Slips and falls may be common occurrences, but that does not mean they are “no big deal.” Falls cause a range of consequences that make life difficult and put your future financial stability at tremendous risk. When you fall because of someone else’s carelessness, you should not have to pay those consequences.
A Summerville personal injury lawyer from Shelly Leeke Law Firm can help you secure compensation for your fall-related losses. Partner with a skilled Summerville slip-and-fall lawyer from our team to get your bills paid, your suffering acknowledged, and your financial future back on solid ground.
Where Summerville Slip and Fall Accidents Happen
Unfortunately, slips, trips, and falls can happen anywhere. Reasons for the accidents are common, despite differences in location. Victims often slip or fall on:
- Wet floors
- Icy parking lots or walkways
- Torn carpeting
- Broken stairs
- Debris or obstacles cluttering aisles, hallways, or other pathways
- Uneven walkways
- Poorly lit stairwells or walkways
These conditions can exist in any location, and property owners need to remove or otherwise mark hazards to keep their guests safe.
Homeowners
When you enter someone’s private home, the homeowner is responsible for alerting you to any dangers they should be reasonably aware of so you do not have a slip-and-fall accident. For example, if there is a loose step on a staircase you will use, you need to be warned. If you are not warned and sustain an injury, the homeowner may be culpable.
Business Owners
Businesses need customers to grow, and business owners encourage customers to their locations to spur that growth. The owners are also responsible for keeping those locations free of dangers they should be reasonably aware of. Further, business owners need to “keep an eye out” for less obvious hazards, anticipate likely dangers, and have plans in place to correct dangerous situations quickly.
For example, grocery store owners should expect spills and have equipment ready to mark slick floors and procedures in place to mop up messes. Amusement park owners know that food, drinks, containers, and a variety of other trash will land on their grounds and must have teams on hand to execute ongoing cleanups. Those in charge of office-building parking lots must ensure slick pavement is cleared or rutted surfaces are marked or smoothed in a timely manner.
Landlords
Apartment tenants are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and safety of the premises they rent–as long as those elements are under their control. Landlords, under the Landlord-Tenant Act, must keep common areas in safe condition. For example, in apartment complexes, stairwells, parking areas, and common hallways are the landlord’s responsibility, and victims of slip-and-fall accidents in those locations, may have grounds to hold landlords liable.
Trespassers Hurt in a Slip and Fall
Property owners generally do not owe a duty of care to trespassers. If a person enters a property unlawfully and falls over an obstacle, that person is responsible for the injury. According to South Carolina law, property owners must only “refrain from causing a wilful or wanton injury” to the trespasser.
However, if the trespasser is a child or person with an intellectual disability, and their accident results from an encounter with an improperly secured attractive nuisance, the property owner may be found liable. Attractive nuisances are swimming pools, trampolines, or other structures that could easily entice a child or other person not able to recognize the risks of interacting with those structures. Property owners must take care to secure attractive nuisances in a proactive effort to protect vulnerable populations.
Compensation for a Summerville Slip, Trip, or Fall Accident
People slip and fall and get right back up all the time, so you might be wondering why getting a lawyer is necessary. While some people “bounce back” from a fall, others are seriously injured. Other times, a victim might get up only to feel significant after-effects of the fall later–adrenaline has a way of masking pain and damage.
Whether immediately apparent or later to appear, fall-related injuries can be severe. Victims can sustain:
- Broken bones: fractures, especially to the hips and wrists, often requiring surgery and potentially long-term rehabilitation for full or partial recovery
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI): diminished cognitive abilities and/or physical abilities if the brain can not properly communicate with body systems
- Damage to the back and neck: chronic pain and limited mobility
- Spinal cord injuries: partial or total paralysis, or diminished strength and sensation and limited mobility in affected areas
- Soft tissue injuries: sprains or strains, muscle, nerve, and ligament tears
The physical disabilities and pain caused by these injuries are only the beginning. The injury is the first domino to fall as victims come face-to-face with additional financial and emotional suffering. Fortunately, a slip-and-fall accident lawyer in Summerville can help victims get compensation through a personal injury settlement. Reach out to Shelly Leeke for legal representation today.
Recovering Economic Damages
If you are hurt in a slip-and-fall accident, you will probably be laid up and out of work for a while. That means, you will not be earning income but will acquire steep medical costs. You may face more expenses if you have to pay others to take care of duties you could perform on your own prior to the accident.
These expenses come with a clear monetary loss—the amount of your paycheck or the amount on the bill–and are called economic losses. An experienced Summerville slip and fall accident attorney will assess these losses, accounting for every dollar you have paid, lost, or will need to cover continued costs, and factor them into your settlement demand. If your injuries prevent you from ever returning to work, your attorney will calculate your lost future earnings and benefits as well.
Recovering Non-Economic Damages
When you are in pain and forced to adjust to limited mobility or total disability, it is easy to become depressed, frustrated, and lonely. Physical injuries bring emotional suffering and diminish the enjoyment of life. A skilled slip and fall accident attorney in Summerville will assess the value of these hard-to-quantify-losses, to ensure your suffering is acknowledged.
Get the Support and Legal Representation You Deserve
Your fall and your injuries are a big deal, and you deserve to be compensated for the consequences of a fall caused by someone else’s negligence. The team at Shelly Leeke Law Firm will treat you with empathy and compassion while fighting fiercely to hold those at fault for your injuries accountable. To schedule a free consultation with an experienced, attentive Summerville slip and fall accident lawyer, call or send a message today.
