaurant parking lot can also be a very dangerous place due to broken concrete, uneven pavement, and widening cracks. Weather conditions can make these parking lots even more hazardous when it has been raining, snowing, or icing outside.
Construction materials and other obstructions placed in restaurant parking lots can cause people to trip and fall unexpectedly. Poor lighting, spilled food, or an overflowing dumpster could also cause a person to fall in a restaurant parking lot.
What to Do after a Slip and Fall in a Parking Lot
The first thing that should be on your mind after falling in a restaurant parking lot is taking care of yourself and addressing any injuries that you may have. If you are able to, it is also helpful to write down any details about your fall while they are fresh in your mind.
These details could include information about the surface where you fell, the weather, and the contact information of any witnesses who saw your accident happen. Take a few photos of the accident scene on your phone, report your accident to a restaurant manager, and contact a local slip and fall attorney before making any statements to the restaurant staff or any insurance company.
Can the Restaurant Be Liable for Your Fall?
Yes, a restaurant can be held responsible for slip and fall accidents that happen in their parking lots. But just because your fall occurred on restaurant property doesn’t automatically make the restaurant liable.
The Law Office of Jeffrey K. Kestenbaum can help you prove that a restaurant owed you a duty of care, failed to meet that duty of care, and that you were injured because of its negligence. One of the most common situations that occurs in restaurant parking lots is when someone falls on a slippery surface in the parking lot and the restaurant knew (or should have known) about the hazard but did nothing to make it safer or provide sufficient warning about it. If the restaurant is located in a strip mall alongside many other businesses and leases the space from a commercial development company, you may also have a claim against the property owner for your slip and fall restaurant lawsuit.
Pursuing a Slip and Fall Restaurant Lawsuit
Restaurant parking lot slip and fall cases can be challenging in New York but are definitely worth pursuing, even if you were partially to blame for your own fall. To learn more about how comparative negligence works in slip and fall cases or to discuss the details of your injuries, please contact us at 718-237-5586.
We look forward to helping you be successful with your case and making the at-fault restaurant pay for its negligence that put you in this situation.
