Slip-and-fall accidents may cause serious bodily injury or death. If you suffered injuries during a slip-and-fall injury, then you should speak with an experienced slip-and-fall lawyer in Pennsylvania. Our personal injury firm has years of experience recovering the compensation people deserve.
The Most Common Injuries Victims Suffer During Slip and Fall Accidents
The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that slip-and-fall accidents are one of the top three leading causes of death due to physical injuries in the United States. Individuals can slip on many different types of surfaces in restaurants, commercial warehouses, and shopping malls. In fact, almost any place where people walk is a potential site of a slip-and-fall accident.
The following are some of the most common injuries suffered by slip-and-fall accident victims:
- Sprains
- Strains
- Dislocated shoulder
- Spinal cord injuries
- Fractured bones
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Neck injuries
Slip-and-fall accidents sometimes cause injuries that lead to temporary or permanent disability. Physical rehabilitation and physical therapy are often essential components of a treatment plan. Every slip-and-fall accident is unique, and sometimes an individual suffers injuries that are not often seen in these types of accidents.
A Slip and Fall Lawyer Can Help You
Injured victims often want to know how a slip-and-fall attorney in Pennsylvania can help them. Civil litigation is complex, and most cases take from six months to two years to settle. Approximately five percent of all civil cases go to trial.
If you have no knowledge of civil procedure or the rules of evidence, it will likely be impossible for you to represent yourself in a trial. Retaining a Pennsylvania slip-and-fall accident lawyer will help you seek financial compensation for your injuries. You do not want to risk having your case dismissed due to simple mistakes that could have been corrected by an attorney.
Most Personal Injury Lawyers Work on a Contingency Fee Basis
Accident victims often do not know if they can afford to retain a personal injury lawyer. A slip-and-fall accident lawyer will not charge any fees at the beginning of the legal representation. The only way a slip-and-fall attorney can obtain money for their services is if they recover monetary compensation on your behalf.
A Pennsylvania slip-and-fall attorney will deduct a percentage of your settlement or judgment to cover their fee. Sometimes lawyers will charge an hourly rate or a retainer fee. However, many accident victims need time to recover from their injuries before they return to work, and this is one of the reasons personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis.
Seeking Medical Treatment for Your Injuries
It is imperative that you seek medical treatment as soon as possible after a slip-and-fall accident. Creating a record of your injuries and the treatment you received will help you establish your legal claims. If you wait too long to seek medical treatment, then insurance companies may argue that your injuries are unrelated to the slip-and-fall accident.
If you go to the hospital directly from the accident scene you should work with your slip-and-fall lawyer to request records of your hospitalization. You may have records from your general practitioner and medical specialists. Gathering these records together will strengthen your personal injury case.
The University of Pennsylvania’s Level 1 Trauma Center treats patients who suffer injuries during slip-and-fall injuries. Approximately 26 % of all the injuries treated at the University of Pennsylvania’s Level 1 Trauma Center are caused by falls.
The Most Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip-and-fall accidents may occur in apartment complexes, shopping malls, and parking structures. It is possible for a slip-and-fall accident to take place on any surface. You may suffer injuries during an accident at the workplace, and in this case you may need to also speak to a workers’ compensation attorney.
Some injury victims do not understand what caused them to fall in a particular location. Sometimes a wet surface may cause a fall, and at other times a rotten staircase may cause a person to suffer injuries. The following are some of the most common causes of slip-and-fall accidents in Pennsylvania:
- Electric cords
- Inadequate floor construction
- Poor lighting
- Hazardous floors
- Wet floors containing no warning signs
- Food left on the ground
- Recently mopped floors
- Slippery surfaces
- Unclean floors
- Liquids on the ground
The majority of slip-and-fall accidents should never have occurred in the first place. Typically, an individual or an entity was negligent because the dangerous condition was not made safe. Also, owners and occupiers of land must warn individuals about dangerous artificial conditions on their land.
The Types of Damages You Can Claim in a Slip and Fall Accident Case
Injured victims can claim general damages, special damages, and punitive damages as part of a civil lawsuit. General damages refer to subjective injuries such as pain and suffering and emotional distress. Special damages refer to quantifiable damages such as medical bills and lost wages.
Punitive damages are not common in all slip-and-fall accident cases. However, punitive damages are reserved for cases in which the defendant commits conduct that is wanton, willful, and malicious. Courts award punitive damages to punish defendants and to deter defendants from committing the same egregious conduct in the future.
The following are some examples of the damages you can claim in a slip-and-fall accident case:
- Emotional distress
- Lost earnings
- Medical bills
- Loss of enjoyment of life
To learn more about how much your claim is worth, speak to a Pennsylvania slip-and-fall accident attorney.
Contact Rand Spear Today to Schedule a Free Consultation
If you need a slip-and-fall lawyer to seek monetary compensation for your injuries, then reach out to Rand Spear and the injury lawyers at Spear Greenfield in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Our attorneys have years of experience representing clients in slip-and-fall accident cases.
You can schedule a free consultation with an experienced lawyer today.
During the consultation, you can learn more about your legal rights and how a slip-and-fall attorney can help you. A Pennsylvania slip-and-fall lawyer can help you with every aspect of your case.