Slip and fall accidents are among the top most common accidents in public places and places of work. According to the National Safety Council, over 6.8 million people in the U.S. who sustained injuries related to workplace negligence had to seek emergency care in 2019. These emergency costs can add up and, when combined with missing work, can leave you in a tough position. Luckily, consulting with a personal injury attorney can help. Let’s look at the most important reasons why you need to consult a lawyer after a slip and fall accident and at what point it is prudent to escalate your dispute into personal injury litigation.
1. A Personal Injury Attorney Can Prove Liability
Suppose you sustained injuries from a fall while on another person’s property. Whether it is a residential or business property, you should consider hiring an attorney to protect your rights by proving liability. Proving that you sustained the injuries because the property owner was negligent is not always easy.
Luckily, a personal injury lawyer has the expertise and experience to help you identify hazardous conditions and defective items within the property that could have led to the slip and fall. A lawyer could also help you prove liability by proving that the property owner did not provide you with a duty of care that you were entitled to while on their premises.
The personal injury lawyer could also prove liability by arguing that the property owner breached their duty, which led to the accident. The property owner, therefore, should be liable for the financial consequences of the accident. Your lawyer could also help you gather tangible evidence to substantiate this claim.
With the help of a personal injury attorney, you can get the most from an out-of-court settlement in case you were found to be partially at fault for the accident. This way, you get the property owner to at least cover some of the medical expenses incurred when treating the injury.
2. An Injury Attorney Has the Expertise to Gather Evidence
A personal injury lawyer could also help you to gather the necessary evidence to prove your claims. They know what to look for when taking pictures at the scene of the accident, when examining incident and accident reports, and when reviewing security camera footage. They will also talk to people who witnessed the incident and talk with other people who had previously faced the same problem in the past.
Finding witnesses that could establish the defendant’s pattern of behavior could be very useful in proving liability. The lawyer will use this pattern of negligent behavior to prove that the property owner knew that certain conditions could put you at risk of the accident but did nothing to protect you. This evidence could help you get full compensation for your injuries.
3. A Personal Injury Attorney Will Handle All Issues on Your Behalf
Did you know that most states in the U.S. have statute limitations for personal injury disputes? This means that if you sustain injuries from your place of work, for example, but fail to file a case within the stipulated timeframe, then you may lose all the rights to be compensated.
Settling a slip and fall accident case could also be lengthy and draining. It involves meeting witnesses, other attorneys, government agencies, employers, and insurance companies. Hiring a personal injury attorney will help you navigate the system.
The lawyer will negotiate with the defendants or insurance companies to get the best compensation settlement for the injuries sustained, loss of income, and emotional distress. The lawyer will represent you in court if you are forced to file injury litigation when the parties involved do not agree to an out-of-court settlement. They will help you to prove that you were not liable for the injuries and provide evidence to support your claims.
Whether the injuries sustained after a slip and fall accident are mild or serious, it’s always a good idea to consult a personal injury attorney to understand the mumbo jumbo of the law relating to such incidences. An injury attorney also helps you protect your rights and prevent offenders from repeating the same mistakes. Contact us today at Putnam Lieb Potvin Dailey Attorneys at Law