Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip & Fall Accidents
Why Do Slip and Fall Accidents Occur?
Over 70% of falls occur due to dangerous conditions and hazards in our environment. Dangerous conditions that cause slip and fall accidents frequently result from poor design or improper maintenance. Other hazards are created by the presence of slippery surfaces and substances, such as areas with food spillage or water leakage.
Where Do Slip and Fall Accidents Occur?
Slip and fall accidents occur virtually everywhere – in a supermarket or shopping mall; at school or at an office; or on a sidewalk. Your slip and fall may be caused, for example, by a defect in flooring, which may be wet or uneven, or else it may be attributable to inadequate lighting that obstructs your ability to foresee a danger.
How Do Slip and Fall Accidents Occur?
Slip and fall accidents have two main types of mechanism. In one slip and fall scenario, your front foot slips forward, causing you to fall backward. In the alternative scenario, your rear foot slips backward, causing you to fall forward. A related type of accident, a trip and fall, occurs when your foot comes into contact with an obstacle, such as a protrusion, along your path.
The traumatic impact of a slip and fall or a trip and fall accident can cause severe and long-lasting injuries. Therefore, if you suffer a slip and fall or a trip and fall, it is in your best interests that you seek medical and legal help without delay.
What Should You Do After a Slip and Fall Accident?
Seek Medical Help for Your Slip and Fall Injuries. If you suffer a slip and fall or a trip and fall, seek immediate medical attention for your injuries. In the case of severe injuries, an ambulance should be summoned for emergency transport to a hospital. Too often, however, severe injuries sustained in a slip and fall accident may not manifest themselves for some days or weeks, making it all the more important that you be examined by a medical provider without delay.
Determine the Hazard That Caused Your Slip and Fall.
Take Photos. In order to have a viable slip and fall (or trip and fall) claim, it is necessary to identify the dangerous condition or hazard that caused you to slip and fall. Time is of the essence in preserving the evidence at the site of your fall. Therefore, do what is reasonably necessary to take photos. If you have a camera with you (your cell phone will do), snap photos, or ask a companion or anyone at the scene to take one.
Report the Slip and Fall Accident. If you suffer your slip and fall injury in any commercial establishment, such as a store, a supermarket, or a mall, you should report the slip and fall accident to management right there and then. It is very important to document your slip and fall accident in this way. Incident reports contain useful information about the accident, including the date and time of the slip and fall, the names of witnesses, and the circumstances of the injury. Most importantly, incident reports help establish that the slip and fall accident actually occurred, preventing a property owner from later claiming that the incident never took place.
Contact a Reputable Attorney. Time is of the essence after a slip and fall (or a trip and fall) accident, so you should protect your rights by immediately contacting a reputable slip and fall attorney. A prompt investigation is vital to a successful slip and fall claim. In many instances, the hazard that caused the slip and fall may be a temporary one (such as a liquid spill in a supermarket) and may be cleaned up quickly, destroying critical evidence for your case. An expert slip and fall attorney will initiate the proper steps to preserve evidence, identify and locate witnesses, and assist you in obtaining the necessary medical care. He will also protect against complicated filing deadlines, which for some slip and fall claims may be as short as six months if certain government entities are involved. Failure to meet these deadlines may mean that any claim for compensation that you may have for your slip and fall injuries is lost forever.
We help clients recover rightful compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering associated with slip and fall accidents. No matter what type of accident you have been involved in, our attorneys have the experience and dedication to help you recover from the tragedy. Our firm’s lawyers have the skills and tenacity to prove fault, even when liability is initially unclear. We are prepared to invest substantial resources investigating the cause of personal injury accidents. At Shocklee & Paolino, we are committed to recovering maximum compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and any rehabilitative costs associated with the accident.
Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
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Related Slip & Fall Articles
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St. Petersburg Slip and fall: How to know if you have a Valid Slip and Fall Claim.