Valvoline Oil Change Slip and Fall Lawyer

Valvoline is a convenient solution when you’re looking for fast and efficient automotive services. In particular, they’re known for stay-in-your-car oil changes, where customers can pull up to a bay and have their car serviced right before their eyes. Having customers stay in their cars reduces the risk of slip and fall accidents, but injuries can still happen from people slipping somewhere else on the premises. Valvoline has a duty of care to ensure the safety of guests and customers, and may be sued if their neglect leads to a slip and fall. The company is also responsible for losses suffered by the family or loved ones of a customer that dies from a slip and fall accident on their property.

Perhaps you have recently been injured at a Valvoline and need to know what legal actions you can take. Alternatively, you may be in the middle of a lawsuit against Valvoline, but have issues with how your attorney is handling your claim. Regardless of where you are in your case, we hope that the information below will educate you on the injury claims process and how you can receive compensation in a slip and fall accident at Valvoline.

However, keep in mind that this is general information, and there are factors that may not apply to your specific case. To discuss your own claim in detail, contact the lawyers of Normandie Law Firm.
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Slip and Fall Injuries at Valvoline Service Centers

Over one million people in the U.S. go to the ER every year for a slip and fall injury. Even worse, slip and fall accidents are the leading cause of death among the elderly. There are many other serious injuries you can sustain from a slip and fall, including:

• Broken bones/ fractures

In a slip and fall, various parts of your body can slam into the ground or on to another surface. The resulting impact may be too much for your bones, which can lead to a break or fracture, especially in the arms and legs.

• Soft tissue injury

Soft tissue injuries are not visible right away, but they must be treated as soon as they present themselves. This type of injury comes from overexertion of the ligaments, tendons, and muscles, which causes them to tear. Soft tissues injuries can lead to chronic pain, which the patient will have to live for the rest of their lives.

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

This is one of the most serious injuries associated with slip and falls, though the true effects take time to develop. Patients can suffer from a variety of health conditions, including seizures, hemorrhaging, and loss of motor skills. As a result, victims may lose the ability to do basic tasks in their daily lives.

• Cuts and abrasions

Most cuts and abrasions are not serious, but those resulting from slip and falls should be checked out right away. A doctor can verify if there are serious injuries underneath, like fractures or torn ligaments.

• Wrist and Ankle Sprain

When you fall, the natural reaction is to put out your hand or try to catch on to something. The impact when you hit the ground can cause a wrist sprain. You may also have an ankle sprain if your foot twists out as you walk over a slippery surface.

• Spinal Cord Injury

If you fall on to your back, the impact could fracture the vertebrae, or cause a slipped or herniated disc. This is a very serious injury that can lead to paralysis, loss of function in the limbs, and even death, especially for older patients.

• Knee injury

Knee injuries occur frequently in slip and falls, since many people fall forward when they slip on something. This can cause significant damage to the kneecaps, along with tears in the ligaments and tendons. Knee injuries commonly associated with slip and falls include torn ACL/ MCL, tendonitis, and dislocation of the knee cap.

• Fractured hip

Falling is particularly dangerous for the elderly, who can easily fracture their hip and require a partial or total hip replacement. Following surgery, the patient will need to be hospitalized and undergo months of physical therapy. Depending on the patient’s age and overall health, they may need to be admitted to a nursing home for specialized care.

Should and neck injuries can occur either from the impact of a fall or from overexertion during a fall. These injuries include broken collarbones, shoulder dislocation, and nerve damage. There may be spinal injuries as well in more serious cases.

Medical bills for any of these injuries quickly pile up, especially if you have more than one injury. Paying for treatment can be next to impossible if you’re out of work or lose your job as a result of your accident. It’s unacceptable that you struggle with these issues when Valvoline is legally responsible for your slip and fall. Contact our office and start your claim for the compensation you deserve.

Valvoline’s Liability in Your Accident

In order to sue Valvoline in a lawsuit, you will have to show a direct link between the company’s negligence and your slip and fall accident. For example, if oil on the shop floor causes you to slip and fall, the company is responsible since one of their employees should have cleaned that up. This is clearly defined under the laws of premise liability, which states that owners must take measures to ensure the safety of their guests and customers. In the case of a business, their responsibility extends to areas outside of the store, like parking lots and sidewalks.

To illustrate this point, consider the case of Cooper v. Valvoline Instant Oil Change. On a cold, icy day, the plaintiff dropped off her car at a Valvoline location in Ohio. As she walked down the sidewalk on the side of the store, she slipped on a patch of ice. While an employee had shoveled the snow on the sidewalk, he had neglected to salt the area in order to keep ice from forming. Valvoline was responsible for the employee’s actions under premise liability and was ordered to compensate the plaintiff.

The plaintiff, by the way, won her case on appeal, meaning the original trial verdict ruled in favor of Valvoline. Most slip and fall lawsuits do not go that far, but it goes to show how reluctant big corporations are to admit that something is their fault. They’ve even gone so far as to blame victims for the accident, which our lawyers will not stand for. Normandie Law Firm has the skill and experience to see your case through to the end, no matter how long it takes.

Compensation You Can Receive in a Lawsuit Against Valvoline

California law allows you to sue for various forms of compensation in a slip and fall lawsuit against Valvoline. Here are some of the losses we typically recover for our clients:

• Medical bills for doctor’s visits, surgeries, physical therapy, etc.
• Lost wages from job loss, time off, or change in career.
• Pain and suffering for emotional trauma (depression, anxiety, PTDS).

