English
Spanish
A slip and fall accident can throw your life into chaos, burdening you with debilitating injuries. On average, 22% of slip and fall accidents result in 31 days of missed work, forcing you to miss out on income while you recover. Slip and fall accidents can cause injuries such as fractured bones, dislocated joints, traumatic brain injury, sprains and strains, and back injury. You may deal with damages that cause extreme discomfort for an extended time, which can degrade your quality of life.
In times like these, you should consider holding the premises owner liable for your personal injury for your slip and fall accident. With the help of a slip and fall injury attorney, you can receive representation and a fair settlement from the property owner. To get started, speak to Wattle & York for a free consultation.
Is it Hard to Prove a Slip and Fall Case?
Every personal injury claim is unique, which means that the evidence needed to prove your case varies based on your circumstances. A Tucson slip and fall accident attorney can help investigate your personal injury case. It is only difficult to prove a slip and fall case if no evidence can be connected and there was no apparent reason for you to get injured on someone else’s property. Here are mistakes that make it difficult to prove a slip and fall case.
You Didn’t Take Pictures
If you take pictures of the location of the accident and your injuries, this helps prove your slip and fall case. The cause of the slip and fall accident may have been a wet or slick surface, a crumbling staircase, torn carpet, a cracked sidewalk, or potholes. You should take pictures of the obstacle that caused your injury. Without pictures, you may not be able to show what exactly harmed you.
You Didn’t Get Medical Help
To hold the property owner liable, you should make sure you get medical treatment so you can get your injuries taken care of. When you file your slip and fall claim with the help of an attorney, your medical expenses will be considered damages in your settlement. Your medical expenses are also a form of evidence to show how badly you were injured. Waiting too long to receive medical care can make it more difficult to connect your injuries to your slip and fall accident.
After the accident, you may have soft tissue injuries that you are unaware of until later down the road. Make sure that you get medical care as soon as possible to prevent complicating your personal injury case.
There Was a Warning Sign
In most slip and fall accident cases, the property owner failed to maintain or warn people of a dangerous condition on their property. They must provide warning signs and use caution tape around places that visitors should avoid to keep them safe. For example, wet floor signs are used when there are puddles or spills in stores. Otherwise, they can be held liable for any injuries. If there were caution signs that you ignored, it may be difficult to recover compensation from the property owner.
The Hazard Was Obvious
If the dangerous conditions could have been avoided with reasonable care, then you may be liable for your own damages. For example, if there was a massive pit with ample room around it that it could easily be circumvented, then the property owner may not be responsible. This is because your injury may seem purposeful, especially if you took the risk of going near the run-down area instead of taking a safer path.
Regardless of your situation, you should speak to personal injury lawyers before deciding whether you should seek compensation from the property owner. There may be laws you are not aware of regarding slip and fall accidents that allow you to recover damages. A slip and fall lawyer can make sure the property owner and their insurance company fairly compensate you for any severe injuries.
When Should I Hire a Slip and Fall Lawyer?
Any time you were injured because of a property owner’s negligence, you should speak to slip and fall lawyers. Not only do many lawyers provide a free case evaluation, but they make sure to estimate all of your damages fairly. A Tucson slip and fall attorney can also provide guidance.
You may be thinking about filing a slip and fall lawsuit, however, an attorney will likely recommend that you pursue a settlement. Not only will this speed up the legal process, but the other party will most likely want to avoid going to court. Slip and fall accident lawyers can accurately estimate your settlement by including the following damages.
Medical Bills
All your medical expenses, such as surgery, x-rays and other imaging scans, laboratory tests, and physical therapy, will be included in your settlement. This includes the cost of ongoing medical bills resulting from the accident.
Lost Wages
When you suffer from a slip and fall injury, you’ll likely be unable to work for some time. You may struggle with a temporary disability that prevents you from performing normal tasks. Because of this, you can lose income for extended periods. You shouldn’t deal with limited income because of a property owner’s negligence, which is why your past and future lost wages will be included in your compensation as well.
Pain and Suffering
When slip and fall accidents occur, victims often struggle with emotional anguish because of their wounds. You may be in severe chronic pain because of your injuries, and also be dealing with emotions such as depression, shame, anxiety, grief, and more. Insurance companies often leave out pain and suffering damage when compensating slip and all accident victims, which is why using slip and fall attorneys will work in your favor.
How is Pain and Suffering Calculated in Arizona?
Pain and suffering damages are based on your personal testimony of how badly this accident impacted you emotionally. You may be struggling due to fatigue, soreness, stabbing pains, and other forms of discomfort that make every day during your recovery difficult.
Your slip and fall attorney works with an insurance adjuster to estimate your pain and suffering using a multiplier. Based on the severity of your injury, you will get a multiplier rating of between one and five. This number is then multiplied by your total economic damages. The higher the number, the worse your damages are.
These pain and suffering damages are then added to the total economic damages to get the full summation of your settlement. A majority of your settlement will be made up of pain and suffering damages, which is why it shouldn’t be left out of your compensation.
What Are Common Injuries Caused By a Slip and Fall Accident?
Slip and fall injuries can cause various injuries to the head, back, and limbs. Here are some of the most common ways you can be injured.
Broken Bones
You will likely fracture or break bones when you fall. If you fall from a tall height, you are more likely to break something. Fractured hip bones and dislocated shoulder joints are more likely to affect elderly slip and fall victims. However, they can happen to anyone. You might also experience fractures in your wrists and ankled if you use your hands or feet to break your fall.
Head Injuries
You may have hit your head during your fall, putting you at risk of a concussion and even death. Head injuries can cause internal bleeding or hemorrhaging. You may also experience bruising and swelling in your brain tissues, which can be life-threatening. If you have hit your head after a slip and fall accident, you should call 911 to get immediate medical treatment.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Back injuries are some of the most frequent injuries you may experience after a slip and fall accident. This is because your back takes a lot of the impact when you fall, absorbing a lot of the shock. After all, it has a broader surface area. This can result in spinal cord injuries, chronic back pain, and pinched nerves.
Why Work with Wattel & York Tucson Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers?
It can be difficult to seek a settlement on your own while you deal with financial setbacks during your recovery. You may be in pain and unable to manage day-to-day tasks. Let a diligent slip and fall accident lawyer help. Our law firm has an experienced team with a proven track record of success. We have managed many slip and fall accident cases and can provide the advice you need.
After an initial investigation of your case, we can identify whether you are owed compensation and should initiate a slip and fall accident claim. We can also let you know how much your settlement is worth and aid in collecting supporting evidence. To get help from a knowledgeable slip and fall law firm today, contact Wattel & York for a free consultation.
