It’s bad enough to experience a serious injury while on someone else’s property, but when the accident was preventable, the injuries that you have suffered are compounded. Slip and fall cases often result in injuries such as broken bones, sprains, hip fractures, shoulder injuries, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). These injuries are common and so are slip and fall cases. You deserve to be compensated.
Property owners in Texas, Michigan and everywhere else in the nation have a duty to the public to warn them of potential dangers. They must also ensure the property is safe for customers and employees. This may entail patching crumbled steps, repairing un-even surfaces, installing staircase hand rails and mopping up spills promptly.
This is referred to as “premises liability,” which refers to a property owner’s responsibility to ensure safe conditions for residents, visitors, employees and customers. As such, property owners can be held liable – financially — for slip and fall accidents that occur on their property.
How a PI Lawyer Helps
When you suffer an injury that could have been prevented had the owner of the property properly addressed the issue or maintained the area in the first place, you need a trusted slip and fall attorney on your side to fight your case. They can help in several ways:
- Navigating the System: Your attorney knows what is needed from the court to win or settle the case. If you go it alone or you miss a step, you could set the case back months or more. The courts and insurance companies tend not to be very forgiving when it comes to missed deadlines. You need an on-the-ball attorney to keep things running seamlessly.
- Case Determination: Just because you got hurt while on someone’s property doesn’t automatically mean you have a slam dunk case. Many factors will determine how strong your case is or if you even have a case at all. Your attorney will let you know what the courts would view as “reasonable” in regards to the property owner’s actions. If you are able to show that the property owner was aware of the danger (or should have been aware of it), and neglected to correct the problem within a reasonable timeframe, you could win the case or at least get a decent settlement. On the other side of the coin, be prepared when the property owner’s attorney argues that if you had shown reasonable care, the accident would never have happened in the first place. This is a valid and strong argument, and you will need a qualified advocate in your corner to argue it for you.
- Case Documentation and Assessment: Being able to assess the situation and properly document everything involved in your case is critical. You need to outline how the accident scene played out, typically through the gathering of photographs, statements, records of past incidents, and letters and complaints from others. To do this on your own can be very time consuming. Your personal injury lawyer will have the resources, time and patience to effectively gather these items, and then connect you with the proper medical experts who will testify to an accurate diagnostic statement that also includes your prognosis for the future.
Contact the Law Office of Brian Brunson
Have you been injured in a slip and fall accident? Contact us today to learn how we can help you with a free initial consultation.