McDonald’s is one of the largest fast food companies on the planet, with more than 41,000 locations worldwide in recent years. Like many major food service corporations, though, McDonald’s outsources most daily operations within its stores to individual franchisees, not all of whom are as diligent as they should be about maintaining their retail property in good condition.
If you were recently injured in a McDonald’s slip and fall accident in New Port Richey, the premises liability laws of the Sunshine State will be what determines whether you have standing to file civil suit over your injuries and seek compensation for your ensuing losses. Navigating those laws can be difficult even if you have past experience with civil litigation, but by working with an experienced slip and fall attorney from LMD Injury Lawyers, you can maximize your chances of obtaining the compensation you deserve.
When someone acts as a “franchisee” for a major brand like McDonald’s, they typically pay a franchise fee to the brand owner and lease certain equipment from them, and in exchange they get legal ownership of a store operated under the brand’s name and serving the brand’s products. In addition to meaning that the franchisee is the one actually making—or not making—a profit off sales made at the store, this arrangement means that individual franchisees are the ones responsible for ensuring their stores are reasonably safe for lawful visitors to enter in accordance with local premises liability laws.
Accordingly, if you want to file suit over a slip and fall injury you experienced inside a McDonald’s franchise in New Port Richey, the franchisee would most likely be the defendant in your claim, since they would be the ones directly liable for failing to warn you about a hazardous property condition on their land. However, if your slip and fall occurred specifically because of an unreasonably dangerous policy instituted at the McDonald’s corporate level, you may have standing to file suit against McDonald’s as a business.
Through a successful lawsuit or settlement demand over a slip and fall accident in a New Port Richey McDonald’s, you may be able to recover for both economic and non-economic forms of harm directly connected to your accident. This can include but is not specifically limited to:
The recovery process itself will typically involve negotiating with a franchisee’s insurance provider for a settlement, but our team can help you construct and file a lawsuit in civil court if necessary to get you paid fairly.
McDonald’s may be a household name at this point, but that does not mean every single visit to a McDonald’s franchise is a happy one. Unfortunately, some in-person visits to poorly managed stores end with slipping or tripping accidents over unmarked wet floors, loose cords, trash on the ground, or any number of other things, as you may have learned the hard way.
Our legal team can help you understand your legal options and proactively protect your rights after a McDonald’s slip and fall accident in New Port Richey. Call today for a consultation.
727-849-5353