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Were you injured in a Slip and Fall Incident?
Slip, trips and falls don’t just happen by accident. These incidents are often the result of negligence. Even though there are plenty of safety standards, codes, laws, and guidelines for businesses, each year thousands of Texans are injured from falls. More often than not, these incidents are the direct result of willfully ignoring safety standards required by law. It’s been estimated that as many as 25,000 slip, trip, and fall accidents happen daily. If you suffered injuries as a result of falling on someone else’s property or a commercial property, call a qualified Slip and Fall Lawyer to get the compensation you deserve.
What can I recover in a Slip and Fall Lawsuit?
When a property owner does not care for and maintain his or her property, this type of negligence can result in a tragic slip and fall accident. These situations can seem hopeless as you fight to prove the liability of the property owner or manager. With The Carlson Law Firm on your side, there is no reason to be afraid of the matter at hand. A slip and fall lawyer can help you recover not only physically but also financially. Financial damages you can recover in a slip and fall lawsuit include:
- Medical treatment
- Lost wages
- Pain and Suffering
If you were injured in a store or on someone else’s property, contact a Slip and Fall Lawyer to get started on your premises liability lawsuit.
What is a Slip and Fall injury?
A slip and fall injury, sometimes called a trip and fall, is a type of personal injury that occurs when a person slips, trips and falls on someone else’s property. Generally, these cases fall under a broader legal category called premises liability. Common slip and fall injuries can result from the following conditions:
- Wet floors
- Icey surfaces
- Animal attacks
- Assaults
- Poorly placed rugs or mats
- Loose floorboards
- Potholes in parking lots
- Slick surfaces from grease or oil
- Debris
- Poor lighting
- Poorly maintained railings and stairs
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries across all age groups. Still, nonfatal slip and fall injuries can completely alter a person’s life. Everything from loss of income to enjoyment of life can be affected by the negligent conditions that led to your slip and fall. Contact a slip and fall lawyer to find if you have a valid claim.
Should I Sue for a Slip and Fall?
Yes, a lawsuit will help you recover from the financial damages you may face if you were injured from a slip and fall. In many cases, slip and falls are the results of negligence. Consulting with a slip and fall lawyer from The Carlson Law Firm is free. We can review your case and help you determine if negligence lead to your injuries.
Should I get a lawyer for a slip and fall?
If you experienced a slip and fall on someone else’s property, you should at the very least consult with a lawyer to find out if you have a valid slip and fall claim. Falls are traumatic experiences that can lead to devastating lifelong consequences.
What are common Slip and Fall injuries
More than 2.5 million older adults visited emergency rooms in the U.S. in 2013 after being injured in non-fatal falls, and more than 734,000 patients were admitted to a hospital, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Slip and falls can cause the following severe injuries:
Can a slip and fall cause a bulging disc?
Yes, a bulging disc is a common slip and fall injury. While the discs between your vertebrae absorb daily impacts on the spine, they are impervious to damage. Discs may suffer wear and tear for a variety of reasons and bulging discs often occur on their own. However, sudden impacts such as a slip and fall can also cause a bulging disc spinal injury.
Can a slip and fall cause a herniated disc?
A slip and fall on liquids, hazardous or dangerous premises can lead to herniated discs. In fact, herniated discs are a common slip and fall injury. Much like a bulging disc, a herniated disc involves your vertebrae. Spinal disc injuries lead to severe pain because of nerve compression.
Where can a slip and fall occur?
What to do after a Slip and Fall
Statistics show that there is a high likelihood that, at some point in your life, you will fall and injure yourself. While many falls occur due to no negligence on the part of others, a significant number of injuries attributed to slip and falls because of owner negligence. Often, property owners fail to keep their premises safe from unreasonably dangerous conditions and know hazards. In the event you suffer an injury in a way that you feel may be the fault of another, it is essential you take the appropriate steps from the moment the accident occurs to protect your rights and preserve crucial evidence to prove your premises liability lawsuit.
If you are involved in a slip/trip & fall accident, you should:
How can I take Legal Action after a slip and fall?
The law creates a path to make you whole after certain losses. You can seek compensation for all of the costs and consequences of fall accidents. For example, you may seek payment for medical bills, lost income/wages, pain and suffering damages, and emotional distress damages. If the fall leads to a death, the surviving family members can also recover compensation for loss of companionship and other wrongful death damages.
Under Texas law, the duty owed to a person who enters another person’s property is determined by the injured party’s status. One who owns or is in control of property may owe a different duty depending upon the injured person’s status.
The three status classifications in a premises liability claim are are follows:
- Invitee – An invitee is defined as someone who enters the property of another for the property possessors benefit. For example, a customer in a store is an invitee.
- Licensee – A licensee is a person who enters the property of another for the mutual benefit of the landowner/possessor and the individual visiting.
