Injured in a slip and fall accident at a Walmart in Fresno, CA? Contact the top Fresno Walmart slip and fall lawyer to seek compensation.
Walmart stores are high-traffic environments where hazards such as wet floors, debris in aisles, spills, and uneven surfaces can cause serious slip and fall injuries. When you’re hurt in one of these accidents, you may be dealing with painful injuries, rising medical bills, and lost income—while Walmart’s self-insured claims team works quickly to minimize or deny your compensation. These large retailers employ aggressive tactics designed to protect their bottom line, not your well-being.
At Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, our premises liability attorneys understand how to handle slip and fall claims against major corporations like Walmart. We act quickly to secure surveillance footage before it’s deleted, document unsafe conditions, and gather evidence that proves negligence. With decades of experience representing injured Fresno shoppers, we build strong, comprehensive claims that counter insurance defenses and pursue the full recovery you deserve.
Contact us today for a free consultation and discover how our Walmart slip and fall attorneys in Fresno can help you seek the compensation and justice you deserve.
Why You Need a Fresno Walmart Slip and Fall Lawyer
If you slipped and fell at a Walmart in Fresno, you’re dealing with pain, mounting medical bills, and uncertainty about your future. The team at Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers understands the overwhelming stress you’re facing right now. We help injury victims navigate complex claims against major retailers, including Walmart.
Walmart has teams of lawyers whose job is to minimize the amount it pays to injured customers. You need equally skilled legal representation fighting for your rights. Our firm has extensive experience representing injured clients and building strong cases against large corporations.
We work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case. Our bilingual team is available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide the support you need during this difficult time.
What to Do Immediately After Your Walmart Fall
Your actions in the first hours after your accident can significantly impact your ability to recover compensation. Time is critical to both your health and the preservation of evidence proving Walmart’s negligence.
Seek medical attention immediately, even if you think your injuries are minor. Many slip and fall injuries, like concussions or internal bleeding, may not show symptoms right away. Getting prompt medical care creates an official record linking your injuries to the accident, including soft tissue injuries that may worsen over time.
Report your fall to a Walmart manager on duty and insist on filing an incident report. Request a copy of this report before you leave the store, as it documents the basic facts of your accident.
Document Everything at the Scene
Taking thorough photos and gathering witness information can make or break your case. If you’re unable to do this yourself due to your injuries, ask a family member or friend to help.
Preserve the clothes and shoes you were wearing by placing them in sealed bags. Don’t wash them, as they may contain evidence of the substances that caused your fall.
Preserve Critical Evidence Before It Disappears
Walmart’s security footage is typically retained only for a limited time, so it’s essential to preserve it as soon as possible. We immediately send preservation letters to Walmart, demanding that it retain all relevant evidence, including surveillance video, employee schedules, and cleaning logs. This legal notice prevents them from destroying evidence that could prove their negligence.
Understanding Walmart’s Legal Responsibility
Under California premises liability law, Walmart has a duty to keep its property reasonably safe for customers. This means they must regularly inspect their stores, promptly address hazards, and warn customers about dangers they cannot immediately resolve.
To win your case, we must prove that Walmart knew or should have known about the dangerous condition that caused your fall. This legal concept is called “notice,” and it’s the foundation of every successful slip-and-fall claim.
Walmart cannot simply claim it was unaware of a spill or hazard. If the dangerous condition existed long enough that a reasonable inspection would have discovered it, the law considers it to have “constructive notice.”
Actual Notice vs Constructive Notice
The type of notice we can prove affects the strength of your case and the compensation you may receive.
Actual notice means Walmart employees directly knew about the hazard. This could be through an employee witnessing a spill, receiving customer complaints, or creating the dangerous condition themselves. Actual notice creates the strongest liability case.
Constructive notice means Walmart should have discovered the hazard through the exercise of reasonable care. If a puddle of water sat on the floor for hours without being cleaned or marked, the law assumes Walmart should have found it during routine inspections.
We determine the duration of the hazard by reviewing security footage, employee schedules, and cleaning logs. The longer a dangerous condition remains unaddressed, the stronger your case becomes.
