Slip
and Fall Injuries
Slip and fall injuries is the general term
used for when a person is injured by slipping, tripping or falling
due to dangerous or hazardous conditions on someone else's property.
Slip and fall injuries include falls due
to water, ice, snow, abrupt changes in flooring, poor lighting
or a hidden hazard.
Property owners are responsible for any slip and fall injuries
that occur on their property due to hazardous or dangerous conditions
that the owner knows about or should know about. These conditions
could be permanent such as broken concrete on the walkway or temporary
such as a milk spill in the aisle of a supermarket.
If the situation is temporary, the length of time that the condition
has existed may be a factor in determining if the property owner
is liable for any slip and fall injuries. If the condition appeared
just before the accident happened, the property owner may not
be liable as they may not have known about the condition and they
may not have had time to resolve the issue. However, if the condition
was present for a long time or is a recurring incident, the property
owner may still be liable for any slip and fall injuries.
How much is awarded for slip and fall injuries is determined
by where the case is filed and by the extent of a person's injury.
Settlements inside the city are generally rewarded more than those
outside of the city where the cost of living is lower. Many factors
are taken into consideration when determining the value of a case
of slip and fall injuries.
These factors include what happened to cause the accident, where
it happened, insurance coverage, how much money the defendant
has, how severe the injury is, whether it's a good case or not,
the assets and insurance of anyone else who is in any way part
of the accident, and the lawyer presenting the case.
The term damages refers to the dollar amount awarded to a slip
and fall case. The two types of damages are general damages and
special damages. General damages includes things such as the wages
lost if the injured person is prevented from working and not being
promoted at a job that would have promoted the individual if the
accident had not occurred.
Other items include not being able to drive or do simple chores,
loss of ability to partake in hobbies and pain and suffering.
Pain and suffering is the most common type of damages awarded
for slip and fall injuries and includes placing a value on the
pain and suffering that the person has endured due to the ailments.
Special damages refers to things such as covering any costs incurred
related to the slip and fall accident. This includes hospital
stays, any medical supplies needed, transportation costs to and
from doctor's appointments, and any child care that might be needed.
If slip and fall injuries do occur on the owner's property, that
the injured party should inspect the area of the incident. They
should write down what caused them to trip, anyone who saw the
incident, the names, addresses, and phone numbers of anyone who
lives in the vicinity. They should also record how they felt directly
after the slip and fall accident. This information will be helpful
in describing the incident to an attorney when help is sought.
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