Do I Need an Attorney for My Slip and Fall Accident?

If you slipped and fell on a hazardous surface, and sustained an injury as a result, you may be able to obtain damages. You may wonder whether this means that you need to work with a slip and fall lawyer. In many cases, your best bet is to find a slip and fall attorney who is ready to support your pursuit of damages for the injury you sustained.

What is a slip and fall accident?

A slip and fall accident is, in most instances, when someone slips or trips due to a hazardous condition and, in doing so, sustains some kind of injury.

Alabama premises liability laws may allow you to sue a property owner if you were lawfully on the property (for example, as an invitee or licensee) and injured due to the owner’s negligence.

What are some examples of a slip and fall accident?

You can find three examples of a slip and fall accident in this bulleted list:

• You are walking through the hallway in a busy toy store and, all of a sudden, slip on a pile of water that didn’t have a wet floor sign notifying people of the risks.
• You are visiting a work site and need to pass through a small, cramped passage. Right before you can get through this passage, you slip on an unattended object that you were unable to see.
• You are walking through an office and step onto a recently waxed floor that was not marked with any warnings. You fall on your back causing severe lasting injuries.

What injuries can a slip and fall accident lead to?

A slip and fall accident can lead to many injuries, some of which are as follows:

• Spinal cord damage.
• Sprains.
• Strains.
• Bruises.
• Concussions.
• TBIs.
• Skull fractures.
• Broken bones.
• Cuts or lacerations.
• Dislocated joints.

Many of those slip and fall injuries can create the following issues:

• Large medical bills/expenses, due to the costs of treating your injuries.
• A disability that requires long-term care.
• Pain and suffering, including depression and anxiety.
• Losing some of your normal wages at work, due to taking time off.
• The inability to make the income you are/were making, due to the extent of your injuries.

How can a slip and fall attorney help you?

Clarifying your legal options

A slip and fall attorney can go over the facts of your case. And, in doing so, give you a clear overview of at least two things: your legal options and your next steps.

Just as an example, if you slipped and fell on a wet surface at a shopping mall and sustained a spinal injury, your attorney can tell you what you should do in order to increase your chances of recovering damages.

On top of that, if you were injured in a slip and fall, but aren’t sure if you should move forward with your case, an attorney can give you an overview of what to expect.

Estimating the damages you sustained

If you would like to obtain damages for a slip and fall, you’ll need a full accounting of your losses. Your attorney can help gather information and evidence to demonstrate the costs of medical care you needed, your missed time at work, and other expenses the injury caused you. Additionally, you may be able to collect for losses you can’t quantify like your pain and suffering. Your attorney can estimate the money you should ask for based on those damages.

By asking for the damages you sustained, based on your attorney’s estimates, you may have an easier time obtaining the exact figure you need. Not obtaining this figure could lead to issues down the road, especially if you settle for a low figure that doesn’t cover all of the damages you suffered.

Establishing another party’s fault

The state of Alabama relies on a contributory negligence law that can bar you from receiving compensation if you are considered partly at fault for an injury you sustained.

Your attorney can work to help prove that another party was at fault for your slip and fall injury.

Negotiating with insurance

Many personal injury cases are settled out-of-court through negotiating with insurance. A slip and fall attorney can negotiate with the property owner’s insurance company.

Outside of the above, insurance companies often give low-ball offers that fail to encompass the damages you sustained. Your attorney can help you spot these offers and pursue a settlement that encompasses greater compensation.

Taking your case to trial

If negotiations fall through, your case may need to go to trial. A slip and fall attorney can take your case to trial and argue in front of a judge and jury. Doing so can lead to you receiving the damages you are asking for, even if prior negotiations did not lead to this outcome.

Do you need an attorney for a slip and fall accident?

The right question is whether you will be better off if you work with a slip and fall attorney. While there is no requirement to have legal representation after a slip and fall accident, working with an attorney can make the process of obtaining damages easier and far less stressful. Your focus should be healing and getting your life back – not arguing with insurers.

Contact one of Prince Glover Hayes’ slip and fall attorneys

If you slipped and fell, and sustained an injury, you may be eligible for damages. You can use this contact form to schedule a time to discuss your claim with one of Prince Glover Hayes’ slip and fall attorneys. We can look at your case and go over your next steps.

Prince Glover Hayes has an office located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and handles slip and fall cases statewide. This article is an advertisement and is not intended as an offer of legal employment.