Common Walmart Hazards That Cause Falls
Walmart stores pose numerous slip-and-fall risks due to their size, high customer traffic, and wide variety of merchandise. Understanding these common hazards helps us identify who may be responsible for your accident.
Spills are the most common cause of falls at Walmart. These can occur from leaking freezer cases, broken jars, spilled drinks, or produce that falls on the floor. Grocery areas are hazardous during busy shopping periods when spills may go unnoticed for extended periods.
Entrance areas become hazardous during Fresno’s rainy season when customers track in water and mud. Worn or improperly maintained floor mats can create tripping hazards, while inadequate drainage can cause puddles to form near automatic doors.
High-Risk Areas in Fresno Walmart Stores
Different sections of Walmart stores present unique dangers that require specific safety protocols:
- Produce sections: Grapes, lettuce leaves, and other produce frequently fall, creating slippery surfaces.
- Frozen food aisles: Leaking freezer cases and condensation create icy or wet floors.
- Restrooms: Poor maintenance, plumbing leaks, and inadequate cleaning create slip hazards.
- Garden centers: Soil spills, plant watering, and seasonal merchandise create multiple trip hazards.
- Parking lots: Potholes, poor lighting, and inadequate maintenance cause falls and other injuries.
The Walmart Supercenters on Shaw Avenue and Blackstone Avenue in Fresno see particularly heavy traffic, which can increase the likelihood of hazards developing and going unaddressed.
California’s Two-Year Deadline and Fault Rules
California law gives you two years from the date of your injury to file a lawsuit against Walmart. This deadline, called the statute of limitations, is strictly enforced by the courts. Missing this deadline typically means losing your right to compensation forever.
California follows pure comparative negligence, which means you can still recover compensation even if you were partially at fault for your accident. Your percentage of fault will reduce your total award, but you won’t lose everything if Walmart tries to blame you.
Types of Compensation Available
A successful Walmart slip and fall claim can recover compensation for all the ways your accident has impacted your life. We work with medical experts, economists, and other professionals to calculate the full value of your damages.
Economic damages include your medical expenses, lost wages, and other out-of-pocket costs. These are relatively easy to calculate because they have specific dollar amounts.
Non-economic damages compensate you for pain, suffering, and the impact on your quality of life. These damages are more subjective but often represent the most considerable portion of your recovery in serious injury cases.
Medical Expenses and Future Care Needs
Emergency Treatment
This includes initial ambulance transport, emergency room visits, and essential diagnostic tests, such as X-rays or MRIs, required to assess the damage from your fall.
Surgical Procedures
We account for all operations needed to repair broken bones, torn ligaments, or other acute injuries caused by the accident.
Rehabilitation
Your claim covers physical therapy, occupational therapy, and any other specialized recovery services necessary to restore your mobility.
Ongoing Care
This covers persistent needs such as pain management, follow-up appointments, and any long-term treatment plans your injuries require.
Medical Equipment
We ensure coverage for assistive devices such as crutches, wheelchairs, or braces that help you navigate your daily life during recovery.
Getting Medical Treatment Without Upfront Costs
One of the biggest concerns after a slip-and-fall is how to afford medical treatment, especially if you don’t have health insurance or your insurance has a high deductible. We can connect you with doctors in our network who will treat you on a medical lien basis.
A medical lien means the healthcare provider agrees to be paid directly from your settlement rather than requiring immediate payment. This allows you to get the treatment you need without worrying about upfront costs.
Our network includes specialists who understand slip-and-fall injuries and can provide the comprehensive care you need. We coordinate with these providers to ensure you receive appropriate treatment and to build the medical documentation necessary for your case.
How We Build Strong Cases Against Walmart
Walmart is a large corporation with experienced lawyers and insurance companies that aggressively defend against every claim. We level the playing field by conducting thorough investigations and using every available legal tool to build compelling cases.
Our investigation begins immediately upon your hire. We send preservation letters to Walmart demanding that they maintain all evidence related to your accident. We then subpoena security footage, employee records, and maintenance logs that may support your claim.
