Don’t discount the damage a slip and fall accident can cause. These accidents can be far more severe than you might think.
Some slip and fall accidents even result in death.
More often, slip and fall accidents lead to a loss of life quality, including chronic pain and a loss of independence.
When you have slipped, tripped, or fallen because of a negligent property owner, a personal injury case is an appropriate response. Let the personal injury experts at Cochrane Personal Injury Law fight for you.
Causes of Slip and Fall Injuries
There are several common reasons why a slip and fall accident might happen.
- Wet floors
- Icy sidewalks
- Loose mats
- Worn carpeting
- Potholes and cracks
- Defective staircases
- Stray cords and electrical wires
- Poor lighting
Theories of Liability in Slip and Fall Cases
All personal injury cases, including all slip and fall cases, are based on a theory of negligence. Negligence occurs when someone either does something they’re not supposed to do or fails to do something they are supposed to do.
A property owner has a legal obligation to clear hazards from their property and to keep it in good repair. They are to do so in a timely fashion whenever they know there’s a problem. If for some reason they can’t fix the problem right away or the problem is a routine part of doing business (such as a floor that is slick after a regular routine of mopping and waxing the floor) they are supposed to post signs that inform visitors, customers, and guests that the hazard exists.
If they fail to do these things they have committed an act of negligence and may be held accountable for this failure.
Most property owners have some sort of insurance to cover these issues. A homeowner has homeowner’s insurance. A business owner has business liability insurance. Municipalities have their own insurance.
Proving Negligence and Liability After an Accidental Slip
Rest assured that most property owners don’t race to admit fault for a slip and fall accident. They have many defenses that they can use to try to get out of paying their claim.
The most common defense is that they did not have enough time to discover the problem. Another defense is that you yourself knew about the problem but chose to take the risk anyway, thus contributing to your own accident and reducing your eventual settlement or award under Alberta’s comparative negligence laws. They might even blame the problem on the shoes you wore.
To prove negligence we must discover proof that the owner knew about the defect and had ample time to address the problem. We might do this by examining a store owner’s daily business routines. We might show that a warning could have been posted or was not. We might show that the lighting was bad so it was impossible for you to see the accident.
We encourage anyone who has been in a slip and fall accident to take multiple pictures of the area they’re in after the fall. Photograph the hazards, your injuries, your shoes, the local conditions, and anything else you can think of.
Proving liability is sometimes hard because there aren’t always witnesses to corroborate a slip and fall story. If there were witnesses in your case they are solid gold and you should do everything in your power to secure their contact information.
Common Injuries after a Slip and Fall Accident
As mentioned, slip and fall accidents can be extremely serious and can result in severe injuries.
- Broken bones
- Sprains and ligament tears
- Knee injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Cuts and lacerations
- Stray cords and electrical wires
- Poor lighting
Some of these injuries can be life-altering, especially for older accident victims. A broken hip could mean having to use a walker for the rest of one’s life, for example.
Many of these injuries can be quite expensive. It’s not uncommon to see slip and fall cases worth an excess of $500,000 or more.
Collecting Compensation After a Slip & Fall Accident
It can be harder for slip and fall victims to start the process on their own. Property owners aren’t required to give out their insurance information to victims like drivers are after a car accident.
You must report your accident to the property owner. Then you should seek medical attention and follow all of the instructions of any medical provider you work with.
As soon as you are medically capable of doing so you should reach out to a personal injury lawyer. We can get the insurance information from the property owner. We can start and file your claim. We begin investigating your case to strengthen it and help you during the negotiation process to ensure you get a fair settlement.
When you work with a lawyer you ensure that you don’t make any major mistakes while talking to insurance adjusters. Remember, they’re trying to get out of having to pay. They will leap on any excuse to avoid doing so. Many of the routine-sounding items they ask for, such as signing a medical release form, can in fact be devastating to your case when they start conflating pre-existing conditions with the injuries you took during your accident.
Working with a lawyer is risk-free. We work on contingency, which means we don’t get paid until your case is brought to a successful conclusion. You don’t have to come up with any money out-of-pocket.
Contact a Cochrane, AB Slip and Fall Lawyer Today
Work with a lawyer that has a large war chest for pursuing slip and fall cases. We can hire experts to back your claim without you having to come up with a dime. There also isn’t a lawyer in this office who has less than 15 years of experience with slip-and-fall cases. We have helped many Albertans just like you get compensation for their injuries and losses.
We’re responsive and empathetic and are here to answer all of your questions. Call +1-(825) 857-1227 to schedule your initial consultation today. We’ll go over the facts of your case, answer any questions you might have, and help you decide on your next steps.