Slip and fall cases often fall under a type of personal injury law known as premises liability. They can be challenging legal matters often riddled with confusing jargon. That makes working with an experienced Riverdale slip and fall lawyer the best option. Winning your slip and fall case demands having adequate evidence that proves the property owner is liable for the accident.
The law demands that property owners take steps to fix safety hazards and also post warning signs to alert visitors of possible dangers. When accidents happen due to the property owner’s recklessness or negligence, victims have grounds for suing the owner to get compensation for pain, suffering, and financial burdens associated with the slip and fall injuries.
At Humphrey & Ballard Law, we specialize in personal injury law and have a highly experienced team that tackles slip and fall cases. We are more than glad to be the legal counsel that will fight for you, helping you ensure justice is served and you receive the maximum settlement for your slip and fall injuries.
Call us at 404-341-0499 or visit our law office to speak to our lawyers to learn more about our services and what you should do to secure your interests. Get in touch as soon as possible to book a free case review.
What Are the Causes of Common Slip and Fall Accidents?
A significant number of emergency room visits are linked to slip and fall incidents. Some are in the victim’s properties, but a substantial number of them happen on other people’s properties. The accidents often result in severe injuries. We have seen cases where people sustained head trauma, bone fractures, severe bruising, spinal damage, and other life-changing injuries.
The accidents are mostly attributed to unsafe conditions like:
- Inadequate maintenance and structural defects that create hazardous conditions like broken floors, torn carpets, uneven steps, and cracked sidewalks which can easily trip a person or cause them to slip and fall.
- Unlike or dimly lit walkways, hallways, and pavements the result is poor visibility increasing the risk of a person slipping/tripping and falling.
- Malfunctioning escalators and unmaintained staircases with missing or weak handrails.
- Slick or wet surfaces, especially those with smooth finishing pose a significant risk of people slipping and falling.
- Spills that are not mopped away in hospitals, nursing homes, stores, and restaurants.
- Debris from dead or unpruned trees that poses a danger.
- Not installing and maintaining gutters and storm drains as well as anti-slip devices that lower the risk of slips and falls during snowfall and rainfall.
- Failure to salt snow or shovel it away to mitigate the risk of people slipping and falling.
- Not putting up signs to warn people of potential dangers or restrict entry to such areas.
How Can a Riverdale Slip and Fall Lawyer Help Me With My Case?
As a law firm specializing in personal injury cases, we discovered that having a team of skilled and proficient professionals is essential to building a strong case. Slip and fall lawsuits might entail some hurdles, but we are confident we can handle everything we encounter. At Humphrey and Ballard Law, you will find a seasoned and reliable slip and fall attorney in Riverdale, Georgia that will ensure we win and you get compensated.
Part of our success is also founded on having enough resources and vast knowledge of personal injury laws. It also is grounded on professionalism in how we offer our legal services to every client. When you hire us to represent you, we guarantee the following:
- To dedicate every necessary resource to ensure that your rights and interests are upheld when facing the liable party who will try to shift the blame to you.
- To work closely with a team of specialists in an array of fields who will be vital in evaluating the case, conducting investigations, and determining if your slip and fall case is valid and worth pursuing.
- To unearth the truth by digging deeper into understanding the facts; information that will be crucial in putting together the evidence we shall in support of your claim.
- To oversee negotiations with the insurance providers and thwart their attempts to decline or devalue your claim.
- To keep you posted on events and advise you accordingly regarding the settlement offers, to shoot them down if they are unfavorable, and prepare to take the matter to trial.
What Steps Can Be Taken to Help a Slip and Fall Case?
According to Georgia State laws, property owners can face slip and fall lawsuits if such accidents happen on their premises (commercial or residential) and are linked to negligence, recklessness, or gross indifference. But while the law gives you the right to sue, it is vital for you to know steps to take to make sure you do everything by the book and avoid blunders that might hinder your chances of getting compensation.
And since you saw/experienced what happened, we also wish to point out that you could be your best advocate in the slip and fall case, especially if the accident happened in a public place. Therefore, it is best to take the following measures after a slip and fall accident:
Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Go for a check-up to have a doctor rule out any potential life-threatening injury. Moreover, the doctor’s report and your treatment bill will be one of the things that we shall present as evidence supporting your claims. Therefore, keep these documents safe after leaving the hospital.
Report the Accident Soon After it Happens
Inform the property owner about the slip and fall accident or those tasked with ensuring the premises are safe. It can be your workplace supervisor, a restaurant manager, or any other person handed such responsibilities. It would be best to hand them a written notice, which they must sign and you keep a copy of the same.
