A four-store operator’s playbook, from someone who also spent years as a commercial insurance agent handling hundreds of claims.

Winter hits and like clockwork, I’ll scroll a couple of the biggest laundromat owner Facebook groups. Every year I see the same posts:

• “Customer says they slipped and fell. What do I do?”

• “Someone fell in my store, should I call insurance?”

• “Nothing official yet, but they’re hinting they want money…”

Then the comments come flying in:
“Just call your insurance company and make a claim.”

I’m going to be blunt: that is often the stupidest move you can make when nothing formal has happened.

Why? Because in the real world, opening claim activity can create a record that underwriters may see later, even if the claim pays $0. That can contribute to headaches at renewal time, higher premiums, extra scrutiny, or non-renewal. Insurance companies price uncertainty like a casino prices risk, and you don’t want to donate chips.

Now, I’m not saying “never report anything.” I’m saying stop taking high-stakes advice from open Facebook groups where the loudest comment wins, not the smartest one.

This post gives you a professional, step-by-step response plan that protects the customer, protects your store, and keeps you from getting bullied into years of higher rates over a claim that was never real.

Disclaimer: I’m not an attorney, and this is not legal advice. Laws and insurance policy conditions vary by state and by policy. Use this as general education and operational guidance, and consult qualified legal counsel and your insurance professional for your specific situation.

The mindset that keeps you safe: facts first, feelings last

When someone says “I slipped and fell,” you have exactly one job in the moment:

Create a clean, defensible timeline based on evidence, not emotion.

If the incident is legitimate, your documentation helps the claim get handled properly.
If it’s exaggerated or fabricated, your documentation is what prevents you from getting steamrolled.

The first 60 minutes: your “don’t get bent over” protocol

1) Care for the person, do not admit fault

• If they appear seriously hurt, call 911.

• Stay calm, be kind, be professional.

• Do not say: “That’s our fault,” “We should’ve cleaned that,” “Yeah we have issues there.”

• Do say: “I’m sorry you’re hurt. We’re going to document what happened and make sure you get help.”

2) Secure the area immediately

• Put out wet floor signs, cones, block the area.

• If there’s liquid, a mat issue, or debris, document first, then clean.

3) Photo and video the scene like you’re building a case file

Take:

• wide shots showing the area and context

• close-ups of the exact spot

• photos of mats, signage, lighting, drains, thresholds, doorways

• a quick walk-through video for “scene perspective”

Write down immediately:

• time, date

• weather conditions (rain, ice, tracked-in water)

• what they said happened, in their own words

• who was on duty

4) Preserve camera footage right now

This is the game.

• Export at least 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after, I prefer 1-2 hours each side if possible.

• Save all angles: entrance, path of travel, incident area, exit.

• Make sure it doesn’t overwrite.

5) Get witness info and staff statements

• Names and phone numbers of witnesses

• Written statements from employees while it’s fresh
  
  

The next 24 hours: build your Incident Packet

If you run multiple stores like I do, you need a process that works whether you’re on-site or not.

Your Incident Packet should include:

• incident report form

• photos and videos

• preserved camera exports

• witness statements

• safety sweep logs for that day

• cleaning logs for that day

• maintenance records (mats, drains, flooring, leak repair)

• a 1-page timeline summary

This packet is what separates “professional operator” from “easy target.”

The part most owners mess up: insurance timing

This is where my past life as a commercial insurance agent matters.

Most commercial liability policies have notice language that basically says you must notify the insurer promptly or “as soon as practicable.” That language matters, and it varies by policy and state.  

So here’s the practical balance:

My rule of thumb as an operator

If there is no formal claim, no serious injury, no demand, and no attorney contact, I generally focus on:

• documenting the incident properly

• preserving evidence

• keeping communication professional and minimal

• monitoring for escalation

In my state and in my experience, 99% of these “I slipped” situations never become anything once you have footage and documentation.

When you SHOULD loop in insurance immediately

Call your broker or carrier same-day if:

• EMS was called, or there’s obvious injury severity (head, hip, back)

• they ask you to pay medical bills

• you receive a demand letter or attorney contact

• police get involved

• your footage shows a legitimate hazard that you failed to address

The smarter move for “nothing official yet”

If it’s minor and informal:

• contact your broker/agent first for guidance (tell them "this is NOT a claim call") - some agents will file a claim, because when your rates go up, their commission goes up, so they make money while you lose money.

• ask how to document it properly

• ask what your policy’s notice expectations are

• avoid turning a vague complaint into a formal “opened claim” unless it truly needs to be one

Also, it’s worth knowing that insurers and underwriters often use shared claims databases for loss history and claims intelligence. For example, ClaimSearch is a major industry claims database used for claims intelligence and fraud detection.  
And LexisNexis Risk Solutions provides commercial loss history used in underwriting, nationwide.  

Translation: your insurance history matters. Treat it like a business asset.

