Every day, customers come to Home Depot stores in Georgia for their construction or home improvement needs. And while no one walks into an establishment thinking they’ll get injured, it happens. With the potential hazards and large, single-floor structure in Home Depot, slip and fall accidents can be incredibly common. If you were hurt in one of these stores, you may be entitled to compensation—but you’ll be up against a goliath company. That’s why it’s best to contact a Home Depot slip and fall accident and injury lawyer in Georgia right away.
At John Foy & Associates, we have been helping clients with their slip and fall accident claims for more than 20 years. Filing a claim with a store like Home Depot isn’t an easy feat, but we believe you should get the money you’re entitled to for the injuries you didn’t cause.
Contact us today and we’ll talk about the details during a FREE consultation. Call 404-400-4000 today, or fill out the form on this page for your free consultation.
How Fault Works in a Slip and Fall at Home Depot
In any Georgia personal injury accident claim, fault matters most. You will need to be able to show your accident was caused by the negligence of Home Depot or its staff. Negligence is another word for fault. Basically, it means someone did or didn’t do something that led to your slip and fall accident and injuries. And if a person or entity is at fault for an injury accident in Georgia, they are legally liable for your damages.
Any public store has a duty to maintain safe premises for those who come through its doors. If an unsafe condition exists, it can lead to a slip and fall accident. For example, if a floor was being mopped and employees didn’t notify customers of the slippery surface, they would likely be found at fault if someone slipped and hurt themselves on that floor. By not letting you know about the hazard, they failed in their duty to keep the premises safe.
On the other hand, if a caution sign about the wet floor was present and you feel after seeing it, you would probably not have a Home Depot slip and fall accident claim because it could be argued you knew about the hazard.
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What If They Deny Fault?
Even if the store did not create a hazardous situation, they can still be liable. If a customer drops their beverage in an aisle and another customer slip and falls in the liquid, breaking their arm, the store may be liable if it can be demonstrated they knew or should have known about the hazard.
The company may also try to pin the blame on you, even if they were completely at fault. They are a huge company with an insurance company and legal team of their own, so they might try to say you knew about a hazard even when you didn’t. Don’t let this discourage you or intimidate you. Call your slip and fall lawyer, and never admit any blame or apologize until all the facts have been presented.
Common Slip and Fall Accidents at Home Depot
There are any number of ways you might be injured from a slip and fall at Home Depot in Georgia. While the details matter depending on your specific case, here are some common situations that can lead to slip and fall accidents in stores like Home Depot:
- Wet floors, hazardous steps, or items let out at entrances or exits
- Uneven sidewalks or parking lot pavement
- Wet floors in bathrooms
- Spilled beverages or food products left on the floor
- Merchandise that has been left out, dropped, or fallen into an aisle
- Leaking refrigerators or other systems in the grocery department
While slips and other hazards can happen in any store, the key is in whether or not those hazards were cleaned up or brought to customers’ attention in a reasonable way and amount of time. Staff should be ready to respond to and remedy unsafe conditions at all times.
Calculating Damages in Home Depot Slip and Fall Accidents
Besides proving your accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, you’ll also need to demonstrate the damages you now suffer because of your fall. You will need to know the full extent of your costs so you can pursue full compensation. A Home Depot slip and fall accident lawyer can help ensure all damages are accounted for in your claim.
The largest source of damages in most slip and fall cases is physical injuries. You may suffer any type of physical injury from your slip and fall accident. Some of the most common include:
- Head injuries ranging from bruising to concussions or traumatic brain injuries
- Shoulder injuries, such as a dislocated shoulder or even nerve damage
- Ankle sprains from ligaments being stretched or torn during a trip and/or fall
- Broken bones in the foot, ankle, leg, pelvis, hips, spine, arms, or hands
- Back or spinal cord injuries, which can lead to neurological impairments, paralysis, or even permanent disabilities
A single injury can lead to weeks, months, or even years or treatment. Some injuries can leave you with a disability that affects the rest of your life.
This is why you should always see a doctor as soon as possible after your slip and fall in Home Depot. They can examine your injuries and give you an idea of your treatment plan going forward. This will help you account for all medical treatment—now and in the future—when building your injury claim.
What You Need to File a Slip and Fall Accident Claim Against Home Depot
To bring a slip and fall claim against Home Depot, you will need evidence:
- That the store management or staff were negligent in their duty to keep safe premises
- And that their negligence led to your accident and damages
To do this, you’ll need to collect substantial evidence supporting your claims. This might be in the form of pictures of the hazard and your injuries (if you can, take these with your phone right after your accident), store security footage of the obstacle and the accident, eyewitness testimony, and more. As mentioned above, you should also see a doctor right away because your medical records will act as proof of your injuries and costs.
You should also notify a Home Depot manager of your slip and fall accident immediately and tell them how it happened. Then, contact a Home Depot slip and fall accident and injury lawyer in Georgia as soon as you can.
Home Depot will have its own defense team ready to dispute your injury claims, so you will need a powerful and experienced lawyer of your own. They can help you build the strongest case possible and hopefully negotiate for a fair settlement. If the case goes to trial, they will support you every step of the way there too.
Talk to a Home Depot Slip and Fall Accident and Injury Lawyer in Georgia for Free
Injury cases against a huge store like Home Depot are more difficult than the average personal injury claim. You need a great lawyer to represent you for the best chance at fair compensation. At John Foy & Associates, we have more than 20 years of experience working with victims of slip and fall accidents all throughout Georgia—and we’re ready to help. For a FREE consultation, call us today at 404-400-4000, or contact us here.
404-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form