The idea of a slip-and-fall injury may sound minor at first, but slip-and-fall injuries are one of the most common causes of emergency room visits and missed days of work in the United States. The National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) reports that falls account for roughly 8 million emergency room visits every year, and slip-and-fall incidents represent about 12% of all falls.
When these injuries occur due to negligence, the attorneys at Clifford Law Offices can help hold property owners accountable for their negligence. Our attorneys have decades of experience protecting clients and holding negligent property owners accountable. In fact, we have won more than $4 billion for our clients over the years. We believe in responsive communication with our clients and will always answer your questions to the best of our ability as soon as we can.
Filing a Lawsuit for a Slip-and-Fall Injury
Depending on how a slip and fall occurs, a victim may have one or more options for legal recourse. The first step is determining the responsible party. If a slip-and-fall accident occurs at work, the injured employee may be able to claim workers’ compensation and additional recovery in some circumstances. If a slip-and-fall injury occurs on private property, the victim will likely have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit under premises liability law.
Slip-and-fall injuries account for the most lost days of work. These injuries also lead to lost productivity for employers, workers’ compensation claims, and potentially to lawsuits as well. If a negligent supervisor or business owner neglects to correct a known safety issue and an employee suffers an injury, the employee may have grounds for a lawsuit if workers’ compensation is not enough to fully cover the resulting medical expenses and lost wages.
Property Owners’ Duty of Care
When a slip-and-fall accident happens on private property, the victim must prove that the property owner either knew about the injury-causing hazard or should have known about it through reasonable diligence in care of the property. The nature of the victim’s visit may also influence future legal proceedings. For example, a property owner owes a higher duty of care to prevent injuries to invitees, or people the property owner expressly invites onto the property for personal reasons.
Invitees often include friends, neighbors, and relatives while licensees are people who visit the property for their own purposes. A property owner must account for any known hazard that the licensee is able to discover on his or her own. It is important to remember that property owners do not owe a duty of care to illegal trespassers. If a person illegally enters private property and suffers an injury normally covered by premises liability law, the victim does not have grounds for legal action against the property owner.
Falls are also a leading cause of accidental death and injury in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that fall-related deaths for older adults increased 30% from 2007 to 2016. About 3 million older adults receive emergency room treatment each year for fall-related injuries. If a nursing home or care facility resident suffers an injury due to negligent care of the facility, the victim may have grounds for a personal injury claim.
Damages and Compensation
The plaintiff in a slip-and-fall accident case may be able to secure compensation for his or her medical expenses, lost income, property damage, and pain and suffering resulting from negligence. Although a slip-and-fall incident may sound straightforward, navigating the legal process can be challenging. Clifford Law Offices in Chicago, IL can help a slip-and-fall injury victim build a strong case and recover compensation for the results of another party’s negligence. Contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation and learn more about how our firm can help.