How to deal with potential scams and weak claims, without acting guilty

There are real slip-and-fall scams. There are also real injuries. Your job is not to accuse, it’s to document.

Red flags that should make you tighten up

Not proof, but definitely signals:

• their story changes

• they can’t identify the spot or time

• they “fell” in a high-traffic area with zero witnesses

• they refuse basic info but demand compensation

• they appear fine, then quickly escalate with a lawyer script

• your footage doesn’t match their story

What you can do that’s clean and professional

• preserve footage and review it calmly

• confirm their presence and timeline through camera and transaction logs (if applicable)

• review your safety sweep logs and cleaning logs

• document your mats, signage, and lighting condition

What you should NOT do

• do not accuse them of fraud to their face

• do not argue

• do not post about it online

• do not say “I have you on camera” as a threat

Professional beats emotional every time.

What to say to the person

(scripts that don’t create liability)

At the store:

“I’m sorry you’re hurt. We’re going to document what happened and preserve our footage. If you need medical help, we can call it for you.”

If they call later:

“For our records, can you send the date and time you believe it happened, where you were in the store, what you believe you slipped on, and any photos or witnesses you have? We preserved our footage and documentation and are reviewing it.”

If an attorney calls:

“Please send your request in writing. We’ll forward it to the appropriate party.”

Then stop talking and forward to your broker, carrier, and counsel as appropriate.

The best defense is boring systems

If you want fewer claims and more leverage when they happen, install “boring” safety standards:

• Safety sweeps every 30-60 minutes with a log

• Wet-zone rules near drains, bathrooms, entrances

• Mat placement standards and replacement schedule

• Leak response SOP with documentation

• Camera retention standard (how long footage is kept, who exports, where stored)

• Staff training on what to do and what not to say

Boring is profitable.

Free templates I use at my stores you can copy and use today

1) One-page Slip and Fall Incident Report

Store: ____________________ Location: ____________________
Date/Time: ____________________ Weather: ____________________
Employee on duty: ____________________

Person’s name: ____________________ Phone: ____________________
Email: ____________________

Exact location in store: __________________________________________

What they said happened (verbatim):

Staff observations (facts only):

Injury claimed: _________________________________________________
EMS called: ☐ Yes ☐ No Medical care accepted: ☐ Yes ☐ No

Witnesses (names + phones):

1. ______________________________ 2) ______________________________

Evidence collected:
☐ Photos ☐ Walk-through video ☐ Witness statements

Camera footage preserved:
Cameras: ____________________ Time range: ________ to ________
Stored: ☐ Cloud ☐ USB ☐ Drive Exported by: ____________________

Actions taken:
☐ Area blocked ☐ Signs placed ☐ Cleaned/dried ☐ Maintenance contacted

Report completed by: ____________________ Date: _____________

2) Incident Packet Checklist

Within 60 minutes
☐ Help person, call EMS if needed
☐ Secure area, signage/cones
☐ Photos and video
☐ Export camera footage
☐ Witness info and staff statement(s)

Same day
☐ Incident report completed
☐ Logs saved (safety sweep, cleaning)
☐ Maintenance notes saved
☐ Evidence backed up

Within 24-48 hours
☐ Packet compiled
☐ 1-page timeline summary
☐ Broker consulted if needed
☐ Carrier notified if severity/escalation triggers apply

Quick insurance reality check most owners learn too late

The worst sentence in business insurance is:
“I just want the cheapest policy.”

Here’s what often happens:

• owner asks for lowest price

• agent strips coverage to hit that number

• policy ends up bare-bones

• claim happens

• owner discovers the policy folds under pressure

A cheap policy can be more expensive than no policy if it gives you false confidence.

How Laundry Advisors helps without the conflict of selling you a policy

This isn’t an insurance blog, but I want to make this point clearly:

I’m a former commercial insurance agent, and my head commercial agent is also no longer writing policies. Neither of us work for an insurance carrier now. We work for Laundry Advisors.

Inside the Laundry Advisors GROWTH Mastermind, we offer a yearly business insurance audit, make coverage recommendations, and help you ask the right questions so you’re properly protected.

No commissions, no “product pushing,” just an unbiased look at:

• general liability

• property coverage and coinsurance traps

• business income and extra expense

• equipment breakdown (laundromats, pay attention here)

• hired/non-owned auto if you do delivery

• workers comp coordination

• umbrella limits and where they actually matter

Most business owners don’t ask smart insurance questions until a claim is already filed, and at that point it’s usually too late to fix coverage.

From Josh

Slip-and-fall incidents are not a question of “if.” It’s when.

When it happens, do not panic. Do not confess fault. Do not outsource your thinking to Facebook.

Run the protocol:

1. care for the person

2. document hard

3. preserve footage

4. assemble your incident packet

5. escalate intelligently based on severity and legal triggers

If you want help tightening your systems and making sure your coverage actually protects you when life happens, join the Laundry Advisors GROWTH Mastermind. We’ll help you build a laundromat business that is hard to shake down and built to last.