Everyone slips and falls once in a while, so we’re taught to think both that it’s not a big deal and that we’re always the one to blame. Sometimes, though, neither of these things is true.
Far from being a minor issue, slip and fall injuries are one of the top reasons that send Florida residents to the emergency room every year. Eight million Americans visit the hospital with slip and fall injuries each year, and half of deaths by accident result from falls.
Moreover, slip and fall injuries cost millions in medical expenses and lost income to thousands of innocent victims.
Despite this, many people hesitate before filing a claim. Because they’ve been taught to believe falls are always their fault – but they’re not.
You should not have to financially suffer when someone else is at fault for your slip and fall injury. Read on to discover the reasons why you should consider filing a personal injury lawsuit.
Reasons to Pursue a Slip and Fall Claim
There are many good reasons to sue for compensation if you are injured in a slip and fall accident. Here are some of the best reasons you should consider filing a claim.
Paying off your medical bills
Not all injuries require a single treatment. Many injuries require months of physical therapy or rehabilitation. If post-traumatic stress disorder is attributed to your accident, you may need cognitive therapy to recover.
These medical bills can add up over time. If you file a claim and win your case, your expenses for hospital visits, doctor appointments, physical therapy, surgeries, medication, and more will be covered.
Lost income
An injury can put you out of work, and your employer may not be willing or able to pay you for the time that you lost. Your injury may also adversely affect your ability to work in the future, which can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. A skilled attorney will be able to estimate how much lost income can be recouped through a slip and fall lawsuit.
Lost ability
Your injury may affect your ability to complete your daily tasks, such as driving, taking care of children, or managing a home. If the injury has a significant impact on your ability to handle your responsibilities, a lawyer can help figure a price for it and seek compensation from the liable party.
Pain and suffering
In cases where you endured prolonged pain and suffering in addition to the original injury, your attorney can help you seek non-economic damages from the entities responsible for the accident.
Getting closure
When you are wronged by someone, it can be hard to just move on with your life knowing that they will get away with it and face no consequences. Even if there are no criminal penalties that can be assessed, filing a civil lawsuit provides you with the opportunity to hold them accountable.
Bringing about positive change
Particularly if the negligent party is a business or large corporation, suing them for an improper act can force them to fix the issue going forward. It is something that may protect others from suffering as you did in the future.
Who Is Accountable for My Slip and Fall Injury?
Your lawyer will review the details of your case to determine who is at fault for your injuries. Every slip and fall injury case must contain the following four elements in order for you to receive compensation.
Duty
The defendant had a duty to provide a reasonably safe environment for your use.
Breach of Duty
The defendant was negligent in meeting their duty to you.
Causation
The defendant’s breach of duty directly caused injury to you.
Damages
You experienced economic losses as a result of the injury.
Here are several examples of slip and fall cases that could qualify for compensation.
- A hotel failed to cordon off a wet floor in the lobby. As a guest of the hotel, you fell and broke your leg when you walked in the wet area.
- A dance club owner failed to clean up a spill in a reasonable amount of time. You slipped and endured a concussion after dancing near the spill.
- The bathroom in a restaurant had liquid soap on the floor. When you washed your hands, you slipped on the soap and injured your hands and wrists while you braced for the fall.
As you can see, there are all kinds of reasons to pursue a slip and fall injury claim, and any number of situations that may qualify and allow you to receive compensation. Ultimately, though, you are the one who has to make the decision. Just make sure you are informed before you do so.
About the Author:
Andrew Winston is a partner at the personal injury law firm of Winston Law. For over 20 years, he has successfully represented countless people in all kinds of personal injury cases, with a particular focus on child injury, legal malpractice, and premises liability. He has been recognized for excellence in the representation of injured clients by admission to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, is AV Preeminent Rated by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, enjoys a 10.0 rating by AVVO as a Top Personal Injury Attorney, has been selected as a Florida “SuperLawyer” from 2011-2017 – an honor reserved for the top 5% of lawyers in the state – and was voted to Florida Trend’s ”Legal Elite” and as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Florida and one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the Miami area for 2015, 2016, and 2017.
