As the world’s largest retail chain, it’s no surprise that Walmart is involved in many slip and fall lawsuits. This type of accident can happen anywhere, but a retailer may be liable for any injuries you sustain when it occurs in their establishment.
Grocery stores and other retailers have a responsibility to ensure you have a safe environment to shop in, and no obstructions or something on the ground can cause you to trip, fall, and be injured. This can include anything from debris to spills. If store employees fail to notice and clean up these potential liabilities, the store might be responsible for customers who slip and fall. With 10,500 stores[1] open worldwide, this retail giant often makes headlines for its legal woes.
Any injuries you sustain in a slip and fall event could keep you from working for weeks to months. In some cases, injuries may result in permanent disability. How can you provide for your family and avoid going into massive debt while you wait for your lawsuit to settle in court?
One option is pre-settlement funding. Also known as a lawsuit advance, pre-settlement funding gives you a way to keep on top of any bills or other expenses while you wait for your case to settle.
Understanding Slip and Fall Accidents at Walmart
A slip and fall accident is a type of personal injury that happens when you slip or trip on someone’s property. At retail locations, this type of accident can happen inside or outside the property. For example, wet floors, icy sidewalks or parking lots, and improperly secured cables or rugs are some of the most common causes of a customer slip and fall.
Sometimes, falls are minor events that don’t result in injury or a need to pursue legal action. However, there are times when a fall can cause significant injuries and trauma. According to the Centers for Disease Control[2], slip and fall injuries send more than 800,000 individuals to the hospital every year, with 3 million older individuals receiving treatment in emergency rooms for injuries sustained in a fall.
Slip and fall accidents can result in a wide range of injuries, including:
- Head injuries, which may also include traumatic brain injuries in severe cases
- Bone fractures, including hip fractures: These result from slip and fall accidents more than 95% of the time. Hip fractures also hospitalize approximately 300,000 older individuals annually due to slip and fall accidents.
- Emotional trauma: Falling down can cause a fear of falling in the future, even if the person didn’t sustain any serious injuries.
One of Walmart’s most important responsibilities is to ensure its customers have a safe shopping environment. Marking wet floors and securing loose wires are essential to preventing the most common accidents. If associates in the store fail to take action to reduce the risks, the store may be liable for negligence.
Notable Walmart Slip and Falls
Multiple Walmart slip and fall lawsuits have made headlines over the years. One story involved a Walmart slip and fall case in Tennessee[3] Where the plaintiff slipped and fell in a puddle of water. Although the store didn’t catch the incident on camera, security footage showed store associates cleaning a large area immediately following the woman’s fall and documented an associate walking through the area shortly before her fall, which meant that the store was or should have been aware of the dangerous condition. She received $525,000 in damages.
Another case in Kentucky[4] involved a woman who slipped and fell in Walmart near the restrooms. In this case, a customer started filling a jug of water and went to the restroom. While the customer was away, the jug overflowed and created a puddle of water on the floor. Nearby workers did not take any action to clean the puddle. In fact, they continued to ignore the situation despite the plaintiff slipping in the puddle.
Anyone can slip and fall in unsafe conditions, but some individuals may be more susceptible to falls — or more serious falls — depending on certain risk factors. The CDC states[5] that those with vision problems, foot pain, certain types of shoes, difficulties with balance and walking, vitamin D deficiencies, and use of certain medications (particularly medications that act as sedatives) can all make an individual more at risk of a serious slip and fall.
The Walmart Slip and Fall Settlement Process
The first step in any personal injury lawsuit is to seek legal counsel. It’s important to establish that you have standing and a case before you move forward. Once you have an attorney, they could file a lawsuit and move on to discovery. During the discovery process, your lawyer may obtain evidence for your case from the store, which often includes surveillance footage. You should consider collecting any available evidence at the time of the accident. Take pictures of the scene and get contact information from any witnesses.
If your evidence is strong, Walmart may offer a settlement before the trial. When negotiating slip and fall Walmart settlements, it’s important to keep in mind the amount may be less than what you’d get at trial.
Challenges in Obtaining a Walmart Slip and Fall Settlement
While many large companies attempt to settle accident cases quietly, Walmart often aggressively defends each case. This can make it more difficult to find a lawyer. Many lawyers also prefer a quick settlement since it offers a better return on their time invested. Walmart may also seek continuances or otherwise delay trial proceedings to make things more difficult for you.