If the company’s neglect was especially outrageous, we may be able to ask for punitive damages. This compensation is awarded on top of your settlement as a way to punish the at-fault party and set an example for others. Make sure to discuss your case with an attorney if you believe your accident qualifies for punitive damages. Even if it does, punitive damages will not be awarded unless you have a skilled legal argument. Our attorneys have many years of recovering punitive damages for eligible clients. Contact our office and learn more about the losses you can recover from a slip and fall lawsuit.

Wrongful Death Compensation Lawsuits

As we mentioned, death is a very real possibility for slip and fall victims, and the losses incurred by their loved ones are life-changing. If you lost your family member, spouse, or domestic partner in a Valvoline slip and fall accident, you may be able to sue the company for wrongful death compensation. This type of lawsuit covers numerous losses left behind by the decedent, such as:

• Funeral costs
• Medical bills
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of expected savings and benefits (pension, health insurance, etc.)

As a spouse or domestic partner, you may also be able to sue for loss of consortium, which is the loss of love, support, and companionship you received from your late partner. These damages include loss of physical intimacy and loss of future children you may have had with your significant other. As you can see, there are many losses that you can recover in a wrongful death lawsuit, but you must act right away to ensure that your rights are protected. Call us today and speak to an experienced wrongful death compensation lawyer.

How Much Can I Get for My Injuries?

Understandably, this is a question every client has for us when they come in for a consultation. Recovering from an injury is expensive, and you shouldn’t be stuck with the costs when the accident is someone else’s fault. Frankly, there’s no universal value that we can attach to a slip and fall settlement. Each case has its own set of injuries and long-term effects on that person’s life. Each client incurs their own set of losses, which require different amounts of compensation. Still, we’ve learned from past cases that slip and falls for minor injuries typically settle in the 5-figures. Awards for serious injuries, on the other hand, could be well over a million dollars.

To explain these figures in more detail, here are some previous slip and fall cases and their settlement amounts. This will give you an idea of what you can recover, but only a lawyer can determine the right level of compensation for you.

• A woman was walking down the stairs in a home improvement store when she slipped and fell off a step. The stairs had been mopped by an employee, who failed to put up a wet floor sign. As the employer, the store was liable for her shoulder injury and settled the case for $75,000.

• An elderly man was shopping in a supermarket when he slipped and fell on a slick surface. Management had received complaints about the slick tiles in that aisle, so they were aware that an accident could happen. The case went to mediation, where the supermarket chain agreed to compensate the man $620,000 for his losses, which included hip replacement surgery, hospitalization, admission at a nursing home, and extensive physical therapy.

• On her way to pay for a brake replacement, a woman slipped on a patch of oil and fell backwards. The impact to her head resulted in traumatic brain injury, which caused her to lose her sense of smell. As a result, she lost her job of 15 years as a hotel chef and struggled with depression and anxiety. The case went to trial, where the jury awarded her $1.6 million for her physical and emotional losses.

How Long Will it Take to Settle My Case?

As with case values, the timeline for a slip and fall lawsuit depends on the degree of injury, the types of losses incurred, and many other factors. If your injuries are serious, it may be months or even a year or more before we can calculate the full extent of your damages. On the other hand, minor injuries usually heal quickly with minimal after effects, so those cases could be settled in just a few months.

You also have to consider the other side’s actions, or lack thereof, which are not within your control. For example, Valvoline may refuse to admit liability in your accident and offer you a settlement that’s far below your needs. This could result in your case going to trial, though most cases are resolved before that through mediation or alternative dispute resolution. Nevertheless, it could be a year or more from the date of your accident until the courts schedule a mediation date.

During this time, it’s hard for victims to figure out if Valvoline’s delays are valid, or if they’re making things difficult on purpose. Our attorneys have the experience to know when a company’s not acting in good faith and will take immediate action to make them comply with the laws.

Statute of Limitations

California laws allow victims two years from the date of their accident to sue for compensation. Family members and loved ones of slip and fall victims have two years from the date of death to sue the responsible parties. This sounds like a lot of time, but it’s important to take action on your claim right away. Keep in mind that a lawsuit is filed if you can’t negotiate a settlement with Valvoline’s insurers. Calculating the full extent of your damages, making a demand for compensation, and negotiating back and forth with the company takes up much more time that most people realize. If you start the claims process too late, you may miss the two year deadline for filing a lawsuit.

To ensure you get the funds needed for your recovery, contact our office without delay.

The Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers of Normandie

A slip and fall accident has devastating consequences for the victim and their loved ones. Businesses should not be able to get away with this, nor should victims have to pay for quality legal representation. That’s why we offer a Zero fee guarantee, meaning you will never pay for any of our services. We operate on a contingency fee structure, so the only way we get paid is if you get paid. If we lose your case, we eat the costs and you owe us absolutely nothing.

Additionally, we offer free second opinions if you have an attorney, but are not satisfied with their services. Maybe you feel like your case value is too low, or that your lawsuit has been put on the back burner. We can review your case and provide you an honest assessment as to your attorney’s work.

Don’t wait to pursue the justice you’re legally entitled to. Contact Normandie Law Firm and speak to an experienced slip and fall accident lawyer.

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