Do Not Share Details of the Incident
People will often try to talk with you when you are involved in an accident, wanting to know if you are okay and what the cause was. However, we highly recommend limiting your conversations to avoid sharing details that might impact your chances of getting fair compensation. Be cautious when discussing the accident since you never know if the same people will be called to testify against you. Also, try your best not to get emotional, never admit fault, or show signs of guilt.
Collect the Contact Information of Witnesses
Get the names and contacts of anyone that could be a potential eyewitness. Request them to testify if called upon because their account of events will be compared to what the property owner says.
Document the Scene
Smartphones have become resourceful tools, especially when it comes to capturing events in real-time. Consider using your cell phone to take pictures of the area the incident happened, taking note of the essential details that prove there was a hazard and it caused to slip/trip and fall.
See the Problem Is Addressed
You obviously don’t want another person to suffer the same injuries and losses that you have suffered. So, if you can, see to it that the problem is addressed immediately. For instance, you can ask the manager of a grocery store where you slipped and fell to clean the spill that caused you to fall.
Call a Riverdale Slip and Fall Lawyer
Since slip and fall cases are often complex and difficult to prove, you are best served by the resources of a successful law firm such as Humphrey and Ballard Law. We have the knowledge, experience, and track record of success to recover the money that you deserve.
How Can a Slip and Fall Accident Be Proven?
It is possible for your slip and fall claim to swing the other way, going in the accused’s favor even though you strongly believe they owe you compensation for your injuries, pain, losses, and suffering. Such outcomes are often linked to you shouldering some blame for the incident, and that is why you should have an experienced and dependable attorney. It also will be a move that ensures you mitigate the chances of the potential settlement being reduced.
Deciding to hire our Riverdale slip and fall lawyer will be the best decision since you will have law professionals who will investigate the matter to determine the following:
- The property owner was aware of the hazardous conditions or should have known about it.
- The property owner did not have the hazard conditions fixed.
- You did not know of the danger on the property because the owner did not post warning signs or alert the public of the existing perils.
How Is Liability Determined in a Slip and Fall Case in Riverdale, Georgia?
Under Georgia premises liability law, persons involved in slip and fall accidents while on someone’s property might be entitled to financial compensation for injuries and financial losses attributed to the incident. The property can be a private home, apartment complex, government entity, or commercial business.
Nevertheless, your attorney will determine your eligibility by investigating what happened to know who is at fault.
Some of the questions that the lawyer shall focus touch on the following:
- If you had sound reasons for being on the property when the accident occurred.
- If a person of reasonable caution, and if they were not distracted, could have noticed, and avoided the perilous conditions under the same situation.
- If the owner had posted warning signs or informed the public of the existing dangers that caused you to slip and fall.
- If you were distracted by other activities that kept you from avoiding the hazard that caused to slip and fall.
How Much Is My Slip and Fall Case Worth?
While most slip and fall accidents might seem to share some similarities, the circumstance surrounding each case is unique. proving what is factual and what is not demands having in-depth knowledge of the laws regarding slip and fall accidents. Therefore, you need a team of law professionals who will review all the facts to determine your case’s worth and develop a winning strategy.
Some of the factors that we shall consider when valuing the slip and fall case include:
- The type of injuries you sustained and their severity
- Lost capacity to earn wages
- Current, outstanding, and future medical costs
- Non-economic damages
- Potential punitive damages
Are There Any Time Limits for Filing a Slip and Fall Lawsuit?
Under Georgia Code section 9-3-33, slip and fall accident victims have two years from when the incident happened to file a lawsuit. The case does not have to be resolved within the same period; still, it is best to start the process as soon as possible after the accident. It will ensure possible hurdles and all legal requirements are covered and the lawsuit filed on time.
You risk voiding your chances of pursuing the matter if they fail to adhere to the statute of limitations, which could happen if you are juggling treatment and recovery therapy while wondering how to deal with the legal obligations. That is why it is best to contact an experienced slip and fall attorney soon after the accident to oversee the legal aspects of things, allowing you to focus on your health.
Call Our Riverdale Slip and Fall Attorneys Today and Schedule a Free Case Review
Never take slip and fall cases lightly. Things can get complicated and messy unexpectedly, especially when the accused is a formidable entity like the government. Fortunately, working with an experienced lawyer can help level the playing field and ensure justice is fair.
At Humphrey and Ballard Law, we are committed to ensuring your rights and protected. We specialize in personal injury law and have highly experienced law professionals who tackle slip and fall cases. We are more than glad to be the legal counsel that will fight for you, helping ensure justice is served and you receive the maximum settlement for your slip and fall injuries.
Call us at 404-341-0499 or visit our law office to speak to a Riverdale slip and fall lawyer to learn more about our services and what you should do to secure your interests. Get in touch as soon as possible to book a free case review.
