If you have suffered a serious injury due to a fall on an inadequately maintained property, you may be entitled to seek financial compensation for your losses.
Slip and fall accident lawyers are well-versed in premises liability. They work to protect the rights of those who were injured by a negligent property owner. Premises liability goes beyond just slip and fall accidents. It covers any accidents that can occur on premises causing injury.
An experienced slip and fall accident attorney gathers evidence to prove liability, creates a strong legal strategy, builds a case for their clients, and fights for the maximum compensation for your losses.
If you were not at fault, you may be able to win compensation to pay for:
- Medical bills, including those as a result of the accident and ongoing repair and recovery medical treatments from the accident. (E.g. emergency room treatment, surgeries, rehabilitation)
- Lost wages from the inability to work including future wages if you can’t go back to work as a result of the injuries from the accident.
- Wrongful death. If your loved one was killed, you may be able to recover compensation for wrongful death.
- Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, permanent disfigurement, or permanent disabilities.
If you, a family member, or a loved one has been seriously injured in a slip and fall accident, it’s beneficial to seek the help of a slip and fall accident lawyer right away. Get a consultation with a local slip and fall accident lawyer in our network for your personal injury case today.
What is Premises Liability?
Premises liability is a legal concept that can occur within personal injury cases that pertains to when someone is injured on a property site due to the property owner’s negligence. These cases often involve slip and fall cases where a property owner may have created an unsafe environment and did not warn others about hazardous conditions. However, simply because you were injured on someone else’s property, does not necessarily mean a property owner was negligent. Speaking to a premises liability lawyer can provide you with an understanding of the law and your rights in your accident case.
Under premises liability laws, property owners have a duty of care to protect you from unsafe or hazardous conditions on their property within reason. Laws vary state by state but the basic fact is that property owners are required to keep their property safe for authorized visitors. The failure of keeping a safe property environment results in “premises liability.”
The duty of care depends on the type of visitor to the property. If the visitor was someone who has been granted permission to be on the property, was invited, or has the right to be on the property, a duty of care is owed to them. If a person is trespassing or has no official business to be on a property, they are not owed a duty of care. However, in some states and in some situations, even trespassers have some right to financial compensation. An experienced lawyer in your area can help you determine whether a duty of care was violated causing negligence on the part of the property owner.
A slip and fall lawsuit seeks compensation through the property owner’s business liability insurance or homeowner’s insurance.
What Are the Benefits of Having a Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer If You Were Seriously Injured?
- Recover your maximum losses.
- When you are seriously injured, you can have substantial medical bills, ongoing medical treatments, and potentially lost wages from the inability to work not to mention non-economic hardships like limited mobility, difficulty leading a normal life, or pain and suffering.
- A slip-and-fall accident lawyer acts on your behalf to recover the maximum losses you may be eligible for so you don’t have to worry about how you will pay for your medical expenses, lost wages, and so forth.
- You are unlikely to know what your case is worth. A slip-and-fall accident attorney will have a much better sense of what that is based on their experience, knowledge of the law, and experience with similar cases.
- Most personal injury lawyers work on contingency so you don’t pay up-front costs for their service and only pay if you win.
- A contingency fee structure means that you don’t pay anything unless your attorney wins. Their fee is then taken out of the compensation amount.
- When you speak to a slip and fall accident lawyer during your consultation, be sure to ask about their fee structure, if they work on contingency, and if so, what their fee is and when they would get paid.
- Laws for slip and fall accidents are complex and vary by state. Get a local attorney experienced in slip-and-fall cases.
- Get connected to a local personal injury lawyer in our network. An experienced slip and fall accident attorney is knowledgeable about the law and the maximums they can recover for your injuries and losses.
- Experienced slip-and-fall accident lawyers know how to build strong legal cases to win maximum recovery compensation.
- Experience means having past case wins where they have gained an increasing ability to know how to create a winning legal case. Ask the attorneys you are matched with about their winning track record with slip and fall accident cases.
- Slip and fall accident attorneys are skilled negotiators on behalf of their clients.
- It’s not uncommon for insurance companies to not negotiate an offer unless an attorney represents the accident victim.
- It is to your advantage to have a personal injury lawyer who is a practiced and skilled negotiator to get the maximum compensation you may be eligible for for your losses.
- The Research Insurance Council found that people who were represented by an attorney achieved 3.5x the reward of those that represented themselves.
