What does it feels like if you slip and fall even when you are careful? Suddenly facing such injuries can be frustrating for anyone. On top of that, if you don’t have financial support, it becomes more unbearable. You can know more about slip and fall injury treatment-related lawyer support.
Slip and fall injuries can cause lots of damages to your health and your bank accounts. The sad thing is, it all happens when an owner does not maintain his property well.
Because of the embarrassment or confusion, the slip and fall victim often don’t file any claim. They don’t take any slip and fall injury treatment-related layer support.
Most of them don’t understand the types of personal injury claims, what to claim, or how to claim. Here we’ll discuss everything you should know about slip and fall-related support. Let’s get started.
Read Also: Personal Injury Cases and Its Outcomes
Table of Contents
What is a Slip and Fall Case?
The word “slip and fall” is used in the metaphoric sense, which is known as premises liability cases. When the owner fails to keep their property safe, it can cause several accidents.
If someone gets injured because of the property owner’s negligence, the law holds the property owner responsible for this. According to the law, the victim can claim that the owner didn’t take care of their property. So, the accident happened.
In such cases, insurance companies mostly claim that the victim is responsible for the accident. They deny any kind of help to the victim. As a result, the victim has to take pay the medical bills or other compensation.
However, you can get the compensation from the property owner that you’ll need for injury treatment-related expenses. The Injury Lawyers Victoria can also help with negotiations and settlements.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Note that the accidents do not necessarily take place in the form of slip and fall. It can happen in many other ways. Common slip and fall-related accidents include;
- Slipping on icy stairs or wet floors
- Falling on uneven sidewalks
- Falling due to poor lightening
- Tripping of shelves that are not correctly loaded
- Poor construction such as unsecured railings
- Tripping on icy walkways or other weather-related hazards
- Tripping over debris like trash or boxes
- Electrical hazards
- Potholes and ditches on the driveways or parking lots.
- Getting burnt on a hot surface or open flame
- So on.
Slip and Fall Injuries
The hazardous condition on another person’s property can result in lifetime injuries for the victim. Though some may not be injured vastly, they still do require medical care.
The children and seniors are the victims of slip and fall injuries. Common slip and fall-related injuries include;
- Soft tissue injuries like cuts and scratches on the skin, muscle, or ligament. It can result in chronic pain or vulnerability to further damages.
- Hip fractures may need surgery or a lengthy rehabilitation process.
- Traumatic brain injury can result in seizures, mood changes, cognitive impairment, or other deliberating symptoms.
- Broken sprains and bones may require months of treatment.
- Spinal cord injuries demand emergency care and further treatment. These treatments may cost millions of dollars.
- Herniated disc injuries.
- Pain and suffering can cause further damages like sleep disorders, daily pain endurance, missing social life, etc.
- Sometimes slip and fall injuries may lead to preventable death.
Probable Damages in Slip and Fall Case
Physical injuries are not only damages happens due to slip and falls. There are more damages that occurred in slip and fall cases. Financial disaster is one of the main of them. Slip and fall damages include;
- Loss of service
- Loss of income or wages
- Deprived of enjoyment in life
- Cannot do household services
- Permanent disability
- Property damage like car and personal stuff
- Suffering due to pain
- Non-stop medical expenses
Where do the Slip and Fall Accident Occur?
The venue where slip and fall incident occurs can play a vital role in the slip and fall case. As a victim, you should where does it happens mostly. In fact, it can happen literally any place where the property owner is careless.
Slip and fall commonly happens in the following locations;
- Parks and playgrounds where injuries occur due to poorly-maintained playgrounds, benches, athletic fields, etc.
- Private apartments where liability rests in the landlords.
- Theaters, stadiums, and other entertainment venues with faulty stairways, escalators, ramps, and elevators.
- Retirement homes where seniors live.
- Retail stores, shopping malls, restaurants, and other grocery stores.
Who Is Accountable for Slip and Fall Accidents?
Most of the time, this case is misunderstood by the victim as they don’t know who is liable. In a slip and fall case, there is a defendant and a plaintiff. The defendant is an individual, a government entity, or a corporation who is accused in a court of law.
Conversely, a plaintiff is a person who brings a case against others in a court of law. A defendant is liable for a slip and fall case who has the responsibility of not maintaining the property.
Both private and public property owners can be liable for slip and fall accidents. Property owners are responsible for maintaining safety for the passerby. If they neglect, the plaintiff can hold them accountable for their injury.
Know Also: Wrongful Death Lawyers
Right as Slip and Fall Accident Victim
If you are injured due to one’s negligence, then the law gives you the right to ask for compensation. You can ask for slip and fall injury treatment-related lawyer support to get the compensation. The compensation can include a lot of things, for example;
- Medical expenses
- The expense for physical therapy
- Emergency service transportation
- Rehabilitation
- Support for the family because of being paralyzed
- Funeral expenses in case of wrongful death
How to Prove Liability? Carelessness or Negligence?
To claim slip and fall treatment-related support, the plaintiff has to prove the claim. The victim has to prove the accident happens because of the owner’s negligence or carelessness.
What mostly happens in such a case? The defendant shifts the blame to the person who is injured. They claim that it happens because of the victim’s carelessness. Thus, they avoid paying any compensation.
One of the best ways is that if you can protect the rights through documentation. It has to be done immediately when the accident happens. There are a few more ways to prove the liability of slips and falls.
- Take pictures of the area where you got injured.
- Save any evidence from presenting further. The evidence includes the dress or cloth that you’ve worn or the substance that causes the fall.
- Talk to the witness who was present during the accident. Ask them if they can testify when needed.
- Take a picture of the injuries immediately that happens.
What Should A Plaintiff Consider?
For evaluating whether the defendant is accountable for the compensation, there are some factors a plaintiff should consider. Such as,
- Check whether the owner has a policy of checking the property routinely. If yes, then check for the record. Did the owner has followed the policy before the accident?
- Check whether the hazardous condition lasts for longer or not. Did the owner take action to remove the hazard? If no, the owner is accountable.
- Was there any reasonable justification for the hazard? If yes, check whether the justification exists during the slip and fall?
- Could the owner take steps to minimize the chance of the damages? Steps like placing warning signage, displacing hazards, or stopping access to the place.
Terms and Conditions
A plaintiff can get compensation only when the following conditions are met.
- The defendant has to be the owner of the property.
- The plaintiff has to be legally permitted to enter the location. Most of the time, the trespassers are not even allowed to enter.
- There must be negligence from the defendants; for example, the owner fails to provide reasonable care to his/her property.
How to Protect Your Rights in Slip and Fall Accidents?
When someone is injured due to slip and fall-related accidents, he/she can ask for financial compensation. Actually, if you file a claim immediately after the accident, you can succeed in your claim.
Besides, there are some other steps to be taken to protect your rights. You have to prove the accident happens due to the property owner’s negligence. Only then you can claim compensation.
- At first, inform the property owner or manager about the slip and fall injury.
- File an incident report with the property owner and ask for a copy of the records.
- If the owner refuses to pay the compensation mutually, you need to file a slip and fall claim. You can take help from a slip and fall injury lawyer to help you navigate through the steps.
- The lawyer will help you gather the evidence, report the accident, and file for the claim.
- Once the claim is proved, ask for medical expenses as soon as possible.
- Lastly, receive your compensation and get medical treatment.
Conclusion
So, are you a victim of a slip and fall accident, or a loved one is injured due to negligence? It’s high time you should assess all legal options. You should seek slip and fall injury treatment-related lawyer support.
The support of a lawyer who is knowledgeable and experienced in helping injured victims can make a huge difference. Talk to the Red Deer Injury Lawyer right away!
