Winning Restaurant Slip and Fall Cases

Restaurant slip and fall cases are different.

Restaurants are busy, constantly changing environments. Employees carry food and beverages. Ice falls from ice bins. Drinks spill. Floors are cleaned. Customers track in water. Employees move quickly through crowded areas.

For attorneys handling these cases, understanding restaurant operations can be critical.

Why Restaurant Slip and Fall Cases Are Different

A slip, trip, or fall can happen almost anywhere on restaurant premises.

Potential locations include:

• Dining rooms
• Kitchens
• Bars
• Buffet areas
• Entryways
• Restrooms
• Stairways
• Parking lots

However, the location of the fall is only the beginning.

The restaurant’s operations surrounding that location may also need to be examined.

Common Restaurant Slip and Fall Hazards

Restaurants can create unique floor-safety challenges.

Ice may fall near beverage stations. Water can collect around sinks. Food and drinks may spill in dining areas. Employees may carry dishes around blind corners. Grease and food debris can reach walking surfaces.

Cleaning itself can also create hazards.

Potential issues may involve the wrong cleaning product, improper dilution, inadequate rinsing, dirty equipment, poor cleaning techniques, or missing warning signs.

Timing matters, too.

Cleaning a busy walkway during peak restaurant hours can create different risks than cleaning the same area after closing.

Management and Restaurant Slip and Fall Cases

Many restaurant slip and fall cases involve questions about management practices.

What policies were in place?

Were floors inspected?

Who was responsible for inspections?

How were spills reported?

Were employees trained?

Were cleaning procedures followed?

Were warning signs available and properly used?

Written policies are important. However, having a policy sitting in a manager’s office is not the same as putting that policy into practice.

Slip and Fall Training and Procedures

Restaurant management should establish procedures for identifying and responding to floor hazards.

Employees should know how to recognize a dangerous condition. They should also know what to do when they find one.

Training may address inspections, spills, cleaning methods, warning signs, employee responsibilities, and documentation.

Management should also evaluate its procedures over time.

Train. Inspect. Correct. Document. Repeat.

Restaurant Slip and Fall Expert Witness Analysis

For attorneys handling restaurant slip and fall cases, understanding restaurant operations can reveal important information about what happened before the fall.

A restaurant expert witness may examine employee training, inspection practices, cleaning procedures, management oversight, restaurant policies, incident documentation, and applicable industry standards.

The fall may happen in seconds.

The conditions that led to it may have been developing much longer.

That’s why understanding the restaurant operation matters.

 

Call Restaurant Expert Witness today. 800.300.5764