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Slip and fall accidents may not seem severe enough to seek compensation. Still, they can cause terrible consequences for the victims and their families, especially for children and elders who are vulnerable to getting hurt in these accidents.
If someone got hurt in a slip and fall accident, they are entitled to file a claim and receive financial compensation. These cases are commonly handled by an experienced lawyer who knows how to negotiate with insurance companies and win a fair amount of money for their clients.
What Is a Slip and Fall Personal Injury Claim?
Slip and fall is a legal term that refers to any incident similar to slips, trips, or falls. They are the most common types of injuries that end up in the ER, and they are caused by someone's negligence. Moreover, these personal injury cases are pretty hard to prove, as the victim is going to need solid evidence of the incident and the other party's negligence, which is why it is crucial to hire a professional personal injury lawyer to handle the case.
What to Do After Sustaining a Slip & Fall Injury
Suppose the victim wishes to get financial compensation for their injuries, in that case, they must make sure the case runs as smoothly as possible and remember that the most important thing is to provide enough evidence that proves the other party's negligence. This is why they must make sure to follow these simple steps.
They must document as much as possible of the scene through photographs and videos. If possible, keep the contact numbers of all witnesses.
Then, they must contact the property owner and report the situation to exchange insurance information, but they should avoid talking too much about the accident.
The victim must get medical attention as soon as possible to get a professional report of all injuries.
Finally, the last step is to find a personal injury lawyer who can prove the property owner's negligence and win the case.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Personal Injury Claims
Slip and fall accidents can happen due to several reasons. Some of the most common are wet floors, unsafe ladders, loose floorboards, poor maintenance of areas, bad lightning, and snow.
However, people can get hurt in several other situations, so property owners must be aware of all potential hazards and fix them or make sure to put up signs to prevent others from walking around those places.
Obtaining Compensation for Personal Injury Cases
The compensation of each slip and fall lawsuit is going to be different depending on the severity of the victims' injuries, which is why it is crucial to find a personal injury attorney who can properly calculate a fair amount for each case. Victims can get compensation for economic, non-economic, and punitive damages depending on the case.
Statute of Limitations of a Slip and Fall Accident
It is crucial to act fast in these cases to prevent missing the statute of limitation's deadline. The plaintiff can file a personal injury lawsuit in the first three years after the accident. If they fail to do this, they are going to lose the right to get compensated for their injuries.
Luckily, most experienced personal injury attorneys know about this deadline and are sure to act as fast as possible to build a solid case before this happens.
Reasons to Hire a Slip and Fall Lawyer
There are hundreds of reasons why slip and fall victims should hire a slip and fall attorney as soon as possible. Still, the most important of all is that a personal injury attorney can take a massive weight off the victim's shoulder as they take care of all the tedious aspects of the case, such as collecting evidence, negotiating with the insurance company, and dealing with all the paperwork.
Moreover, a St Louis slip and fall law firm can prevent the victim from being manipulated into signing settlement papers and accepting less money than they deserve. The best part is that victims only need to pay if they win the case, as personal injury lawyers charge a certain percentage of the total settlement money.
Common Slip and Fall Injuries
Slip and fall cases can cause many types of injuries, especially to elders and children, who are much more vulnerable to getting hurt. Some of the most common injuries are the following.
Concussions and head injuries that can cause severe neurological damage, traumatic brain injuries, and brain bleeds
Broken bones and spinal injuries can make them lose mobility
Nerve damages and paralysis
Permanent disability and death
How to Prove a Slip and Fall Injury
Proving a slip and fall case can be rather complicated, but any experienced personal injury lawyer can do it by providing evidence for the following five aspects.
There must have been a dangerous condition in the area where the accident happened, and the plaintiff must be able to prove it through photos, videos, or testimonies.
The property owner must have been aware of the condition before the accident, which is going to establish a duty of care between them and the victim.
Then, the victim must have been a legal visitor or guest of the property, as illegal activities such as trespassing prevent them from being allowed to file a personal injury claim.
The property owner must have acted negligently by refusing or failing to fix the hazardous situation.
Finally, the victim must have suffered an injury due to the accident. A doctor must prove the legitimacy of the injury and its correlation with the accident.
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Bottom Line
Personal injury victims are entitled to financial compensation after one of these accidents, but sadly, not all of them get it. This tends to happen because insurance companies aim to save as much money as possible by offering low compensation to the victims. Still, the Powell Law Firm has a great team of personal injury law experts who provide a free consultation to all victims of slip and fall accidents living in Chesterfield, MO.