Slip and Fall
Recovering the Compensation You Deserve for Your Slip and Fall
It happens in the blink of an eye. You’re standing, walking, or running, and then – boom – you’re on the ground, injured from a slip and fall accident. While a fall can cause embarrassment, it often means a trip to the emergency room, physical therapy, time off work, and lingering problems. Fully twenty percent of slip and fall accidents result in a severe injury, which can include broken bones, back injuries, and even traumatic brain injury.
A slip and fall can occur anywhere. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 290,000 people slip, trip, or fall on the job each year and are injured to the extent that they have to take time off of work. There are a variety of ways to experience a slip and fall accident, whether you’re at work, shopping, visiting someone’s home, or taking a walk. These include:
- Walking on recently mopped floors
- Stepping on oil, food, or other floor debris
- Tripping over a trash can, extension cord, or garden hose
- Falling on steps that are slick or that don’t have a handrail
- Falling off of an incorrectly placed ladder or poorly erected scaffolding
- Tripping in a cluttered work or retail area
- Getting your heel caught in a gap caused by a missing floor tile
- Tripping on uneven pavement or a change in sidewalk elevation
- Stumbling on unmarked steps
A slip and fall injury can have serious repercussions. You may have medical expenses, both immediately following your fall and in the months or years to come. You could miss work for a few days, or it may take much longer to recover from your injury. You and your family can suffer greatly from your short- or long-term disability.
With the help of a Bay Area slip and fall attorney, you can receive compensation for your injuries. That compensation can include money for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Your attorney can investigate the circumstances of your slip and fall accident to determine who might be liable for your injuries. For example, they can look at security camera footage of your fall, talk to witnesses, and take photos of the area in which your fall occurred. They can also dig deeply into the history of the property, looking for evidence of previous accidents and shoddy maintenance records to establish a pattern of negligence.
When you experience a slip and fall, it’s important to visit a doctor right away – even if you don’t know how badly you’ve been hurt. Injuries can take a few days or weeks to surface, and you want to obtain documentation as soon as possible after the accident. Ask the medical team to take photographs of your injuries, and make sure to keep a log of your health status. Every day, write down how you’re feeling, and how your health status has changed since the previous day. Your log can provide valuable evidence of your injury and ongoing medical issues.
You may be hesitant to pursue a slip and fall claim if your accident occurred on a friend or neighbor’s property. Don’t be. Property owners have homeowner’s insurance for this very reason. Your Bay Area slip and fall attorney can negotiate a settlement with the insurance company and you can rest easier knowing that you will be justly compensated.
The Bay Area slip and fall attorneys at Silver Law Firm have your best interests at heart. We are dedicated to recovering the MAXIMUM amount for your injuries. We will work with the insurance company to arrive at an equitable settlement, but are prepared to take them to court if a settlement cannot be reached.
Time is of the essence. You have two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury claim. Don’t waste another second. Call Silver Law Firm today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. We’re here for you 24/7.
