Slip-and-fall lawyer
Slip-and-fall injuries are covered under premises liability law. Premises liability covers any injury that may happen on someone else’s property due to the actions or negligence of the property owner. However, determining whether the property owner had a duty of care to protect you from harm can be complicated. That’s why contacting a slip-and-fall lawyer is so important.
LawyerUp can help you explore all of your legal options if you have been injured in a slip-and-fall accident or some other incident on someone else’s property. Use our directory to search for qualified slip and fall attorneys in your city for free.
How much does it cost to hire a slip-and-fall lawyer?
Many attorneys listed on LawyerUp work on contingency fees, meaning that they do not collect payment unless you win your case.
Attorneys may work on contingency because they understand the stress and financial strain that a serious slip-and-fall injury can have on clients. As attorneys, their job is to help ease your burden, not add to it, whenever possible.
What should I do after slipping and falling in a store or property?
Before we dive into the steps to take after suffering a slip-and-fall injury, we need to make something very clear: You shouldn’t give any statements to any insurance company representative, and you should avoid posting anything on social media related to the incident. The insurance company is watching and waiting for you to slip up so they don’t have to pay you. Keep this in mind as you take the following steps to secure compensation.
1. Seek medical care
Visit your primary care doctor even if you don’t think you’re badly hurt. Adrenaline and other pain-masking hormones can be in your system for hours, so you might not even know that you suffered a serious injury until it’s too late.
If you put off getting treatment, your injury could worsen and might lead to irreparable damage.
2. Report the incident
Report your slip or fall as soon as you can. If you fell in a store, tell the manager or property owner. Request a written report that you can share with your slip-and-fall lawyer.
If your fall occurred in a store or other business, the owner or manager will likely come to offer assistance. You can allow them to call an ambulance, but don’t agree to anything else, and don’t accept money or sign anything they may hand you.
3. Gather evidence
Evidence is critical in any personal injury case, but especially so in slip-and-fall cases where evidence, like a wet floor or broken water pipe, can “disappear” quickly.
If you’re able to stay at the location for a few extra minutes, you can use your phone to take pictures of the scene, including the presence or absence of any warning signs. Make a note of the time and date and whether or not security cameras are present. If they are, your attorney can request the footage for use as further evidence.
4. Connect with a slip-and-fall lawyer
After reporting the incident and gathering evidence at the scene, it’s in your best interest to speak with an experienced slip and fall attorney. A lawyer can help you decide if you have a strong case and can work to obtain compensation on your behalf. This can be a very complex type of personal injury case, so you’ll need the help of a professional to have the best chance of getting the money you deserve.
Compensation available in a slip-and-fall case
Compensation, or damages, available after a slip and fall or other premises liability case are divided into two categories: economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages are intended to compensate you for the out-of-pocket expenses you paid as a direct result of your injury. This includes lost wages, medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, property damage, and more. Economic damages are generally easy to calculate since the amounts are objective.
Noneconomic damages, on the other hand, are intended to compensate you for intangible losses you suffered. This may include pain and suffering, mental anguish, and more. Because these damages are much more subjective in nature, they may be harder to prove. As such, you will need an experienced slip-and-fall lawyer by your side who can build a strong case on your behalf.
Owners have a duty to keep their property safe
Most states recognize three different types of visitors to a property. Each of these types of visitors is offered a different level of protection. A slip-and-fall lawyer can help you determine which category you fall into if you are injured on someone else’s property.
Trespassers
First are trespassers. These are “visitors” on the property who are not lawfully allowed to be there. Or they may be in an area that is off-limits to them, such as an “employees only” break room. The only duty property owners owe to trespassers is to not intentionally harm them once they are discovered. However, if the property owner knows there are frequent trespassers, they must keep their property safe and clear of hazards or at least post sufficient warnings of any hazards.
The exception is if the trespasser is a child. In this instance, the property owner may be held liable if the property is not free of hazards. The most common liability issue is “attractive nuisances.” These are man-made hazards, like swimming pools, that must have adequate safeguards to ensure they won’t be dangerous to children.
Licensees
A licensee is someone who is allowed to be on the property but is there for their own benefit. Their presence does not offer any sort of financial benefit to the property owner. Licensees may include people attending a house party, a delivery driver dropping off packages, and even a person entering a store just to ask for directions or use the restroom.
Property owners have a higher duty of care toward licensees. They must make sure they take reasonable care to protect these visitors from known hazards. However, they are not required to inspect their property for any unknown hazards.
Invitees
The last group of people is the invitees. These are people who are on the property for the financial gain of the property owner, or otherwise on the property for business reasons. For example, people who visit retail stores to shop or amusement parks to enjoy the rides are considered invitees. People who are at a job interview could also be considered invitees.
Property owners have the highest duty of care to protect invitees. They must take steps to inspect the property and correct any hazards they find, or at least post signage to ensure invitees are made aware of the hazard. They must take reasonable steps to ensure invitees are safe from harm.
Common injuries in slip-and-fall incidents
Slip-and-falls may seem minor, but the truth is, any time a human skull or other bone comes in contact with a hard surface at a higher-than-normal velocity, disaster can result.
Depending on the location and force of the fall, a person can experience anything from a soft tissue injury to a broken bone to a traumatic brain injury. The risk of serious injury increases among elderly individuals.
Connect with a trusted slip-and-fall lawyer today
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall or other premises liability injury, you have legal rights. One such right is being able to seek compensation. An experienced premises liability lawyer can help you explore all of your legal options and help you figure out your best path forward. Use LawyerUp’s easily searchable directory to find a trusted slip and fall attorney near you today in order to gain your rightful compensation.