What to Do If You’re Injured at a Restaurant

Posted in Premises Liability on August 19, 2025

A lunch out with friends, or an evening out for a dinner that you didn’t have to cook, is typically an enjoyable experience, but when a sudden injury disrupts your visit to a restaurant, a good meal can end with disaster. While most restaurant experiences only result in a full stomach and fond memories, restaurant injuries are not as uncommon as you might think. If an injury in a restaurant happens to you, it’s important to know what to do to protect your physical and financial future.

Contact a premises liability lawyer in New York City to pursue financial compensation and justice. Call (212) 564-2800 today.

What Causes Most Restaurant Injuries?

Restaurants are often busy places, with the potential for injuries to both workers and customers. Restaurant owners and managers invite customers to their property for business, enhancing their duty to take all reasonable measures to avoid injuries to their patrons. Unfortunately, injuries sometimes occur due to the following:

Wet floors from mopping, spills, or plumbing leaks
Greasy floors
Sharp objects and broken glass
Scalding food and liquids
Insufficient lighting
Fires
Allergic reactions
Foreign objects in food
Food-borne pathogens
Parking lot accidents
Assaults or other acts of violence due to inadequate security

Slip-and-fall accidents, scalds, and food-borne illnesses are the most common types of accidents that cause injuries in restaurants. No one is ever prepared for a sudden accident, but keeping a clear head afterwards is a critical first step toward recovery.

What to Do After Suffering an Injury In a Restaurant

If the injury doesn’t incapacitate you, it’s essential to take specific actions to protect yourself. A premises liability claim to recover compensation for injury-related damages requires compelling evidence of the restaurant’s liability. It only takes a few moments with a cell phone to preserve evidence. After a restaurant injury (burn, fall, etc…), use your phone—or ask an uninjured companion to help—and do the following:

First, apply any emergency first aid and call 911 for an ambulance or arrange transportation to an emergency room
Use the phone’s camera to take photos of the cause of the injury, whether it’s a wet floor or a loose nail protruding from a chair
Photograph any visible injuries
Add the contact names of any eyewitnesses to the incident
Ask the restaurant manager to write out a detailed accident report
Go directly to a hospital or urgent care center from the restaurant

At the hospital, ask for a detailed medical report with the doctor’s treatment recommendations and your prognosis for recovery. Then, follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations carefully. Call an experienced NYC slip and fall attorney before communicating with anyone from the restaurant or its insurance company.

Recovering Damages After A Restaurant Injury

When an injury requires medical care and time away from work—whether it’s a few days or a few months—the restaurant owner is liable for the damages if the injury could have been prevented with reasonable care. Common damages recovered in restaurant injury claims include the following:

Reimbursement for medical costs
Anticipated future medical expenses
Out-of-pocket costs
Compensation for lost earnings
Future income loss or reduced earning ability
Compensation for pain and suffering

If the injury left permanent harm such as scarring, disfigurement, disability, or chronic pain, you could potentially recover additional catastrophic injury compensation.

A negligent restaurant and its powerful insurance company are not on your side and may protect their profits at your expense unless you have assertive legal representation navigating your claim throughout the process — make sure to contact our firm online today for legal assistance.