We work with expert witnesses who can analyze the accident scene, test floor surfaces for slip resistance, and explain how Walmart’s negligence caused your fall. These experts provide the technical evidence needed to prove liability in complex cases.
Timeline for Walmart Slip and Fall Cases
The length of your case depends on several factors, including the severity of your injuries, the complexity of proving liability, and Walmart’s willingness to negotiate fairly. Simple cases with clear liability may resolve in six to nine months, while complex cases requiring litigation can take 18 months or longer.
Your medical treatment timeline significantly affects the duration of your case. We generally don’t settle your case until you’ve reached maximum medical improvement, which means your condition has stabilized and doctors can accurately predict your long-term prognosis.
Walmart typically fights slip-and-fall claims aggressively, but it also wants to avoid the expense and uncertainty of a trial. Our reputation as Fresno Walmart slip and fall lawyers gives us significant leverage in settlement negotiations.
Factors That Affect Case Resolution
Several elements can speed up or slow down the resolution of your case:
- Injury severity: More serious injuries require longer treatment and more extensive documentation.
- Liability clarity: Cases with clear evidence of Walmart’s fault typically resolve faster.
- Insurance cooperation: Some insurance companies negotiate more reasonably than others.
- Expert testimony needs: Complex cases requiring multiple expert witnesses take longer to develop.
We keep you informed throughout the process and explain what factors are affecting your specific case timeline.
Our Track Record of Success
Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers has a long history of representing injured Californians. We have experience representing clients in personal injury cases, including slip-and-fall claims against major retailers.
Our experience gives us deep insight into how stores like Walmart operate and where their policies may fall short of legal requirements. We know which arguments work with insurance companies and which evidence is most persuasive to juries.
While every case is unique and past results don’t guarantee future outcomes, our history of successful settlements and verdicts demonstrates our commitment to achieving justice for our clients.
Why Choose Our Fresno Legal Team
Our Fresno office provides valuable local advantages for handling your case. We’re familiar with the Fresno County Superior Court system, local judges, and the tactics used by defense attorneys who regularly represent major corporations.
We serve clients throughout the Central Valley, including Fresno, Clovis, Madera, and surrounding communities. Our team includes Spanish-speaking attorneys and staff who can communicate with you in your preferred language.
As your neighbors, we understand the challenges Fresno families face when dealing with serious injuries. We’re available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide updates on your case progress.
Our Commitment to Client Service
Excellent legal representation goes beyond just winning cases. We’re committed to making the legal process as stress-free as possible for you and your family.
Walmart Slip and Fall FAQs
What Should I Do if Walmart Offers Me Money Right After My Fall?
Please decline any settlement offers and contact a Fresno Walmart slip-and-fall attorney immediately. Walmart’s initial offers are typically far below the actual value of your claim and are designed to prevent you from seeking legal representation. Once you accept money from Walmart, you may give up your right to pursue additional compensation later.
How Much Time Do I Have to File a Lawsuit Against Walmart in California?
California law gives you two years from the date of your injury to file a lawsuit against Walmart. However, it’s essential to contact an attorney sooner rather than later, as evidence can disappear quickly. Security footage is often deleted within 30 to 90 days, and witness memories fade over time.
Can I Sue Walmart if I Was Partially at Fault for My Fall?
Yes, California’s comparative negligence law allows you to recover compensation even if you were partially responsible for your accident. Your percentage of fault will reduce your total award, but you won’t lose your right to compensation entirely. For example, if you’re found 30% at fault, you would still recover 70% of your total damages.
Contact a Fresno Walmart Slip and Fall Lawyer Today
Don’t let Walmart’s insurance company take advantage of your situation. The experienced Fresno Walmart slip and fall attorneys at Kuzyk Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers are ready to fight for the compensation you deserve.
We handle all slip and fall cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we win your case. This arrangement allows you to access quality legal representation with no financial risk.
Time is critical in slip-and-fall cases because evidence can disappear quickly. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your case and learn about your legal options. We’re here to help you navigate this difficult time and secure the resources you need to rebuild your life.
