According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, slip and fall accidents are among the leading causes of injuries and death for seniors. Store owners have a responsibility for maintaining their facilities to keep customers safe. If you experience a problem, such as a wet floor or missing tiles, this could cause a slip and fall injury.
Slip and fall injuries happen more often than one should expect, and it is possible to end up with extensive medical bills and other expenses after a fall. If you suffered a slip and fall injury, you could take legal action and recover compensation for your expenses. An Oakland slip and fall injury lawyer can guide you through the process of setting up and filing a lawsuit. Call the office of Ben Crump Law, PLLC, at(855) 933-4005 today to discuss your case with our team.
Understanding Slip and Fall Injuries
Slip and fall injuries happen when a property owner does not keep a floor or other surface safe, leading to an accident. These accidents can happen just about anywhere and result in significant injuries that require medical attention.
Property owners have the legal responsibility for keeping their property safe to walk through, especially if it is open to the public. If your injuries resulted from the property owner’s negligence, you could hold them liable for your injuries. To do so, you would have to file a personal injury lawsuit against the property owner to claim compensation for any expenses related to your accident.
For a free legal consultation with a slip and fall injury lawyer serving Oakland, call (855) 933-4005
Steps You Can Take After a Slip and Fall Injury
After a slip and fall accident, you can take several steps to facilitate your recovery. These steps include:
- Seeking medical attention: It is important to seek medical attention after suffering injuries in a slip and fall accident. Even if you feel OK, some injuries take several days to present. Immediate medical care could help you avoid the adverse effects of these injuries while providing you with the medical records that you could need for your lawsuit.
- Notifying the police: Let the police know that an accident occurred. Officers will come and investigate the incident, creating an accident report that you can use in your lawsuit later.
- Documenting everything: Create documentation for anything related to the accident. Take pictures of the area, if possible. Keep copies of expenses and get a copy of the police report.
- Contacting the property owner: Let the property owner know what happened and give the owner a chance to resolve the case. Notifying the owner could help you resolve the matter quickly and receive compensation for your injuries.
This list does not include every step you can take to protect yourself. Seeking medical attention to address your injuries is the most essential thing that you can do after a slip and fall accident. No matter how your case turns out, this step will offer you the best chance of avoiding serious long-term impacts from your accident.
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Treatment Options
After a slip and fall accident, you have several options for treatment. You could take advantage of emergency medical services to get immediate treatment. An emergency room doctor could identify any injuries that you have and prescribe treatment. Following up with your family doctor will help ensure that your recovery remains on track.
Your treatment options will depend on your injuries. Many slip and fall accidents result in relatively minor injuries that heal in time. Sometimes, your slip and fall injuries require major medical intervention, especially if you suffered head or brain trauma. Slip and fall accident victims can also take advantage of physical therapy and similar treatment options to facilitate recovery.
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Typical Costs of Slip and Fall Injuries
The costs associated with slip and fall injuries usually include medical expenses. Emergency medical care is expensive, and ongoing care from your medical provider can create expenses that build up over time, especially if you need advanced care like physical therapy.
In some cases, you might also incur property damages in your slip and fall accident. When you fall, you may drop your cell phone, purse, or other personal property that can become damaged. You can request compensation for repair or replacement costs.
Call the team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC, today to learn more about potential awards following your slip and fall accident in Oakland.
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Settlement vs. Trial
If you worry about taking your case to trial, it might help to know that most civil lawsuits never make it to trial. Many get resolved with settlement agreements. The at-fault party will likely offer you a settlement to keep the case out of court, where it becomes a matter of public record. An Oakland slip and fall injury lawyer can review any settlement offers you receive to ensure that they meet your present and future financial needs.
When the property owner or their insurance company offers you a settlement agreement, they likely will offer the lowest amount that they feel they can pay you. This offer will probably not be enough to cover your medical and other expenses. A personal injury lawyer can renegotiate the settlement agreement for more compensation under better terms. This back-and-forth is common practice with settlement agreements.
Statute of Limitations
You have a limited amount of time to file your lawsuit after a slip and fall accident. This time limit is called the statute of limitations, and CCP § 335.1 sets a two-year deadline from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim. You also have three years from the date of the accident to file a property damage claim under CCP § 338. For simplicity, you would likely file both claims at the same time. If you miss the deadline, the court will probably reject your case.
Speak to a Lawyer About Your Case
If the property owner fails to keep their property safe, and this failure leads to your slip and fall injuries, you could hold them responsible and recover compensation for your accident-related expenses. You might want to speak to an Oakland slip and fall injury lawyer about your legal options. Call the office of Ben Crump Law, PLLC, today at (855) 933-4005 to discuss your case with our team.
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