Did you slip on the floor at a restaurant or retailer you recently visited or fall on the slippery driveway at the doctor’s office? You may benefit from working with our Forest Acres slip and fall accident lawyer, a trusted and experienced professional who can help you navigate your legal rights to compensation. At The Shelly Leeke Law Firm, our Forest Acres personal injury lawyer pursues compensation for our clients who suffered at the hands of others to help them get their lives back.
How Common Are Slip-and-Fall Accidents?
A simple trip that leads to nothing more than a bruise and a bit of embarrassment is not likely to yield any significant medical or other loss and is not the type of slip-and-fall claim we handle. Rather, we work hard to help the more than 3 million people who slip and fall and end up in the emergency room each year with serious injuries. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that falls like this are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries.
Slip and fall accidents can occur for many reasons, and when they do, they can lead to numerous complications for individuals. They are common for many reasons, including poor maintenance and upkeep of shared surfaces and walking paths, as well as avoidable conditions within locations like commercial buildings. As common as slip and fall accidents are, many people do not realize just how worrisome they can be with injuries such as these:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Back injuries and spinal column damage
- Broken bones
- Lacerations
- Burns
- Hip fractures
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Cases
Many situations can lead to serious slip and fall accidents, and often, the severity of the incident is dependent on how a person falls. If you fell for any reason and suffered an injury, we encourage you to get medical care for it right away, as often the injuries you have sustained may not be obvious. Some common causes of slip and fall accidents include:
- Potholes or uneven walking surfaces in parking lots and on sidewalks
- Debris that is in an otherwise likely space to walk
- Cords and electrical wires leading to accidents
- Slippery floors due to spills
- Poor lighting that obstructs the view of steps or other areas
- Faulty hand railing or lack of them
In many of these situations, it is up to you, as the victim, to show that the person responsible for that property failed to provide you with the safe environment you should have expected to be present. Proving negligence in this type of accident requires showing that there was a risk that should have been known about or was known about that caused your accident that the other party had the time and opportunity to rectify but did not do so. If you believe that to be the case or you are not sure, our Forest Acres slip and fall accident attorney at Shelly Leeke Law Firm can help you.
How to Prove Your Slip and Fall Case
As noted, proving negligence is not easy to do, and that is why we always encourage people who suffer such injuries to work with a slip-and-fall attorney before seeking out any claim for compensation. The burden of proof is on you, the victim, but in our experience, it is possible to prove that you suffered due to another party’s losses. To prove that, you have to show the four following elements exist:
- The owner of the property or the person overseeing it had a duty of care to maintain it so that you could assume it was safe to be in
- They breached that duty of care in some way, such as not preventing injury or rectifying the problem
- You suffered some level of harm and loss due to their negligence and breach of care
- You suffered financial damages or other types of damage as a result of that harm or loss
A slip-and-fall case can be challenging to prove, especially proving that the property owner or manager should have known and had enough time to act. That is why it is best to work with an experienced slip-and-fall accident lawyer in Forest Acres before you assume that you can file a claim. Let us take a closer look at your case to determine what your potential outcome could be.
What Is Your Slip and Fall Accident Worth?
Ultimately, if you suffer injury and loss due to another party’s negligence, you have the right to seek compensation for those losses. That means that you should recover any damages you have as a result of the fall and the following injuries and recovery. Some of the most common slip and fall damages you may be able to recover include:
- Medical bills from the incident
- Rehabilitation and recovery costs
- Lost time at work
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of earning capacity
- Loss of quality of life
Our slip and fall accident attorney in Forest Acres will examine your case to get a better idea of what your rights and losses may be and then will use past cases like your own, other evidence available, and statements from medical doctors and others to prove your losses. We can then pursue compensation with the responsible insurance company and try to get them to pay as much as possible based on what you are owed. We do not encourage you to settle for less than you deserve and will take the insurance company and responsible party to court if necessary.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Slip and Fall Lawyer Now
As an experienced and proven Forest Acres slip and fall accident attorney, you can expect the entire team at The Shelly Leeke Law Firm to work closely with you to prove the compensation you are owed and to fight for your recovery. Set up a free consultation and case evaluation to determine what your losses are and what legal strategy may be best for your situation. If you do not get paid for your losses, we do not get paid.
