Slip and fall injuries can be severe, causing long-term or even permanent injury. If you have had the misfortune of experiencing one, you probably already know this. Often, slip and fall victims are eligible for compensation for their falls because they occur on poorly maintained properties. When determining liability for a slip and fall injury, there are a lot of factors to consider. If the fall was due to negligence, the victim can pursue compensation for their losses. For more on whether you might be eligible for compensation for your slip and fall, a consultation with a Memphis slip and fall injury lawyer may be helpful.
At Ben Crump Law, PLLC, we fight for victims, so they can put their energy into recovering. When we handle your case, you can rest knowing that we are handling it with the utmost care and concern. Instead of having to worry about a legal battle, you will be able to focus on your life and recovery. If you want a team you can trust, call the offices of Ben Crump Law, PLLC for a free consultation today at (855) 933-4005. Our consultation is free. If you do choose us to represent you, there is no fee unless we win you a settlement or verdict.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every one out of five results in a serious injury. While slip and falls can happen anywhere, there are a few scenarios listed here that often cause hazardous conditions.
Product Spills
Naturally, where there are wet floors, slips are possible, such as in a grocery store aisle where an open liquid container may have fallen and leaked out. The problem with spills is that they can also be difficult to spot. Even when certain spills dry, the floor can remain very slick and exceptionally hard to see, even by store employees when performing a safety sweep. Thus, it is likely that they could go unnoticed.
Leaks
Leaking pipes or ceilings can cause pooling water and slick floors. The problem with any leak is that property owners should exercise extra care to keep them contained until maintenance can repair the leak.
Weather Conditions
During wet, rainy, snowy, and icy weather conditions, water may drain into a store’s entrance area or customers and guests can track it inside. Again, like leaks, these are spots where property owners should know to devote extra care. When a visitor slips due to weather conditions, most times, it is because the owner was not exercising acceptable care of their property.
Greasy and Oily Areas
Certain locations, such as gas stations or mechanics stores, may need to devote extra care to ensure that oil and grease do not leak and spill. Greasy and oily areas can stay slippery as it permeates into the concrete of garage floors and unkempt tiled stored fronts.
For a free legal consultation with a slip and fall injury lawyer serving Memphis, call (855) 933-4005
Determining Premises Liability in Tennessee
In Tennessee, property owners have a responsibility to maintain their properties. A property owner exercising reasonable care completes routine cleanings, safety inspections, and abides by premises laws and regulations. Meeting this standard ensures a high probability that hazardous conditions, such as spills and leaks, are found and corrected in a timely manner. By law, property owners that do not maintain their properties to this reasonable standard may be liable for the injuries their guests suffer as a result.
The standard of reasonable care is not the same for each property. Businesses or locations that have a higher-than-average risk of creating hazardous conditions are required to exercise extra caution overseeing the safety of their premises. This may also apply to just certain areas within a business and not the entire business as a whole. For example, a restaurant with a drink stand would require more care to that specific area.
This raised expectation exists during recurring high-risk situations, as well, such as during icy, snowy, and rainy weather. All property owners should know to exercise extra caution in maintaining the safety of high-risk areas, such as entryways, steps, and walkways, when conditions are wet, and water drains onto or in their property. Failure to exercise that level of reasonable care demonstrates liability on the part of the property owner. To learn more about whether a property owner is liable, consider speaking with a Memphis slip and fall injury lawyer.
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Most Severe Slip and Fall Injuries
The injuries victims suffer in slip and fall accidents can be devastatingly severe. Slip and falls on stairs can cause some of the worst slip and fall injuries, even fatality. These injuries are devastating because the back and head hit the ground with such great force that it can result in traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, neck, and other back injuries. The victim may also suffer broken bones, internal injuries, and bleeding. Such injuries can cause permanent effects and long-term damage.
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What an Award for Losses May Cover
When you file a premises liability lawsuit against a property owner, you are doing so to seek compensation for your losses. If your case goes to trial because settlement negotiations are unsuccessful, the jury will determine your award. If your case does not go to trial, it will be because a settlement was successfully negotiated between yourself, the defendant, and each of your respective legal counsels. Settlements intend to compensate for very specific losses an individual incurs when injured, including money for economic and non-economic losses.
Economic losses cover the financial losses you have suffered, such as lost work wages, medical expenses, and potential travel and lodging expenses, if necessary. Non-economic losses compensate you for physical and emotional pain and suffering. Award amounts vary drastically but usually depend on factors such as the level of neglect involved, the severity of your injury, and your projected recovery time.
Though it may be faster to accept a settlement offer from an insurance adjuster, it may not be the award amount you deserve. That is why you may want to speak with a Memphis slip and fall injury lawyer before doing so. A personal injury lawyer may be able to negotiate a settlement more than the amount the insurance adjuster offers.
Ben Crump Law, PLLC can help you determine whether you may have a premises liability case against a negligent property owner. If so, Ben Crump Law, PLLC will help you handle your case and represent you aggressively. No fight is too big for us. For a free, no-commitment consultation, call our offices at (855) 933-4005. You pay us nothing unless we recover for you.
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