A trip and fall at the mall can happen in the blink of an eye, leaving you injured, embarrassed, and unsure what to do next. One moment you’re shopping or walking through the food court, and the next you’re on the ground with pain shooting through your body. These accidents often result from hazards property owners should have fixed or warned shoppers about, like wet floors, uneven surfaces, or poor lighting.
If you’ve been injured in a trip and fall accident at a mall, knowing what steps to take can protect both your health and your legal rights. At Big Joe Law, we help injury victims hold negligent property owners accountable and recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering caused by preventable accidents.
Take Immediate Action After Your Fall
Your first priority after falling should always be your health and safety. Stay where you are for a moment and assess whether you’re seriously injured before trying to stand up. Moving too quickly can worsen some injuries, particularly to your back, neck, or head. If you’re in severe pain or can’t get up on your own, ask someone nearby to call 911 or mall security immediately.
Once you determine you can move safely, document everything about the accident scene. Use your phone to take photos and videos of the exact spot where you fell, capturing any hazards like torn carpet, broken tile, water puddles, debris, or poor lighting. Get wide shots showing the overall area and close-ups of the specific hazard. If there were no warning signs or barriers around the dangerous condition, photograph that absence as well. The mall or store may fix the problem within hours of your fall, destroying crucial evidence, so capturing images right away is essential.
Report the Incident and Get Medical Attention
Notify mall management or the specific store where you fell about the accident as soon as possible. Most malls have security offices that handle incident reports. Insist on filling out an official accident report, and ask for a copy before you leave. This report creates a record of the incident and starts the clock on the property owner’s notice of your injury.
When describing what happened, stick to the basic facts without speculating about fault or minimizing your injuries. Don’t say things like “I’m fine” or “It was probably my fault” even if you feel embarrassed. Some injuries don’t show symptoms immediately, and admitting fault can hurt your case later. Get names and contact information for anyone who witnessed your fall, as their testimony may prove crucial to your claim.
Seek medical care even if you don’t think you’re seriously hurt. Some injuries like concussions, internal bleeding, or soft tissue damage don’t always cause immediate pain but can have serious consequences if left untreated. A prompt medical examination creates documentation linking your injuries to the fall, which insurance companies will scrutinize. Follow all treatment recommendations your doctor provides and keep all receipts and records related to your medical care.
Understand Your Rights After a Mall Fall
Property owners, including shopping malls, have a legal duty to maintain safe premises for visitors. This means they must regularly inspect their property for hazards, fix dangerous conditions promptly, and warn shoppers about risks they can’t immediately eliminate. When they fail in these responsibilities and someone gets hurt, they may be held liable for resulting injuries.
Common causes of trip and fall accidents at malls include spills that weren’t cleaned up quickly, torn or bunched flooring materials, broken or uneven walking surfaces, poor lighting in stairwells or parking structures, and obstacles left in walkways. To recover compensation, you’ll need to prove the mall or store owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition and failed to take reasonable steps to fix it or warn you. This is where evidence like photos, witness statements, and incident reports become critical to building your case.
Get Help from Big Joe Law After Your Mall Accident
At Big Joe Law, we understand how mall owners and their insurance companies try to avoid responsibility after trip and fall accidents. With 15-plus years of combined experience handling premises liability claims, we know the tactics they use and how to counter them effectively. We’ve helped clients throughout the San Fernando Valley recover compensation after suffering injuries on someone else’s property.
Insurance adjusters may contact you quickly after your accident, hoping to get a recorded statement or push you into a low settlement before you understand the full extent of your injuries. Don’t navigate this process alone. We provide aggressive representation while treating you with the personal attention and respect you deserve during this difficult time. You don’t pay us anything unless we win your case. Reach out to Big Joe Law now to schedule a free consultation about your mall trip and fall accident.
