Slip and fall accidents frequently result in serious, even disabling injuries. They cause lost work days and pay, costly medical treatment, expensive drugs, extended periods of physical or occupational therapy, and, of course, physical pain and mental suffering. Slip and falls happen in public and private places, but they are the second most frequent reason for work absences among hospital injuries. Slip and falls are not often caused by obvious factors such as wet floors or slippery pavements.
You might be qualified to file a claim for damages if the property owner’s failure to maintain a safe environment contributed to your injury. To discuss your legal alternatives, seriously consider scheduling a consultation with a skilled Clovis slip and fall attorney. If you were hurt in a slip and fall accident, the personal injury lawyers at Kash Legal could assist you in getting the compensation you are entitled to. With decades of legal expertise, we are skilled at achieving excellent outcomes for our clients.
What Should I Do After a Slip And Fall?
Following a slip and fall event, you must take the following procedures to safeguard your legal rights:
Seek Medical Attention
At the scene of a fall, it is frequently difficult to identify your injuries’ exact nature and severity. If you believe you have been hurt in any manner, seek medical attention right away.
Obtain an Incident Report
Make contact with the property owner or the person in charge of the area where you fell, and request that they create an incident report. Without such a written report, your accident may not have been documented, and the negligent parties may frequently dispute that it even happened on their premises.
The report should list the property’s owner or manager, the date and time of your fall, the issue that contributed to it, any witnesses, and your injuries.
Capture Images
Take photos of the area of the fall and your injuries if feasible. If you are too injured, you can ask a witness to take photos for you and take down their contact information.
Gather Contact Details
It is critical to obtain contact information from any eyewitnesses to the accident. This is due to the possibility that the culpable parties will claim you did not fall or that they were unaware of the condition that led you to fall prior to the accident.
For instance, if someone else was present when you fell, they might be able to recall what happened and whether they saw the circumstance that led to your accident—for example, water on the floor—before it happened.
Slip And Fall Accident Liability
If a hazardous situation caused you to slip or trip and fall on someone else’s property, you could hold the owner of the property or the person in charge of keeping it in compliance responsible for your injuries. The fact that you were hurt in a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property does not indicate that you will necessarily be entitled to compensation or that the property owner will be held accountable for the incident.
To obtain compensation for your injuries, your Clovis slip and fall lawyer must first establish that the property owner or manager was negligent and that their actions ultimately caused the accident. The following requirements must be completed to prove a negligence claim:
- Evidence proving the defendant owned, leased, occupied, or had authority over the property
- Evidence indicating the defendant was careless in maintaining the property
- Evidence that the plaintiff was wounded
- Proof showing the defendant’s negligent actions played a significant role in causing the plaintiff’s injuries.
Property owners must use reasonable care to determine whether there are any harmful circumstances on their property. If there are, they must also use reasonable care to replace, repair, or offer proper alerts regarding anything that constitutes a possible hazard to others.
Common Injuries From Slip And Fall Accidents
Victims of slip and fall incidents sustain serious injuries. The risk of injury and death from falls increases with the victim’s age.
The following injuries result from slip and fall accidents:
- Bone fractures
- Ankle or wrist sprains
- Injuries to the spinal cord
- Muscle strains or shoulder dislocations
- Nerve damage
- TBI (traumatic brain injury)
- Bruises and cuts
Falls throw the body out of equilibrium. Victims may take an uneven step or twist their bodies unnaturally when attempting to right themselves. Sprained ankles, knees, or wrists are possible outcomes. They may fracture a bone if they land with considerable force on a body area.
A direct hit to the spine, nerves, or head can result in serious injury, including permanent nerve damage. Unrecognized brain damage can lead to life-long medical problems.
What Are the Elements of a Slip And Fall Claim?
The following factors must be present to claim damages in a slip and fall lawsuit:
- There was a hazardous condition on the property. Common risk factors include poor lighting, slick surfaces, broken stairs, and uneven sidewalks. Furthermore, the deficiency must be directly accountable for the plaintiff’s injuries.
- The owner was aware of, or should have been aware of, the defective situation. Property owners are required by California law to take reasonable precautions to maintain and protect their properties. Failure to do so may result in a personal injury lawsuit.
- The situation had been there long enough for the property owner to rectify it. This provides the framework for carelessness.
You can find out if these components are present in your particular case with the assistance of an experienced Clovis slip and fall lawyer.
What Is the Value of My Slip And Fall Claim?
Slip and fall attorneys and insurance may use one of several approaches to estimate the value of a personal injury lawsuit. A slip and fall case, in general, addresses:
- Economic damages: medical bills, missed wages, and any other expected expenditures associated with an injury’s medical treatment and rehabilitation
- Non-economic damages: compensate the plaintiff for intangible losses. Physical pain, emotional sorrow, and whatever anguish the slip and fall victim may experience are examples.
A Clovis slip and fall lawyer will bargain based on the experience’s non-financial effects and the plaintiff’s medical expenses.
Talk to Kash Legal About Your Clovis Slip And Fall Claim
Each state has a different statute of limitations, specifying how long after the injury you must bring a claim to be eligible for compensation. While this time frame varies depending on various factors, the sooner you contact a legal team, the better.
If you have been hurt in a slip and fall accident, you will need the assistance of a slip and fall attorney. You want compensation to cover your medical bills and your agony and suffering. Hire a legal team with experience handling slip and fall lawsuits. It’s what we do at Kash Legal. Contact our Clovis slip and fall attorneys at (888) 527-4128 or fill out our contact form today, so we can get started on your case.
Our Clients Love Us
OUR BLOG
Get Your Free Case Consultation
We will be in touch within 24 hours.