- Insurance companies are likely to offer minimal settlements.
- Personal injury lawyers advise accident victims not to accept any settlement offers from an insurance company without talking to a personal injury lawyer first. If you accept an offer, you are waiving your right to seek anything further in the future. You may be leaving tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table should it be determined that your case is worth much more.
- In many case settlement examples, insurance companies have initially offered settlement amounts multitudes lower than what a plaintiff was eventually able to win with a personal injury lawyer on their side. Here are just a few case settlement examples.
When Should I Contact a Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer?
If you were seriously injured slip and fall victim, you have a limited time to file a personal injury claim. Waiting to work with a personal injury lawyer may hurt your case.
Due to the nature and complexities of proving an accident on someone else’s property was due to negligence, and the statute of limitations, taking action as soon as you can is important:
- Evidence becomes harder to gather as time progresses.
- Witnesses may become unresponsive after a few months.
- You want to know your rights as soon as possible and get legal guidance on communicating with insurance companies in a way that does not jeopardize your case.
- An accident attorney will take care of the challenging work of preparing a case that has the best chance of winning for you so you can focus on your own recovery.
- Although the statute of limitations may seem like a lot of time, it’s very easy for time to pass quickly when you are dealing with medical injuries, recovery, doctor appointments, limited mobility, lost work, and life alterations.
There is a statute of limitations that varies by state. In many states, you have 2 years to file a personal injury lawsuit, whereas, in Tennessee, Louisiana, and in some cases, Kentucky, it is only 1 year. Generally, if you do not file your claim within the statute of limitations within the time limit, you will lose rights to any financial compensation claims. The statute of limitations requires some understanding of basic legal frameworks and varies from state to state and may have some exceptions. Speaking with a personal injury attorney within your state and location will help ensure you have the right understanding of your time limit to file a claim and they can help ensure you file one on time.
If you were seriously injured, it’s in your best interest to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible so they can help you determine if you have a case during your free consultation.
Working with a slip and fall accident lawyer right away will help you:
- Value your slip and fall accident claim.
- Setup your case for the best chance of winning.
- Educate you on what to do and what NOT to do (for example not to speak to the defendant’s insurance company directly instead of through your attorney).
- Walk you through the claim process.
- Potentially expedite your compensation.
Get Free Consultations from Personal Injury Lawyers in Your Area
Our form connects you to personal injury lawyers in your area. The lawyers we connect you to offer free case evaluations and most work on contingency. Be sure to verify their fee structure and how they work with their clients during your case review.
You’ll be matched with more than one so you are not limited in your options. Be sure to use your free case evaluation to ask the questions you need to determine which personal injury attorney works best for you. You can ask about their fee structure, their track record, and what they think you can recover for your case.
How Much Does it Cost to Retain a Slip and Fall Accident Attorney?
Most slip and fall accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. This means that they don’t get paid unless they win for you. This arrangement is very beneficial for the plaintiff in many ways:
- Your accident attorney is aligned in incentives to make sure you win. Attorneys that work on contingency are financing all upfront costs. It’s in their interest to win a maximum recovery for you and to do so efficiently.
- You don’t have to pay upfront fees for their services. Legal representation is expensive and many people are afraid of hiring a lawyer. On contingency, a lawyer either wins or their client doesn’t have to pay. Additionally, contingency payments are only made after the reward is secured as a payment of the reward amount. This arrangement represents no risk to plaintiffs.
- If a law firm decides to take you on, they are likely confident in their ability to secure a win. In some cases, a slip and fall accident attorney may not decide to take you on for instance if the injuries are small it may not be cost-effective for them to manage the claim for you or you can find another accident attorney who will help you. Speak to several accident attorneys to discuss your case. Having more than one option is very helpful for you to understand what’s available and choose between them. We’ll connect you to several accident lawyers in our network.
Find a slip and fall accident attorney within our nationwide network today.
Compare Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers in Your Area
Get a free consultation with several personal injury lawyers in your area to talk to them about your accident, how they work with their clients, what they think they can do for your case, and answer your questions.
What to Look for in a Slip and Fall Accident Attorney
These are some questions you can ask in addition to speaking about your accident during your free consultation.
- Compare slip and fall accident attorneys. Use our short form or call our number to connect with personal injury attorneys in your location. It’s best to compare your options to find one that you are comfortable using.
