How many times have you fallen in your life? Did you ever chuckle as you dusted yourself off and got back on your feet? If so, you are not alone.
Some falls are memorable, but most of us have forgotten countless falls throughout the years. These harmless falls are not a cause for concern if no damage is done. Yet, serious falls could lead to injury or even death.
How do you know the difference? At Gould Injury Law, we understand accidents can happen fast, so we want you to have fast answers to important questions like this one, the title of this page.
Request your free case review today at (888) WIN-FAST, if you were injured in a fall, to learn about your rights. During your appointment, you can discover if you are eligible for compensation for your losses or if pursuing a lawsuit would be a waste of resources.
Don’t delay. If our law team gets involved early on, we could help you maximize your compensation and get paid faster.
When You Fall at Work
In 2021, Connecticut private industry employers reported 32,700 workplace injuries and illnesses. In the same year, 3 people died due to work-related slip, trip, or fall accidents.
Most employers carry workers’ compensation insurance which pays for accidents involving virtually any type of employee, including:
- Minors
- Non-citizens
- Part-time employees
The workers’ comp system operates independently of fault. Therefore, you can receive benefits regardless of who caused the accident or if you were predisposed to injury due to a previously existing medical condition. An exception is if your injuries resulted from drug or alcohol abuse.
Workers’ compensation provides:
- Medical treatment for the duration of your recovery
- Weekly benefits to replace lost wages if you cannot work or have reduced earnings
- Vocational rehabilitation to facilitate your return to the workforce
- Additional benefits for accident-related scarring, disfigurement, or permanent physical impairments
- Survivors’ benefits for spouses and dependents (i.e. burial expenses and weekly wage replacement equal to a specific percentage of the deceased employee’s net income)
The State of Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission approves many claims but sometimes dispute claims if there are doubts regarding:
- Whether a claim really occurred at the job site or while a worker was on duty
- Whether a specific accident or illness qualifies for compensation
- What medical treatment, if any, is necessary
Contact our fast, effective lawyers to learn about your right to have a hearing to appeal your rejected claim. Sometimes, hearings are also held to evaluate a scar or disfigurement to determine whether additional compensation is appropriate.
When Someone’s Negligence Causes Injury
Two components comprise the legal definition of negligence:
- Failure to demonstrate reasonable care: Everyone (including companies and property owners) should show a measure of care and concern for the safety of others. Careless or reckless actions reveal a lack of reasonableness in many circumstances. Yet, failing to perform a duty can also indicate negligence.
- Resulting damage or injury: When the defendant acted without reasonable care, another party suffered losses, such as property damage, injuries, or death.
Let’s understand better how negligence occurs by examining the following two scenarios:
- As customers visit a store one winter day, they track in little chunks of snow and ice, which melt into a puddle near the entrance. The employees do nothing about it. Eventually, a customer slips and hits his head on the floor.
- A renter reports a loose handrail in her apartment building. The property owner promises to fix it. A couple of days later, the railing collapses when a building visitor leans against it for support. It breaks, causing her to tumble down the stairs and fracture a bone.
In the first situation, the store employees should have identified the wet floor as a potential hazard. They could have mopped up the liquid and placed a non-slip mat in the area. At the very least, they should have placed a “Wet Floor” sign to warn store guests of the danger.
The building owner failed to show reasonable care in the second example. Responsible owners act promptly to fix a known issue. The slip-and-fall accident was preventable, so an attorney could file a personal injury claim based on the event.
If you slipped and fell on someone else’s property, a thorough investigation of your incident could reveal signs of negligent behavior.
Personal injury lawyers can pursue financial compensation called damages if someone’s negligence led to your slip-and-fall accident. Both individuals and companies can be held liable for harming others.
When Someone Intentionally Hurts Another
Unfortunately, not every slip and fall injury is accidental. Did someone push or trip you on purpose? It is only natural to be concerned when someone commits such a malicious act.
Under Connecticut law, intentionally hurting someone is a criminal offense. Victims of such crimes might also qualify for civil and punitive damages:
- Civil damages compensate for various economic and non-economic losses (as described in the following section)
- Punitive damages punish the wrongdoer and discourage others from similar misconduct. Connecticut courts could award double or triple the amount of civil damages a victim receives as a deterrent.
Punitive damages are also allowable when evidence reveals “a reckless indifference” or a “wanton violation” of the rights of others. These terms would apply to individuals or entities that do not care about the potential ill effects of their actions, do nothing to warn others or avoid harm, or purposefully injure others.
When Victims Need Relief
After an accident, you might feel that your injuries are minor. One reason is that you could have a rush of adrenaline after your fall which decreases your pain sensitivity. Yet, the signs of some serious conditions are difficult to detect, while symptoms like bruises, swelling, and sprains could first appear days after the initial trauma.
Did you hit your head during your fall? Dangerous aftereffects could threaten your health if you ignore a brain injury. The Connecticut State Department of Public Health advises you to seek immediate medical if:
- You have a persistent headache that worsens over time
- You feel weak, numb, nauseous, or drowsy without apparent cause
- You vomit repeatedly
- You are slurring your speech
- You lose consciousness
- You have a seizure
- The pupil of one of your eyes is larger than the other
- You cannot recognize people or places
- You exhibit strange behavior
Getting checked by a professional will prove invaluable if you file a slip and fall claim. Doctor’s reports serve as evidence to confirm the severity of your injuries. Without these records, insurers could try to discredit your version of the story.
Many patients are shocked at the high cost of medical treatment in the United States. One day in the emergency room can result in thousands of dollars in hospital fees.
A personal injury lawsuit can help you to recover civil damages, such as:
- Medical bills
- Treatment-related travel costs
- Replacement household services (e.g. lawn mowing, childcare, cleaning)
- Lost wages
- Property damage
- Compensation for physical pain and suffering
If you are struggling to pay your slip-and-fall accident expenses, you need help fast. Click “Start Chat” on your screen to begin a conversation with one of our live representatives. He or she can schedule your free consultation at your earliest convenience.
Fast Action Yields Fast Results
Money-related stress can make life challenging. Why suffer longer than you have to when you can entrust your case to “The Fast Firm”? The earlier we get involved, the sooner we can take legal action to defend you.
Once you hire us, we can begin to build your case, performing time-sensitive tasks like:
- Interviewing witnesses
- Taking pictures at the scene
- Checking camera footage
- Obtaining medical records and police reports
- Researching the background of the property owner
- Investigating the causes of the fall
We work fast because Connecticut law imposes time constraints on personal injury cases. If you wait to contact us, the deadline could pass without you realizing it. Why risk losing your chance of reclaiming your losses forever?
Call (888) WIN-FAST to Resolve Your Doubts
After an insurance company hired Robert Gould, he soon discovered that he wanted to assist accident victims instead. He saw firsthand that insurers often take advantage of people, and he resolved to do what he could to defend them.
For over 20 years, Robert Gould and his partners have sought life-changing compensation for personal injury victims. Would you like to know what your claim is worth?
Contact the legal team at Gould Injury Law to find out if you qualify to file a slip and fall claim. The call and your initial consultation are free. It would be our pleasure to answer your questions and ease your doubts. Most of all, our lawyers want to ensure you get every penny you deserve.
Starting your case will not cost anything if you hire us. We get paid when we win a cash award for your claim.
We are ready for action. Submit your contact information, and we will get back to you fast. If you would rather speak with someone right away, call our 24-hour, toll-free number or click the live chat button at the bottom of your screen.
