How Our Atlanta Broken Chair Accident Attorneys Can Help You Now
If a chair collapsed beneath you at a restaurant, hotel, or another business around Atlanta, you are probably dealing with more than just the embarrassment of the fall. There are injuries, medical bills, and a business that wants to see this go away before you know what your case is worth. The Millar Law Firm’s has a premises liability legal team of attorneys who will step in immediately, protect the evidence before it disappears, and fight to get you every dollar you are owed.
No matter where it happened, in a Buckhead restaurant, a downtown hotel, or an Atlanta convention center, call or contact us today. The initial consultation is free. You can reach us by phone, in person, or via email, and we will start working on your case immediately. There are no fees until we settle or win your case.
What You Need to Know About Broken Chair Accident Claims in Atlanta
If you are injured in a broken chair accident, you should remember that the business is there to protect itself. When the manager fills out an accident report, they are doing it for their insurance company, not you. And while the chair is the most critical piece of evidence for your claim, it is also the easiest to get rid of. Unless the manager receives clear instructions to set it aside and save it for potential litigation, the chair may vanish into the dumpster or some back room, never to be seen again.
Under Georgia law, property owners and operators have a legal duty to keep their premises safe for guests. The highest level of duty extends to “invitees,” those who are on the property for business purposes. Guests, customers, and diners have an expectation that the property is safe from all known hazards, and that the owner has inspected the property for all hidden hazards, including cracked or broken chairs.
If a property owner or manager knows that a hazard exists, they must take steps to correct it or remove it from service. Chairs take a lot of use and abuse throughout the day. Business owners should see that the furniture is inspected regularly, and damaged or unsafe furniture is removed for repair or replacement. If the restaurant or hotel fails to meet the standard of care and you are injured, Georgia law allows you to hold them accountable for it.
Establishing negligence requires preserving the evidence while it is still available. That is where The Millar Law Firm comes in.
How We Get Involved and Why Speed Matters
Businesses are not required to keep everything until someone might think to file a legal claim. Surveillance footage can legally be erased or deleted in the normal course of business. A broken chair can be tossed out. It is essential that accident victims contact an attorney who can instruct the business to preserve critical evidence immediately.
Incident reports are often vague, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. Writing reports is an art form, and many managers are busy and don’t have time to say more than “customer fell at table.” Even if the manager adds “Due to broken chair,” it is enough for an insurance adjuster and not nearly enough for an attorney.
The Millar Law Firm will contact the business and obtain their maintenance records and inspection logs. We will learn whether anyone else had complained about the chair in the days or weeks before you sat in it. If someone else had fallen from the chair, we will learn if the chair was repaired, and how long ago. We can send a Notice of Spoliation to the company, which prevents them from deleting any electronic data.
The sooner we do this, the less likely it is that any essential information will be lost or mislaid before we have a chance to review your case and establish the value of your case. Protecting evidence can mean the difference between the full value of your claim and a lowball offer. In one case, a client came to us after a chair broke underneath her at an Atlanta restaurant. The insurance company made a “final offer” of $31,000. We built the case, held firm, and recovered $100,000 for her. The gap between what an insurer offers and what a case is actually worth is why having the right legal team in your corner matters.
What Is Your Broken Chair Injury Claim Actually Worth
Most people who call us after a broken chair accident are thinking about their immediate medical bills. The emergency room, a follow-up, maybe an MRI or a round of physical therapy. They are not thinking about all the other costs associated with the injury. That is what the insurance company is counting on.
A serious fall can require surgery, physical therapy, and months of recovery. If your injuries affect your ability to work, you may be entitled to lost wages. You could also be entitled to future expenses for medical care and the loss of future income. Non-economic costs like pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and the disruption to your daily life are all part of your personal injury claim. We make sure none of that gets left on the table.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Broken Chair Injury
The business where the accident happened is responsible for your injuries. That is where your case begins, but it may not be where we end it. We will look for every source of compensation in your broken chair accident. For instance, if the chair had a manufacturing defect the company that made or distributed it may have some liability. In convention centers or large venues, a third-party contractor could actually be the one who supplied the broken chair or who set up and damaged the piece of furniture that injured you. Each responsible party carries their own insurance coverage. Finding who caused your injury and who is liable in the chain of accountability ensures that you receive all the compensation you are due when we file your claim.
Call The Millar Law Firm Today
A chair that should have been pulled from service should not put you in medical and financial limbo. You have the right to full compensation for what this has cost you, and you deserve a legal team that knows how to get it.
The Millar Law Firm has been fighting for injured Atlantans for over thirty years. Call us today, by phone, in person, or via email. The consultation is free, we come to you if you need us to, and we do not get paid unless you do.
