With more than 25,000 estimated falls, slips, and trips happening each day in the United States, it’s important to take precautions when it comes to personal safety. However, not everyone can avoid a serious fall, and some of those injuries have life-long effects. Injuries suffered from a slip and fall accident can include fractures, lacerations, head trauma, broken bones, paralysis, and even death in severe cases. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident on private or public property, an experienced Houston Slip and Fall Attorney should be your first call to understand how to proceed.
The law defines a “duty of care” for property Plumbing Services in Fayetteville owners that requires them to maintain safe premises for guests and customers. This includes establishing and following policies for inspection, promptly cleaning up spills and other hazards, and repairing dangerous conditions. If a property owner fails to follow their duty of care, and a visitor is hurt on the property, then the business may be held liable for their injury.
A slip and fall victim can recover damages for their past and future medical bills, loss of income from missed work, pain and suffering, diminished future earning capacity, disfigurement, and emotional distress. Compensation can also be awarded for the cost of rehabilitative therapy, physical therapy and any necessary medication or equipment to help the injured person return to his or her former level of function and self-reliance.
While the majority of slip and fall accidents occur in commercial settings, they can occur on a private property as well. Homeowners, property management companies, apartment complexes and rental homes, and even construction sites can all have a role to play in serious slip and fall accidents.
Some property owners will try to avoid accountability for a fall accident by saying that it was the injured party’s clumsiness or inattentiveness that caused the injury. This is why it is important to consult with an experienced Houston Slip and Fall Attorney before accepting any settlement offers from the property owner’s insurance company.
If a hazard has been present for a reasonable amount of time, then the property owner could be held liable for an injury. But the law has a special exception that protects them from liability, known as the Open and Obvious Doctrine. The property owner must have been aware of the hazard and either knew it was there or should have known about it through a reasonable inspection of their property.
If you have been injured in a slip or trip and fall accident, the experienced Houston Slip and Fall Attorney at Chelsie King Garza can help you understand how to pursue a claim against the responsible property owner. We know the tactics that the insurance companies use to reduce or deny claims, and we can make sure that you are fully compensated for your injury. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with our firm. You only have a limited amount of time to file a claim, so don’t delay!