Published
A serious slip and fall injury can turn your life upside down in the blink of an eye. A particularly bad fall can permanently impact your life. If you are the victim of such an accident, you may be wondering whether you can pursue restitution by filing a slip and fall claim.
Not every accident on public or private property automatically warrants filing a legal claim. However, if you can prove that you suffered an injury due to a dangerous or hazardous condition on someone else’s property, you can file a slip and fall claim and potentially receive compensation.
The experienced legal team at Gould Injury Law can help you determine whether you have legal recourse after an accident. We strongly believe that everyone who is hurt as a direct result of another person’s mistakes or negligence deserves to be compensated for what each has gone through. Our premises liability lawyers are dedicated to getting fast results for each and every one of our clients.
We understand that filing a claim can be overwhelming and that you want to get your case settled as quickly as possible. Call Gould Injury Law today at 888-WIN-FAST, or fill out our online form, to schedule a free consultation. The sooner you put your case in our hands, the faster we can get it resolved.
Common Injuries in a Slip and Fall Claim
Slip-and-fall accidents often result in insignificant injuries, such as scrapes and bruises, that will quickly heal without medical attention. Sadly, though, not everyone bounces right back up after a fall. Statistics show that over 800,000 patients are hospitalized annually because of fall accidents.
Suffering extensive injuries from a fall can impact your life for years to come. In such cases, filing a lawsuit as fast and efficiently as possible against a negligent party can cover your medical expenses and compensate you for lost income as a result of your injuries.
Serious injuries in a slip and fall case may include:
- Soft tissue injuries
- Abrasions
- Broken bones
- Complicated fractures
- Concussions
- Knee damage
- Back and spinal cord injuries
- Neck and shoulder injuries
- Hip fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
These kinds of injuries will likely result in expensive, ongoing medical treatment, and long-term pain and suffering. Pursuing compensation for such conditions will help you to regain your quality of life.
Proving Negligence in a Slip and Fall Claim
Slip and fall claims usually fall under premises liability laws. Property owners and managers have the legal obligation to reasonably maintain their properties, ensuring the safety of all visitors.
Property owner negligence is something that must be proved to resolve the claim in your favor. This means that you must provide evidence that the property owner or representative failed to uphold or meet certain conditions that would have prevented the accident from happening.
If you fell and injured yourself on someone else’s property, and wish to pursue compensation against that party, you will first need to show that you were on the property legally.
Then, in order to successfully pursue negligence against the property owner or manager you will need to establish the following:
- That there was a hazardous condition that existed on the property
- That the property owner or manager knew, or should have known, that the hazardous condition existed
- That he or she failed to remedy or adequately warn of the hazardous condition
- That, as a result of not acting to correct the hazardous condition, you fell and were injured
Under premises liability law, slip and fall claims and lawsuits can be complicated. A knowledgeable attorney, adept at such cases, will be able to assess the circumstances of your fall and assist you in proving negligence against the property owner.
Gather Evidence to Support Your Slip and Fall Claim
When pursuing a slip and fall injury claim, it is critical to provide evidence of negligence on the part of the property owner. It is important to document the incident fully. Having concrete evidence will prove invaluable as you work to settle your claim, aiming for a fast resolution.
Things that should be documented include:
- The accident location
- The time and date of the accident
- The accident report
- Cause of the accident, such as a wet floor, uneven flooring, or icy walkways
- Eyewitness statements and contact information
- Any supporting photos or videos at the scene of the fall that show the hazardous condition or injuries sustained
- Medical records associated with treatment for your injuries
- Proof of lost wages as a result of having to miss work after the accident
Gathering and preserving such evidence will help you to establish a stronger, more compelling case as you move forward with your personal injury claim. Gould Injury Law can take care of the legal steps for you, moving your case along much faster than if you handled it yourself.
How the Evidence in a Slip and Fall Claim is Used
Your personal injury lawyer will use all of the evidence you have gathered, as well as any he or she is able to gather for you, in order to build your slip and fall case.
The evidence gathered may prove that:
- The property owner or manager was given actual notice, or reasonably should have known, of the dangerous hazard
- The dangerous condition was foreseeable because it was a regular occurrence
- The property owner had adequate time to become aware of the unsafe condition and resolve it
- The hazard could have been reasonably controlled
- There were not proper health and safety protocols in place that could have identified and remedied the hazard
- The property owner could have reasonably prevented the slip-and-fall accident by providing a warning about the hazard
By providing convincing evidence to establish negligence on the part of the property owner, your claim can move on to a faster resolution.
Potential Damages in a Slip-and-Fall Accident Claim
A serious slip-and-fall accident can have terrible consequences. It may result in debilitating injuries and a significant loss of income if you are unable to work for some time.
The law allows you to pursue both economic and non-economic damages against the negligent party. The goal is to receive enough compensation to make your life whole again after the traumatic accident.
You may be able to receive compensation for:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
- Prescription medication
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Anxiety and mental anguish
- Loss of companionship or consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Additional out-of-pocket expenses related to the accident
A skilled personal injury lawyer can help you assess the full extent of your losses and assign a monetary value to your claim. It is important to pursue enough compensation to meet both the challenges you have today and in the future. With the legal support of a passionate and assertive attorney, you will get fast results.
The Value of Hiring a Lawyer for a Slip and Fall Claim
It is no simple task to collect evidence for a personal injury claim. Further, organizing the evidence and assessing the real cost of damages in order to negotiate a settlement or take the case to court is time-consuming and rarely straightforward.
A personal injury lawyer can do much of this for you so that you can focus on your recovery. Your lawyer can conduct his or her own investigation into the incident, interview witnesses, and gather evidence that you would not be able to attain on your own.
He or she will have the experience required to establish that a property owner was negligent. Additionally, your lawyer will work with you to assign a fair compensation amount to your damages.
Your lawyer will negotiate with insurance companies and others on your behalf, ensuring that you are not taken advantage of, or pushed into an unfair settlement agreement. He or she will also make sure that all court documents are filed in a timely manner, so that no important deadlines are missed. Your attorney will also argue your case at trial, if an acceptable resolution can not be agreed upon beforehand.
Having a skilled legal professional advocating for you and keeping track of your case will lend itself to a faster and more successful outcome. Gould Injury Law, for one, has the resources and fast-working team members you need.
Reach Out to Our Connecticut Slip and Fall Attorneys Today
A serious slip and fall injury can leave you suffering physically and reeling emotionally. This is not a time to go it alone. You need trustworthy, fast, reliable advice on what your legal recourse is and how to proceed with a claim.
Connecticut is a comparable evidence state, meaning that even if you were partially responsible for your accident, you may still be able to win a degree of compensation. During your free consultation, a personal injury attorney at Gould Injury Law can review the facts of your case and explain your legal options.
Slip and fall cases can be challenging to prove. Our dedicated legal team is here to help you every step of the way. With decades of combined experience behind us, we pride ourselves in aggressively defending the rights of Connecticut injury victims.
Don’t wait to get the compensation you need and deserve. Get it faster by reaching out to us for help.
Call Gould Injury Law today at 888-WIN-FAST, or fill out our online form, to schedule a free, no obligation, case evaluation with a member of our legal team.