The rise of the food truck has gone strong in recent years and the industry continues to thrive. Whether you go on lunch breaks, visit a food truck festival, or attend a special event with food trucks, you can find a lot of unique locations to enjoy the food. While food truck service is harmless most of the time, you may find yourself injured when trying to dine at a food truck.
Learn some of the factors that could have contributed to your injury and ways that a personal injury attorney will help build your case.
1. Food Truck Parking and Customer Windows
When a food truck parks, it will typically feature a large service window for customers to step up and order food. When a food truck provides this experience, customers do not expect to deal with uneven ground or areas where it’s dangerous to stand. For example, a food truck may park too far away from a curb.
The distance from the curb could create a large trip hazard that customers may not see until they get too close. A food truck could park in front of sewer grates or natural dips in the sidewalk. All of those elements could cause someone to trip, fall, and become injured.
The food truck should try to avoid any of those hazards with customers. When the truck parks, they set the expectation for the customer to come up to the window, so creating a dangerous situation without any warning can cause a lot of potential hazards for anyone who walks up to the food truck.
In some cases, trucks may not have other parking options. Safety signs and warnings before a customer steps up will provide additional guidance. The lack of those signs could make a huge difference and make the food truck liable for the injuries.
2. Food Temperatures and Service
Food trucks serve hot and fresh food, but in some circumstances, the food could be served too hot and create dangerous situations for customers. Hot food can cause burns in the mouth as well as any body parts the food falls on. The same applies to drinks as well. Typically, food trucks will serve their food on disposable products.
In some cases, the strength of the disposable product may not be enough to support the meal you order. For example, if you order a plate of French fries, the plate may not support the proper weight and could easily cause everything on the plate to fall over. A hot plate of food could fall on your body and cause severe burns.
The injuries suffered from burning foods can cause some serious injuries. You may need emergency treatments and surgeries to help heal your skin. Based on the burns you suffer, a doctor can determine the temperature you were exposed to, and a lawyer can use those details to help build your personal injury case.
3. Food Truck Movements and Injuries
A food truck on the go can also become the source of your injuries. You could encounter a food truck injury as you cross a street. A food truck may accidentally hit you as it’s trying to park in a specific location. The truck could accidentally go up on the sidewalk. A food truck already parked may move or roll if brakes malfunction or if the truck is not parked properly.
All of these elements could lead to major injuries like broken bones. A lawyer will break down the details of the case and help showcase why the food truck is liable for your injuries. In many cases, a food truck hitting you would be no different than a car hitting you and a lawyer will proceed with the injury case.
4. Food Truck Weather Conditions
Some food trucks will decide to serve customers in any form of weather. While the workers stay dry inside the truck, the customers who go out to the food truck will often find themselves exposed to the different elements. In some cases, those weather conditions could create unsafe areas for customers to walk.
For example, heavy rain could cause a customer to slip and fall on wet spots or in big puddles. Colder conditions could lead to icy areas outside a food truck. If food truck workers do not prepare safe walkways for guests, then they could slip, fall, and suffer from injuries.
In some situations, a food truck may feature a large awning to keep the area dry. The runoff on the awning could create a large puddle or dangerous area where someone steps and falls. A lawyer will analyze all of these elements as they break down your case and the exact causes of your injuries.
For more information on personal injury claims, contact us at Siben & Siben LLP. We will help you reach settlement goals and ensure you have financial compensation for any personal injuries you have suffered due to food truck interactions.