Injuries From Slip and Falls: Who’s Responsible?
Did you know that in 2020, there were 6,841,044 injuries from unintentional falls in the United States of America? These injuries comprised 35.3% of all non-fatal injuries, making it the leading cause of injuries for the entire year. Damages from incidents like this can be fatal, and a Houston slip-and-fall lawyer can help you receive maximum compensation.
Regardless of your race, sex, and age, slip and fall injury remains a top reason for hospitalization and immediate care assistance in the U.S. This is why it’s important to know how to prevent these types of catastrophic accidents and what to do when it happens to you or your loved one.
Read on to learn some tips and information from an experienced personal injury lawyer.
What are the common effects of a slip-and-fall accident?
One would think that any type of slip-and-fall accident is not a big deal since you’ve probably had one more than a few times in your life. However, fall injuries can lead to dangerous conditions that could negatively affect your life. Falls are not one to be easily dismissed.
When you get into a trip and fall accident, you may have the following effects:
Cuts and Bruises
Easily, the first effect of any kind of trip and fall is cuts and bruises. When a person falls, the impact of a fall can cause blood vessels to form when the skin breaks. Additionally, if there are sharp objects or the impact of the fall is too large, you could get cuts that need to be treated with anti-bacterial creams.
Sprains
One of the most common effects of slip and falls is sprains. Sprains happen, when after a fall, a person twists the ligaments of their joints. Usually, you feel better after a sprain in two weeks’ time. You need to avoid strenuous activities if you’re nursing a sprain. In a fall, you mostly sprain your wrist or your ankle.
Fractures
Separate from a sprain, a fracture is when there’s a broken bone. Once a fall happens, the impact of the fall can break one’s bones. Fractures take more time to heal than sprains. Aside from setting the bone back, you may need to rehabilitate your muscles and bones with physical therapy.
For aging patients, a fall could result in a hip fracture that needs surgical repair. This type of fracture can be life-threatening. Additionally, you would need medication to manage the pain that may never go away despite the fracture healing.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Another serious injury from a fall would be damage to the spinal cord. This type of injury would result in the victim’s loss of mobility and feeling in their limbs. Treatment and pain management would take years and medical bills would continue to come in for the rest of one’s life.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
When you’re in a fall accident, you may hit your head, and the impact could cause a Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI. These types of injuries could be non-fatal or fatal depending on the pressure exerted on the head. You can have a range of symptoms from a simple headache to slipping into a coma.
The severe effects of TBIs do not easily present themselves. Most often, it takes time for these effects to manifest themselves. Thus, some fall victims dismiss the symptoms and do not connect them with a fall accident that may have happened weeks or months before.
What are the common causes of trips and falls?
Knowing the effects of a slip and fall case is one thing, but a good way to prevent them is knowing the cause of these accidents. In theory, once you know these causes, you can create ways to prevent such accidents from happening to you or your loved ones.
According to the National Safety Council, falls are 100% preventable. To do so is to provide extra care and vigilance of safety for you and your family. This is also a good practice not just for your home but also in your workplace.
Most slip-and-fall accidents happen when you’re fully engaged and focused on your work that you may not be as aware of your surroundings. However, that doesn’t mean that you do not have a right to a safe work environment.
Here are some ways to prevent falls in your workplace and your home:
- Clear out clutter on the floors.
- Cabinets and desk drawers should be properly closed.
- Properly arrange furniture and other large items out of regular pathways
- Install visible and good lighting both indoors and outdoors.
- Wear proper clothing and footwear to maximize safety.
- Use proper equipment.
- Install handrails or safety equipment such as railings and ramps
- Instill proper training for your workers.
- Replace or repair old and broken equipment.
Who is Liable for A Slip or a Trip and Fall?
Determining who is responsible for your slip and fall can be daunting, depending on the circumstances of your fall accident. Insurance companies tend to put more effort into investigating premises liability claims to lessen the costs on their end.
In Texas and California, a property owner may be liable for the accident if they are knowingly negligent. This entails that the property owner knows that the fall circumstances would happen and did not do anything to prevent anyone from getting into an accident.
What does that look like? Here are some examples:
- Spills or liquids on surfaces that may cause falls (for example, excessive watering of lawns or plumbing leaks)
- Not repairing broken equipment or replacing broken equipment at work
- Misplaced cords or unnecessary clutter on pathways
- Not putting in warnings signs near possibly dangerous areas on the premises
- Uneven flooring or loose carpeting
- Putting attractive nuisance or any dangerous condition that attracts children designing it without their safety in mind.
There are many more examples when a property owner or employer was negligible and caused fall injuries.
Now, you may wonder, who is the property owner in this case? A property owner or someone liable is considered the person with a primary duty of care to protect you from harm when you are in their respective area. This means that if you feel in a property owned, leased, occupied, or controlled by a person or an organization or company, they are the liable property owners.
Why Should You Contact a Slip and Fall Lawyer?
Not all slip and fall accidents can be a premise liability claim. Understanding if you could pursue any case against the responsible party takes time and knowledge. The best way to know your chance is by consulting with a slip-and-fall attorney.
Aside from knowing whether to pursue a case, a legal representative could advise you on what settlement amount to accept. Some insurance companies would want to give an amount that is less than you deserve. They do not account for damages such as lost wages, pain, suffering, disability, or other settlement factors besides medical bills.
A consultation with a slip-and-fall lawyer in Houston will help you decide whether to pursue legal action against the property owners.
Best Slip and Fall Lawyer in Texas and California
Finding the best slip-and-fall lawyer does not have to be a burden or a difficult task. If you are in a trip and fall accident, here are the qualities of the best slip and fall lawyer to look for:
- Plenty of similar case experiences
- Multiple successes in premises liability cases
- Easily accessible and has offices near your area.
Last, you need to find a lawyer who cares for you. One crucial factor is how the law firm prices its services. Most would need retainers and upfront fees. The ideal payment option would be via contingency fees.
How does it show care? With contingency-based payment, law firms would not be given an upfront fee. Instead, they would be given a portion of your settlement or compensation amount. This ensures that the law firm will do everything it takes for you to win your premise liability case.
Luckily, Roxell Richards Injury Law Firm ticks all the boxes of being the best slip-and-fall lawyer in Texas and California. With over 15 years of experience dealing with slip and fall, trip and fall, and premises liability cases, you can be confident that this law firm knows the ins and outs of these legal proceedings.
Additionally, a personal injury lawyer like Roxell Richards caters to underserved and underprivileged families in Texas and California. Beyond the courtroom, Roxell Richards also serves the community and ensures that the community thrives alongside it.
Get your free case evaluation today. Call 713-974-03988 or text us. Let’s start discussing your legal options for fall accidents today!
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