| Falls are consistently the major cause of accidents resulting in injuries. Hundreds thousands of people are injured yearly - some very badly - when they slip or trip up and fall on a rough patch of ground, a dangerous floor or a flight of stairs.
Since property owners are responsible for maintaining safety on the premises and warning visitors of possible hazards, they can be liable for injuries that happen because of dangerous conditions on their property. Slip-and-fall accidents can lead to various injuries, ranging from the relatively mild to the extremely severe.
A slip-and-fall accident can occur nearly anyplace, on private or public property, outdoors and indoors. A slip-and-fall injury can happen because of hazards as follows: bad weather conditions (for instance, ice, snow, or rain), uneven sidewalks, potholes, poorly lit or unmarked pathways or stairs, slippery tiling, unbalanced flooring, rippled carpet or foreign matters on the floor or walkway.
Typical injuries resulting from slip-and-fall accidents range in severity. An injured person may suffer broken bones, scrapes and bruises that need minimal medical aid and heal relatively promptly. Others may suffer an enormous personal injury – a brain injury, spinal cord injury, or burn injury – that triggers lifelong damage and requires ongoing medical care. In the worst case scenario, the victim dies because of his or her injuries. If this happens, and the accident occurred because of the property owner's negligence, then the death is regarded as wrongful and can be litigated as such.
The sooner you lodge a lawsuit after the injury, the better off you will probably be. Most slip-and-fall injury claims are lodged within thirty days of the injury. The reason for this is that if you wait too long, your suit may be considered a frivolous one. If there is even a hint of frivolity in your case, you are more likely to get it dismissed.
After a slip-and-fall accident you should first visit a medical practitioner to examine the extent of your injury. This will prove that you did really suffer an injury resulting from a slip-and-fall accident, and can be invaluable in your case. You must keep detailed records of the medical aid you received, and records of any work you missed and the amount of money it cost you. Any extra costs, such as medicines, transportation, physical therapy, and the like should also be thoroughly recorded. There expenses can be repaid, if you win the lawsuit. |