Even though slip-and-fall accidents are relatively common, they can be extremely dangerous and lead to complex legal and medical disputes.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a slip-and-fall accident, you need a Duluth personal injury lawyer at your side. You should be able to take the time you need to recover without having to worry about a lawsuit or how you will pay for medical treatment. Duluth’s Barrios Virgüez Attorneys want to ensure you are given that chance.
What Is a Slip-and-Fall Accident?
A slip-and-fall accident is exactly what it sounds like. It is an incident in which someone slips (trips, loses balance, grabs for something unstable) and falls, for any reason, and suffers an injury. The injured person may commence legal action if they were lawfully on someone else’s property at the time of the slip-and-fall.
If it is work-related, depending on the employee-employer agreement and the state’s worker’s compensation laws, the injured person may have to file a different claim if they were at work during the time of the slip-and-fall.
For a free legal consultation with a slip and fall accidents lawyer serving Duluth, call 678-888-2222
What to Do After a Slip-and-Fall Accident
The steps you take immediately following an accident are vital to building the strongest legal case possible if you or someone you care about has been injured.
After falling, slipping, and tripping, follow these steps:
1. Check for Injuries While Staying Still
Make sure you are safe. Jumping back on your feet right after falling is not a good idea. Injuries to the back or spine can be made worse by this, which can be especially dangerous.
If you feel anything sharp, aching, or other, take a moment to check for them. Stay where you are until paramedics arrive if you have back pain or tingling in your arms and legs.
2. Get Medical Help
You must seek medical attention not just for your safety, but also to build your case. You must document your injuries after a slip-and-fall. Creating an expert record of your injuries begins with visiting a doctor immediately after your slip-and-fall.
3. Take Pictures
In addition to listening to witnesses and visualizing the scene, jurors benefit from seeing photos of the scene. Take pictures of the scene even if you aren’t sure what you are photographing.
It’s fine to use your smartphone. Don’t forget to take photos of the floor, the area surrounding you, and even the surrounding area.
It is possible to determine what is most important later with the help of your attorney. Your version of events can be proven accurate with photos.
4. Find Witnesses
You need witnesses to verify what you say. Your best witnesses might be other customers at a business if you slip and fall there. If you want them to testify on your behalf, you need their contact information.
Get the names, phone numbers, addresses, and e-mail addresses of witnesses. Ask them to explain what they saw briefly.
5. File for Insurance
Call the appropriate insurance company after you have taken care of your medical needs. Most likely, the property owner will be responsible for paying damages if someone falls on the property.
A person, business, or government could be responsible for your accident, depending on where it happened. If you have been injured on a property, contact the owner’s insurance company.
6. Contact a Slip-and-Fall Lawyer in Duluth
In most states, there is a deadline of two years for filing a premises liability claim. A lawyer can help you meet that deadline.
In addition to taking care of the insurance claims process, identifying the right parties for compensation, and negotiating with the insurance claims adjuster on your behalf, your lawyer can also process the insurance claims.
Duluth Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer Near Me 678-888-2222
Duluth Slip-and-Fall Accident Compensation
A property owner (or anyone hired to act on their behalf) is responsible for keeping their property in a safe condition so that their employees, visitors, customers, and others can move around freely.
In the event they fail to do so, they may be liable for damages, including:
- Suffering and pain: As a result of the accident, you are suffering physical and emotional damages.
- Disability: Disabilities can be caused by temporary or permanent injuries that prevent you from functioning normally.
- Scarring: Your body may be permanently marked by very deep cuts or surgical scars.
- Treatment costs: Hospitalizations, physical therapy, prescription medication, and psychiatric treatment may be covered.
- Wage loss: Depending on the severity of the injury, you may not be able to fulfill your regular job duties until the injury has healed.
- Incapacity to earn: Your lawsuit can include the value of your future lost wages if your injuries are so severe that you cannot work as much as you used to.
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How a Duluth Slip-and-Fall Lawyer Can Help
If you slip and fall, what you do afterward is crucial to getting a fair settlement. Verification and documentation are essential to preserving and building your slip-and-fall claim.
In addition to seeking immediate medical attention and taking photographs, you should also identify witnesses as soon as possible after a slip-and-fall. Working with a qualified personal injury lawyer as soon as possible is crucial. For maximum recovery, they prepare slip-and-fall cases and can build upon what you’ve already started.
You can maximize your recovery and make the claims process as smooth as possible by hiring a slip-and-fall attorney in Duluth who can ask you the right questions.
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Common Slip-and-Fall Accidents
The umbrella term slip-and-fall is used to describe a range of these types of injuries. The sensitive nature of all personal injury cases requires differentiating between these different terms. Here are some common ways to describe different slip-and-fall accidents.
- Slip-and-fall: Liquids on the ground, wet areas, or slippery objects cause these accidents.
- Trip and fall: This type of accident occurs when a person trips over an object or uneven surface in their path.
- Step and fall: Despite its rarity, this is a distinct type of fall injury. In this accident, there is a hole in the path or a low spot that causes the fall.
Common Causes of Slip-and-Fall Accidents
One of the top tasks your slip and fall accident lawyer in Duluth, GA is responsible for is figuring out who is responsible for causing your injuries. The way your slip and fall injuries occurred will help your attorney reveal the at-fault party.
With that in mind, some of the more common causes of slip-and-fall accident injuries include
- Wet floors
- Snow and ice
- Debris in the walkways
- Unsecured flooring or carpeting
- Broken stairs or railings
- Ladder accidents
- Defective or malfunctioning escalators and elevators
Liability and Negligence for Duluth Slips and Falls
Once we have a better idea of how your injuries occurred, your slip and fall injury lawyer in Duluth, GA will gather the evidence needed to prove the defendant’s negligence and liability for your damages.
In the majority of slip-and-fall accident claims, the property owner is responsible for the victim’s damages. This is generally because property owners have a duty to ensure their premises are safe for guests and patrons at all times. Any failure to uphold this obligation is tantamount to negligence and leaves the property owner open to liability claims.
The Open and Obvious Doctrine
However, property owners who make hazards open and obvious can escape culpability. Under the open and obvious doctrine, if hazardous conditions have been made obvious through vibrant signs and other efforts, the property owner could escape culpability, as they have done their part to notify guests and patrons of potential hazards.
A perfect example of property owners keeping the open and obvious doctrine in mind or restaurants that put out wet floor signs when mopping or clearing spilled beverages. The bright yellow wet floor signs indicate the area is dangerous, and guests should proceed with caution. Without a wet floor sign, the restaurant could be sued if any patrons slipped and fell due to the wet floor.
Contact a Duluth Slip-and-Fall Lawyer Today
Slip-and-fall accidents caused by property owners’ negligence in Duluth may result in serious injuries and other losses, and you could be entitled to compensation. To prevent others from suffering as you have, the person responsible for your slip-and-fall accident should be held accountable.
This is where a Duluth slip-and-fall lawyer comes into play. Seek compensation in Duluth, Georgia, by hiring a Duluth slip-and-fall attorney at Barrios Virgüez. When it comes to reimbursement for your slip-and-fall injuries and lost wages, they will do everything in their power to ensure you receive what you deserve. Schedule your appointment today.
Call or text 678-888-2222 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