- Understand the fee structure. Confirm if they are paid on contingency, when payment occurs, and what percentage it is. Are there any other costs in relation to working with them?
- Ask about their track record of wins and experience in slip and fall accidents in your state and area. An attorney’s experience with state laws and your specific area is incredibly valuable to increase your odds of winning your case and maximizing your compensation claim. For example, attorneys well-practiced in specific cities know how the general population may respond in a courtroom. Their specific experience of case wins in your city with your type of accident helps them create a case that will win in a courtroom or achieve a settlement in your favor. That’s why we match you to local attorneys in our network who can speak to you about your accident in a free consultation.
Get a free consultation with slip and fall accident attorneys in our nationwide network. Be sure to take notes and compare so you can make the decision that suits you.
Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers are Personal Injury Lawyers
Personal injury lawyers help their clients build a personal injury claim and seek compensation for injuries sustained due to another person’s negligence or intent to harm. Their work can involve:
- Determining liability
- Gathering evidence and investigating
- Helping their client understand the law
- Negotiating for a fair settlement from insurance companies of those at fault or of the client’s insurance company.
- Filing a lawsuit if an insurance company will not negotiate
- Representing you in court if a lawsuit goes to trial
What are the Common Causes of Premises Liability Lawsuits?
Injuries on properties can involve a wide range of possible scenarios. Here are common causes of premises liability lawsuits:
- Slip and falls: These can occur for a variety of reasons such as when there is an unseen spill that creates a slippery floor and causes someone to slip and seriously hurt themselves. A slip and fall can result in head trauma, and fractured bones. Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries and hip fractures.
- Defective stairwells, stairways, and staircases
- Electrical accidents and electrocution
- Elevator accidents: Elevator malfunctions such as an elevator dropping due to lack of maintenance can result in injury to a tenant or visitor.
- Defective sidewalks: These are common causes for tripping and falling.
- Lack of Maintenance: Many aspects of a building can become dangerous without the proper maintenance.
- Dog bites and animal attacks: An owner is responsible for the training, leashing and safety of their pets to others.
- Falling objects
- Falls to a lower level such as from roofs, ladders, scaffolding or other structures.
- Ceiling collapse
- Fire safety and building codes
- Inadequate lighting
- Insufficient Security: A property or business owner is responsible for keeping their tenants and visitors safe. When people are injured from a robbery, break-in, or act of vandalism this can be cause for scrutiny into the buildings’ security measures such as functioning security cameras, locks, alarm systems.
Where are the Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents?
Slip and fall accidents can occur anywhere. The most common form comes from:
- Sidewalks and walkways: Cracks in the sidewalk can cause tripping and falling.
- Parking Lots: Parking lots can be locations with many cracks that can cause tripping hazards. Combined with inadequate lighting, a parking lot can become even more dangerous.
- Workplaces: Some workplaces are more prone to dangerous conditions, for instance hospitals where spills and wet floors may be common.
- Stairs: Stairs can wear down over time creating uneven and smooth surfaces with less grip and traction than before. Improperly maintained handrails may also create a hazard for walkers who are reliant on the handrails for balance. Falling down a set of stairs can lead to broken bones, head trauma and other serious injuries.
- Escalators and Elevators: When an escalator or elevator malfunctions, it could cause sudden stops or drops. This may cause the rider to fall and seriously injure themselves. In dangerous escalators, people can get their shoelaces, clothes or fingers caught in the teeth or any moving parts of the escalator which can lead to catastrophic injuries or death.
- Restaurants, grocery stores, shopping malls, and other shops: These public locations can often have wet floors, spills, or debris left scattered around which create slippery floors for their visitors. Even cleaned floors can become slippery if they have been recently polished or waxed in excess. Appropriate signage can help warn people to avoid the hazards in the area.
- Job sites: Certain job sites around construction, building repair, or renovations can all bear many unsafe hazards for workers if there are hazards that create a slippery environment or an environment that can lead to tripping on hazards, or falling from improperly unsecured scaffolding, ladders, or other metal surfaces.
No matter how a slip and fall accident occurred, it is critically important to seek the help of an experienced slip and fall accident attorney who can help you understand the value of your case, investigate liability, gather evidence, build a legal case and recover your maximum eligible losses in a personal injury claim.
