Having rights to compensation for losses you suffered after a slip and fall at Walmart doesn’t mean you’ll automatically receive money. Any parties liable for your injuries will resist paying you anything (let alone the amount you deserve) unless they believe you are ready, willing, and able to take them to court to hold them accountable. Realistically, the only way to show them you mean business is to hire an experienced slip and fall lawyer to handle your Walmart slip and fall claim. Here’s why. It’s Risky to Deal With Walmart Claims Services Directly As discussed, Walmart frequently faces liability for its customers’ slip and fall injuries since it’s the owner, tenant, or manager of its stores with a legal duty to ensure customer safety. Unlike many businesses, Walmart doesn’t generally carry insurance to cover those damages. Instead, Walmart self-insures, meaning it investigates, evaluates, determines, and pays slip and fall claims in-house rather than purchasing coverage from an insurer that serves those functions on its behalf. Walmart Claims Services, Inc. (WCS), also known as Arkansas Claims Management, Inc., acts as the administrator for slip and fall claims against Walmart. Typically, its employees will investigate your fall and any potential liability Walmart has for your injuries. You may have the option of submitting a claim for slip and fall compensation directly to WCS instead of first filing a lawsuit. But dealing with WCS without a lawyer can be extremely risky. WCS bills itself as a customer service provider, but its mission is to minimize Walmart’s liability for slip and fall injuries like yours. As soon as WCS learns of your fall and injury, it begins seeking information from you, its store, and others that Walmart can use to justify refusing to pay your damages in full. Like an insurance company, WCS may use tactics designed to get you to undermine or devalue your claim. For example, even before you’ve submitted a claim, a WCS employee may seek to interview you on a recorded line so they can ask you loaded questions that invite answers that could harm your rights. Or they may request disclosure of years of medical records they have no right to see. Or they may offer you a quick, lowball settlement that pays you far less than you deserve. Agreeing to any of these overtures can damage your legal rights and leave you unable to obtain the money you need to pay your bills and recover from your fall. Hiring a slip and fall lawyer protects you from these sorts of tactics. An attorney can handle all dealings with WCS and other Walmart entities on your behalf, so you don’t have to worry about saying, disclosing, or agreeing to the wrong thing. A lawyer can also prepare and submit claim paperwork to WCS and negotiate a settlement of your claim (if possible). And a lawyer can advise you whether to accept or reject any settlement offer Walmart makes. A Lawyer Can Independently Investigate and Evaluate Your Claim WCS isn’t the only party entitled to explore what happened to you. A lawyer can independently investigate your Walmart slip and fall and evaluate your losses. By doing so, the lawyer can identify all parties who may owe you compensation and establish the amount you should receive. Those efforts can maximize your likelihood of obtaining enough money to cover your current and future expenses. While investigating, a lawyer can also begin collecting evidence for a court case seeking damages from Walmart or someone else who bears liability. For example, a lawyer could work to secure: Store security camera footage of your fall and the area where it occurred; Statements from eyewitnesses who saw your fall or the hazardous condition that caused it; Walmart’s internal records and reporting of the incident; Medical records of your treatment for fall injuries; and Bills, invoices, receipts, and other records documenting your financial losses. The sooner a lawyer can begin collecting evidence to support your claim, the greater the likelihood of securing fair compensation. So don’t delay. Contact a lawyer ASAP to ensure none of the evidence you need gets lost, deleted, or forgotten. A Lawyer Can Take Your Walmart Slip and Fall Claim to Court Submitting a claim to Walmart’s in-house claim administrator WCS isn’t necessarily an injured customer’s only option for seeking compensation after a slip and fall. If the law entitles you to damages for the harm you suffered in a fall at Walmart, you usually have the right to take your claim against any liable party — including Walmart — to court. An experienced slip and fall lawyer can handle preparing, filing, and pursuing a lawsuit on your behalf, whether against Walmart or someone else liable to you. And if necessary, a lawyer can present your case to a judge and jury at a trial. Filing a lawsuit for your Walmart slip and fall injuries doesn’t always mean your case will end up in a courtroom. Most slip and fall lawsuits settle out of court before a trial. But having a lawyer prepared to go the distance to secure fair compensation can often apply the pressure necessary to get you a favorable outcome from Walmart or another liable party.