- Trespasser – A trespasser is a person who enters the property of another without any invitation or right. A person who enters a property as an invitee can become a trespasser. For example, leaving the area where you are an invitee to enter a zoned off locations makes you a trespasser. An example is a store customer sneaking into an employee-only area.
Each of the above classifications determines the duty owed to the injured person. The duties owed in a premises liability claim are as follows:
- Duty to an Invitee. A person in control of the premises owes a duty to exercise reasonable care to provide safe premises. This means that the landowner must disclose all unreasonably dangerous conditions of which he or she is aware. Further, this includes those conditions that he should have knowledge of upon reasonable inspection of the property. Failure to do one or the other results in liability for injury caused by the unreasonably dangerous condition.
- Duty to a Licensee. A person in control of the premises owes a licensee a duty to disclose only known dangerous conditions. There is no duty to inspect the property to make it reasonably safe for a licensee.
- Duty to a Trespasser. A person in control of the premises owes a trespasser only a minimal duty: do not cause intentional or willful harm. Proving liability for an adult trespasser is extremely difficult in many cases. However, there are some exceptions, such as the attractive nuisance doctrine and the doctrine of implied permission by acquiescence.
Did You Slip and Fall in a Store?
A slip and fall in places like Walmart, Target or other big box stores means that you will face the company’s team of lawyers. Going up against a billion-dollar company may seem like an uphill battle. In fact, these stores are very good at denying any liability and all claims associated with slip and fall injuries. For this reason, you should never try to go up against these legal teams on your own. A slip and fall attorney knows the law and all of the tricks that these companies will use to deny or devalue your claim. With the right slip and fall law firm on your side, you can level the playing field.
If you fell and were injured in a department store or any other store, meeting with a slip and fall lawyer as soon as possible can help preserve crucial evidence. We will be able to preserve video footage that could be deleted under usual business policies. A slip and fall lawyer can issue an exploitation letter that can ensure evidence of the fall, and the hours or minutes leading up to it are saved.
Slip and falls during the holiday season
Even without the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, slip and falls are common. However, they may occur more often during the holiday season. Often brick and mortar stores are busier during the holidays. This can lead to more injuries because of careless and a breach of duty by store employees. Holiday slip and falls in stores a likely to occur for the following reasons:
Inclement weather
Rain, snow or other seasonal changes produce slippery surfaces no matter what. Stores should ensure they have policies in place to prevent longstanding wet or slippery surfaces, and ensure they are properly marked.
Shopping
When you are shopping during the holiday season, stores can be chaotic. Floors should be free of debris, poor carpeting or mats, and restocking items.
Holiday Parties
Slip and falls can happen for a number of reasons at holiday parties. For example, a person may slip and fall on a spilled drink or trip over an item because of poor lighting. In addition, being overserved alcohol can lead to severe injuries from falls.
If you were injured in a holiday slip and fall, it is important that you speak to a qualified slip and fall lawyer immediately. We can help you preserve evidence and ensure that your rights are protected.
Did you slip and fall at a public pool?
Much like the holiday season, the summer season provides multiple chances for property owners to behave negligently. Pool owners have a responsibility to keep all those welcomed on their property aware of the dangers. Pool owners must display proper signage warning of the dangers of the pool in language that is visible and legible to all who visit.
If you suffered injuries as a result of a swimming pool slip and fall, contact a lawyer to determine if you have a legal claim for compensation.
Why Choose Carlson to Represent You in a Slip and Fall Lawsuit?
For nearly 45 years, The Carlson Law Firm has represented clients who were injured in personal injuries such as slip and falls. We are a nationally recognized injury firm with the resources to go up against insurance companies and store chains—where slip and falls commonly occur. If you were injured because of negligence on someone else’s property, call The Carlson Law Firm to schedule a free consultation with a slip and fall lawyer.
How a slip and fall attorney at The Carlson Law Firm Can Help You
The Carlson Law Firm has been helping victims of slip and fall negligence for 45 years. What has made us so successful in representing slip and fall clients are the following:
- Team of investigators who work hard to find irrefutable evidence in premises liability cases.
- Unmatched customer service and communication with our clients.
- A legal team who works tirelessly for you because we understand that you deserve compensation for the substantial amount of medical bills or other hardships as a result of your injuries.
We know that these accidents don’t just happen—they are the result of negligence and violating safety standards. We can help you through your financial recovery.
Contact a Slip and Fall Lawyer
If you were injured because of a slip and fall on someone else’s property, call an experienced Slip and Fall Lawyer at 800-359-5690 or fill out a slip and fall contact form. The Carlson Law Firm is a leading slip and fall law firm who has been representing victims of slip and falls for more than 40 years.
There's a Carlson Law Firm near you
With 16 locations throughout Texas, there’s a Carlson Law Firm near you. We have law offices located in Killeen, Temple, Waco, Round Rock, Austin, San Antonio, Laredo, Bryan, Lubbock, Midland and Corpus Christi.
Find a Slip and Fall Lawyer near you.