An experienced slip and fall accident lawyer will walk you through every step of the way so you can get the financial coverage you need to pay for your losses and carry on with your life.
What are Common Slip and Fall Injuries Sustained in Premises Liability Cases?
An accident on a property can involve any manner of possible situations but here are some common types of injuries:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones and fractures
- Death
- Electrocution or electrical shocking
- Burns
- Spinal cord injuries
- Bites by animals
- Neck injuries
- Head injuries
- Paralysis
- Scarring
- Disfigurement
- Soft tissue damage
The extent of a serious injury from an accident due to hazards on a property could result in astronomical medical bills, long-term debilitation, a long road to recovery, emotional trauma, inability to work, lost wages, lost income, and much more for a victim.
Consult with a personal injury lawyer today to see what they may be able to recover from your accident. In some states, even if you were partially at fault, you may be able to recover partial costs for your accident.
What Should I Do if I Was in a Slip and Fall Accident
If you are ever involved in a slip and fall accident, some tips from personal injury lawyers will include the following steps to take:
- Call 911
- If you are seriously injured, get help.
- Make sure you call from a safe place following an accident.
- Collect information about your accident.
- After medical treatment from emergency technicians has been given at the scene, exchange contact information with others in the accident. Get the names and phone numbers of witnesses.
- Take pictures and videos of the scene and get a police report.
- Use your cell phone to take photos and videos of the entire accident scene.
- Photos will have better resolution and videos can show more information about the accident scene.
- Get a copy of the police report.
- Make sure you receive medical care even if no injuries are visible.
- You may have sustained injuries you are not aware of. Take good care of your health.
- If you were seriously injured and not at fault, it’s important to speak to a slip and fall accident attorney as soon as possible.
- Slip and fall accidents are complicated and involve laws uniquely applicable to pedestrians and passenger cars.
- Many people who try to go it alone without an attorney will not be able to recoup the maximum compensation that an experienced attorney can recover for them.
Example Slip and Fall Accident Case Settlements
The majority of personal injury claims cases settle outside of court instead of going to trial. Here are examples of several settlement cases. These cases are public statements made by law firms in different states. They are not representative of compensation for similar accidents. Every accident is unique, different states have different laws and variety of factors can affect the outcome of any case.
- $549,999 Settlement for a premises liability case in Florida where a man entered an elevator that dropped suddenly 2.5 floors causing him to tear his achilles tendon. This required surgery to repair and a long road of recovery. The man obtained a personal injury law firm who won a case settlement of $549,999. – Abrahamon & Uiterwyk
- $200,000 Settlement for a slip and fall accident at a restaurant in California. A woman in her late thirties slipped on and fell on a large wet substance landing on her knee requiring surgery. As she was recovering at home, her knee gave out and required more surgery to repair what was a ruptured ACL due to the original injury. Her attorneys were able to settle the case for $200,000. – Einhorn Barbarito
- $1,000,000 settlement to Camp Hale biker attacked by two Great Pyrenes dogs in Colorado. The bike rider was attending a bike competition in Camp Hale when she was mauled by two dogs owned by sheep ranchers nearby. She required hundreds of stitches and sustained multiple permanent injuries including fractured bones. Her attorneys were able to win a $1,000,000 settlement from the insurance policy of the ranchers who owned the dogs.
- $4,140,000 settlement for a tenant that fell to his death when a guardrail broke and caused him to fall 3 stories onto a concrete landing in Michigan. – Buckfire Law
Only an experienced slip and fall accident attorney can give you a good idea of what they would estimate to win for you through their evaluation of your situation, their knowledge of the law, and their professional assessment and experience. Get connected to speak to one or several local slip and fall attorneys today.
Table of Contents
- What is Premises Liability?
- What Are the Benefits of Having a Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer If You Were Seriously Injured?
- When Should I Contact a Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer?
- Get Free Consultations from Personal Injury Lawyers in Your Area
- How Much Does it Cost to Retain a Slip and Fall Accident Attorney?
- Compare Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers in Your Area
- What to Look for in a Slip and Fall Accident Attorney
- Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers are Personal Injury Lawyers
- What are the Common Causes of Premises Liability Lawsuits?
- Where are the Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents?
- What are Common Slip and Fall Injuries Sustained in Premises Liability Cases?
- What Should I Do if I Was in a Slip and Fall Accident
- Example Slip and Fall Accident Case Settlements
