Panda Express is a quick-service restaurant that specializes in Chinese cuisine. Locations can be found in airports, sports stadiums, amusement parks and stand-alone restaurants around the world. Every Panda Express property has to maintain safe conditions, or you as their customer could become injured in a slip and fall accident.
Panda Express slip and fall accidents occur when a hazard knocks you off balance. As a result, a part of your body may strike a dining room table, chair, a service counter, or the hard tile floors. This can cause a variety of injuries including:
- Broken or bruised ribs
- Head injury
- Sprained ankle
- Broken arm or wrist
- Hip fracture
- Back pain
- Whiplash
You may not know the extent of your injuries immediately after your fall because symptoms can sometimes take days or weeks to appear following an accident. Severe injuries can cause financial hardships and emotional trauma, but you do not have to face these circumstances alone.
If you slip and fall in a Georgia Panda Express reach out to John Foy & Associates for a case review. We can help you determine if Panda Express was negligent and owes you compensation for your injuries. Contact our experienced slip and fall attorneys by calling (404) 400-4000 today.
More Information About Panda Express
The first Panda Express restaurant opened in 1983 at the Glendale Galleria shopping center. In contrast to many other fast-food restaurant chains, Panda Express expanded in the following years by adding more corporate-owned stores rather than selling franchises.
Panda Express is the largest family-run restaurant in the United States. The company also has a global reach, with more than 30,000 employees working in over 1,900 locations around the world.
Get the strong arm
Panda Express Slip and Fall Hazards
Large corporations like Panda Express can experience oversight that could lead to dangerous conditions in their stores. Even with standards and protocols in place to maintain equipment and properly clean each store, not all employees will follow these guidelines at all times.
Slip and fall hazards that could occur at a Panda Express restaurant include:
- Wet floors from spilled ice or drinks at the soda fountain
- Tripping hazards like chairs left in a walkway
- Food or condiments dropped on the floor
- Trash cans that are not emptied regularly could overflow into high-traffic areas
- Newly mopped or waxed floors without safety signs to warn customers of the danger
After a Slip and Fall Accident
In the moments immediately after you slip and fall in a Panda Express, evaluate your injuries. You may need to call 911 or go directly to the closest emergency room. If your injuries are not acute, however, you may be able to stay on the scene to gather evidence and prepare for a potential compensation claim against Panda Express.
Some actions you can take to strengthen your case include:
- Taking photos of your injuries and of the area where you fell, including possible hazards and the absence of safety signs.
- Obtaining a copy of security camera footage that may have captured your fall.
- Filing an official Panda Express incident report. Ask for a copy if one is not provided to you.
- Gathering the names and phone numbers of other customers who can serve as witnesses in your case.
- Consulting with a slip and fall lawyer before you sign any written statements or other documents produced by Panda Express.
- Refraining from stating that you were at fault in any way for your accident. For example, do not tell anyone that you were not watching where you were walking, or that you were distracted by your cell phone. Under Georgia’s comparative negligence rules, this could reduce or even wipe out your entire damage award.
Comparative Negligence
Comparative negligenceis a legal term that refers to the reduction in the number of damages you can recover in a negligence-based claim based on the amount to which you may have been at fault. If your case goes to trial, a judge or jury will determine one of the following:
- Panda Express is completely responsible for damages caused by your fall and must pay full compensation.
- You are completely at fault for your injuries and Panda Express is not liable for damages.
- You and Panda Express are partially to blame for your injuries. According to comparative negligence, the amount of your damage award will be reduced relative to your portion of the fault. In other words, if a judge finds you were 20% to blame for your injuries, he or she will award you 80% of the compensation you sued for.
Additionally, under Georgia’s modified comparative negligence rule you will not be awarded compensation if the court determines you were 50% or more at fault for your injuries.
Call John Foy & Associates Today
At John Foy & Associates, we will work to get you every dollar you deserve in compensation for your injuries. We have been a trusted and respected Georgia law firm for more than 20 years. Reach out to the slip and fall accident and injury lawyers at John Foy & Associates by calling (404) 400-4000 to schedule your no-risk consultation. Call today and get the Strong Arm.
404-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form