If you’re seriously injured, medical bills may pile up while you wait for your settlement. Even after the trial closes, it could take months or years to collect on the debt owed to you by Walmart. And during this delay, you still have bills to pay.
Introduction to Pre-Settlement Funding
Slip and fall pre-settlement funding offers a financial solution to delayed payments or slow trials. It’s a nonrecourse cash advance that you can use as you wish while waiting for your settlement, whether that be to pay medical bills or any other expenses. Nonrecourse means that you only have to pay if you win your case.
USClaims: Providing Pre-Settlement Funding for Walmart Slip and Fall Cases
At USClaims, we want to help you through the tough financial times after an accident by offering pre-settlement funding. Applying is straightforward, and our approval times are some of the fastest in the industry.
When you apply, we assess your case, discuss evidence and details with your lawyer, and consider how much it is worth. Then, we approve your funding based on that total amount. There’s no application fee and no loan payments while you’re waiting for the trial. And because pre-settlement funding isn’t a loan, no credit checks are necessary.
The Benefits of Pre-Settlement Funding
When you’re injured, the last thing you need to worry about is missing mortgage payments or declaring bankruptcy.
While you wait for a Walmart slip and fall settlement, you may need ongoing medical care and specialized therapy to help you recover. Even during your recovery, you may need home modifications or assistance as you fight to return to a sense of normalcy. Paying for these expenses is out of reach for the majority of American households, which is why pre-settlement funding is so important.
With pre-settlement funds in hand, you can pay your bills and other financial obligations. Beyond simply paying bills, having access to these funds means that you may feel much less pressure to accept any potential lowball settlement offers from Walmart.
Applying for Pre-Settlement Funding with USClaims
To apply for pre-settlement funding, you must have an attorney representing you. During the application process, we’ll ask you to provide any evidence you have about your case and to document your injuries.
After you provide all the requested information and documentation, we’ll asses your case. If it’s strong enough, we’ll approve your pre-settlement funding based on our assessment of your claim’s value.
Before you decide to take pre-settlement funding, be sure to talk to your lawyer. They can help you understand the options and provide guidance about what you can expect.
Exploring the Impact of Walmart Slip and Falls: Empower Yourself with USClaims
Sustaining a slip and fall injury while shopping at Walmart or other retailers can cause emotional stress and physical trauma. Because public businesses are responsible for ensuring a safe environment for their customers, these companies are often liable when an injury occurs. If a slip and fall accident at Walmart caused your injury, talk to an attorney as soon as possible. Waiting means surveillance footage may get deleted, weakening your case.
Personal injury lawsuits can take years to finalize and even longer to collect. Many injury victims count on this money to cover bills resulting from their accidents. In some cases, an injury victim may be unable to work while they recover, and other expenses have accumulated. If you’re hoping to get money from your case as soon as possible, consider the many benefits of pre-settlement funding, a service available through USClaims.
Looking for more details on pre-settlement funding? Take a look at our frequently asked questions. We’re ready to work with you, contact us at 1-877-USCLAIMS to get started with your application.
FAQs
What happens if you lose your Walmart slip and fall case after receiving pre-settlement funding?
Nothing! As a nonrecourse cash advance, your pre-settlement funder only gets paid if you win.
How long does it take to receive pre-settlement funding for a Walmart slip and fall case?
Once we grant approval for pre-settlement funding and receive a signed contract, the funds are typically disbursed within 24 hours, utilizing methods such as direct account deposits, checks, debit cards, or even payments made to third parties as per your request, such as medical service providers.
Sources
- Walmart. “About Walmart.” Walmart, 2023, corporate.walmart.com/about.
- CDC. “Facts about Falls.” Www.cdc.gov, 6 Aug. 2021, www.cdc.gov/falls/facts.html.
- Corley, Sabrina. “Corley v. Wal-Mart Stores East, LP.” https://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/16a0002n-06.pdf
- Smith, Judy. “Smith v. Wal-Mart Stores East, LP.” https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-kyed-5_07-cv-00238/pdf/USCOURTS-kyed-5_07-cv-00238-0.pdf
- CDC. “Important Facts about Falls .” Cdc.gov, 2019, www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html</a
