Although a slip and fall may sound like a minor incident, these accidents can sometimes have life-altering consequences. An awkward landing on a hard surface can lead to ligament tears, bone fractures, concussions, and other injuries that may take months to heal. If you land head or back-first, you might suffer permanent and debilitating damage.
If a property owner or manager didn’t take care of their land and you slipped or tripped and fell as a direct result, you may have grounds for a civil lawsuit. Let a respected attorney like Jon Ostroff at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers handle your claim and fight for the compensation you need. From beginning to end of your case, your experienced Hershey slip and fall lawyer will work tirelessly to protect your rights and demand the money you deserve.
How Does Fault Work in Slip and Fall Cases?
One of the main ways slip and fall cases differ from other personal injury claims is how the legal concept of a “duty of care” applies to landowners. A landowner is not always considered legally “at fault” for accidents that happen on their property. For example, most landowners are not responsible for slipping or tripping accidents involving trespassers. Other restrictions might apply depending on whether a visitor was on the premises for their own benefit or the landowner’s benefit.
Broadly speaking, landowners must ensure their land is reasonably safe for lawful visitors. Any landowner that fails to meet this basic standard in a way that directly leads to you slipping and falling is likely “negligent.” A skilled Hershey lawyer at our firm knows how to prove negligence to form the legal basis of a slip and fall claim.
Partial Negligence in Tripping Accidents
It is important to note that you can also be found negligent if you did something reckless or careless that played a role in causing your injuries. A Hershey slip and fall attorney can explain how this concept might impact your specific case and help fight accusations of comparative fault against you.
Getting Paid for Slip and Fall Injuries
A person who suffers injuries from slipping or tripping on someone else’s poorly maintained property can demand payment for every loss directly resulting from their injuries. This includes both past and future losses like:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- All medical expenses
- Lost work wages and/or ability to work
- Any damaged or lost personal property, like a cracked phone screen
Your trip and fall lawyer will go over what losses may or may not be recoverable during a free initial meeting. Our experienced attorneys will fight to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries. For example, we won a $400,000 settlement for a client in Delaware County who sustained back injuries and required surgery after falling on a slippery substance outside her doctor’s office. In another case near the Cumberland Valley, we recovered $125,000 for a client injured at a grocery store after she injured her knee as a result of a slip and fall from a leaky freezer. If you slipped or tripped and fell and it was not your fault, give Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers a call today. You will not pay us anything unless and until we recover compensation on your behalf.
Talk to a Hershey Slip and Fall Attorney Today
Whether in a grocery store, amusement park, other retail store or business, or a private home, a person or company who invites other people to their land is responsible for keeping those people reasonably safe from harm. This duty includes ensuring no unmarked slipping or tripping hazards that might lead to a visitor getting hurt. Anyone who violates this duty could be on the hook to pay for any harm suffered by a visitor.
Speak with a Hershey slip and fall lawyer at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers today to understand your rights and pursue the compensation you deserve. Call us today to learn how we can fight for you.
