One of the most common types of accident is a slip & fall accident. This can happen in virtually any type of setting. It could be in the workplace, on the city streets, in a commercial business, shopping mall, department store, pharmacy, super market, etc. When a slip & fall or trip & fall accident occurs, the individual can suffer serious injuries, particularly when the head, neck and spine are involved. Slip & fall accidents can cause serious or even life-threatening injuries. Some of the types of injuries that occur in include:
When head and spinal injuries occur, they can have very serious effects on the cognitive abilities of the victim. If you or a loved one has suffered a slip & fall or trip & fall injury on a wet floor, uneven pavement or other hazardous walking surface our law firm can help. Our legal team will quickly evaluate your case and advise you how best to move forward in making a claim.
Law limits the time you have to establish the claim, especially if you are case involves suing the City of New York. If you are offered, a quick “settlement” do not take it without first discussing it with an attorney. Often injured individuals are made a fast offer by an insurance company or business owner in order to avoid a higher payment that may result when an attorney is involved.
Information contained on our website should answer most of basic questions related to Slip & Fall / Trip & Fall accidents. Please remember all Slip & Fall / Trip & Fall accidents are unique. The set of circumstances surrounding every accident vary the outcome of the settlement of that case. Each case needs to evaluated and litigated in a specialized manner to ensure the best outcome for the client. At our law firm we will work hard to get you the most compensation for your injuries.
Trip and Fall Accident
A foreign object in the pathway caused the fall (i.e. stack of books); an impediment in the pathway caused the fall (i.e. power cord, uneven sidewalk, pot hole or broken sidewalk)
Slip and Fall Accidents
The surface of the pathway is in a condition that causes the person to slip (i.e. wet surface) an area is unexpectedly wet or uneven. If it can be shown that the owner of the property either knew about or caused the unsafe condition and did nothing to fix or warn of it, he may be held liable for any injury incurred from a slip and fall/ trip and fall accident. The most common location of a slip and fall/ trip and fall injury occurs either at home, workplace or while shopping. However, slip & fall / trip & fall accidents can take place virtually anywhere.
Too often, when people suffer a serious injury because of a fall, they assume that they were careless. This may be a very wrong assumption, especially in retail stores, shopping malls or virtually any public place. Retailers especially are skilled at distracting you with attractive displays and excessive merchandise. However when you fall or trip over merchandise, they blame you for the very conditions that the retailer created. It’s not fair. At work place Slip & fall / trip & fall, injuries that are the result of unsafe working conditions may be the result of not following OSHA regulations. If an employer neglects the safety of his workers by allowing an unsafe condition to persist, he/she can be liable for any injuries obtained by slip and fall/ trip and fall.
Common Causes Of Slip And Fall Accidents
Slip And Fall Accidents Medical Bills
The medical bills can pile up fast after any slip & fall / trip & fall accident. Depending on the location of the accident, the medical bills either become the part of the actual lawsuit or may be paid by the insurance company of the property owner where the accident actually took place.
Certain insurance policies including a provision called “med pay”. At our law firm we specialize in establishing med pay claims provided that the provision exists in the insurance policy of the property owner where the accident took place. If there is no med pay included, the medical bills become a part of the actual lawsuit. Its curtail to hire a law firm that is educated on proper New York State fee schedule for physicians. In some cases, hospitals and or healthcare providers may charge what’s known as “customary fee” and or come up with their own fee schedule to put a lien on the case. These fees can include unnecessary medical record fee and or medical narrative report fee.
In all Slip & Fall/ Trip & Fall cases it is important to have a report to account for the incident. The report should be completed around the time of the incident, as delaying may lead to key details being left out. The report should include the time, location, and cause of the incident as well as any information relating to people that witnessed either the accident or the conditions that led to the accident. If possible, take photographs of the area as quickly as possible. It is important to promptly report and investigate a slip and fall/ trip and fall accident. We can help arrange for investigative work, including access to the property and photographs of the property. In many cases there are deadlines to which a notice must be given to the accused party. Therefore, it is highly recommended that one follow up on a slip and fall/ trip and fall case as quickly as possible.
Don’t Assume that You Were at Fault, whether a business property, an apartment complex, a retail store, or a school building, property owners can be legally held responsible for injuries to the public caused by unsafe conditions. Too often, when people suffer a serious injury because of a fall, they assume that they were careless. This may be a very wrong assumption, especially in retail stores. Retailers are skilled at distracting you with attractive displays and excessive merchandise. However when you fall or trip over merchandise, they blame you for the very conditions that the retailer created. It’s not fair.
Medical Treatment, It’s very important to have yourself medically checked out following any slip & fall / trip & fall accident. This is especially true if you suffer any head injuries. It’s common for symptoms to develop within 72 hours of the accident, pain in any part of body should be examined as soon as it starts to develop. It VERY important that any injuries that took place in the incident get treated and documented at a medical facility as soon as possible, so it cannot be speculated that any injuries were obtained between the time of the of the fall and the doctor trip.
