If you’re lucky, a slip and fall is little more than an embarrassing moment. Unfortunately, many people discover too late how serious these accidents can be.
At Shook & Stone Injury Lawyers, our Sparks personal injury lawyer has helped many clients who suffered far-reaching injuries due to a failure to address slip and fall hazards.
If you have been injured in an accident like this, we’ll take your matter seriously. Your slip and fall lawyer in Sparks will work to gather evidence showing that negligent parties should compensate you for your injuries.
Access to an experienced lawyer is a given. We’ve helped over 30,000 clients recover more than $1 billion on their behalf. Call us today.
Why Someone Else May Be to Blame For Your Slip and Fall Accident
If you lawfully visit someone else’s property, whether a private home, a hotel, or a shopping centre, you are entitled to expect safe premises. Some dangerous conditions can’t be amended right away. In that case, the responsible party must close the area or provide clear warnings.
The primary factors used to demonstrate liability are:
- There was a duty of care: The defendant had a duty to prevent others from getting hurt.
- They failed to perform that duty: It is reasonable to suppose that the liable party knew about a hazard. They created a hazardous condition or failed to rectify it.
- You were hurt due to their failure to meet the duty of care: For example, they failed to post warning signage.
- This failure injured you: Your fall was the cause of your injuries.
- Your injury caused losses: For example, you had to pay for medical attention and were unable to work for a time.
From your perspective, it may seem easy to prove all these points. However, liable parties will take advantage of any opportunity to dispute each of them. If they succeed, you may lose your right to compensation.
Our Sparks premises liability lawyer will work to achieve a favorable outcome.
The Potential Severity of Slip and Fall Injuries and Their Consequences
Compensation claims are primarily based on the severity of the consequences a victim suffered. Your slip and fall attorney in Sparks knows that even comparatively light injuries can have serious impacts on your life. For example, a soft tissue injury can result in significant medical costs and lead to weeks or months of absence from work.
For some people, a slip and fall leads to such severe injuries that their road to recovery is even longer, and some people may experience life-changing harm. Broken bones are often a feature of slip and fall injuries, requiring surgery and long recovery times.
Head injuries can cause permanent harm. Our understanding of traumatic brain injuries indicates that the severity of the injury sometimes manifests days after the incident itself.
When accidents have far-reaching consequences, nobody should bear the financial and personal costs of someone else’s negligence alone.
How Your Sparks Slip and Fall Lawyer Identifies Liable Parties
Several parties may be liable for a slip and fall accident. There may also be more than one liable party, depending on the circumstances. For example, a building owner may be aware of a slippery walkway. They rent the property to a tenant who is equally aware of the problem.
In this example, both the property’s owner and their tenant may be liable for your accident. In another example, a maintenance contractor hired by the owner or occupant is found to be negligent. However, the party with overall responsibility for visitor safety should have been aware of the problem and done something to avert harm.
This means that subcontracting companies may be liable or share liability with another party. When liability is shared, each party must pay its share of the damages under NV Rev Stat § 41.141.
So, if one party was 40% responsible for your accident, and another was 60% liable, you would claim 40% of your damages from one party and 60% from the other.
Free Consultation We’ll help you win the benefits you need to get your life back.
What Happens When You Have Some Share of the Blame
Liable parties will often try to claim that you were fully or partially to blame for your accident. There are certain circumstances under which this may be the case.
Your Sparks slip and fall attorney must work to demonstrate that you were 50% or less at fault. If they cannot, you will not be eligible for compensation. Circumstances in which you may be allocated a share of blame include:
- You failed to exercise reasonable care
- The hazard was open and obvious
- You were under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- You ignored barriers or warnings
As long as your lawyer can present evidence showing that you were 50% or less to blame, you can still recover compensation. However, the value of your compensation is reduced by your percentage of blame. Suppose you are deemed to be 20% to blame for your own accident. In that case, you can only recover 80% of the damages.
Compensation You May Recover After a Slip And Fall Accident Injury
A slip and fall accident can result in significant financial and personal costs. Your Sparks slip and fall attorney from Shook & Stone Injury Lawyers will identify every category of damages you can claim and help you understand the fair settlement value of your case.
Types of damages you may be eligible for include:
- Medical costs
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability
- Trauma and emotional distress
- Loss of quality of life
Determining the full value of your compensation and presenting evidence to support your claim requires experience. Recovering that amount often involves disputes about liability, and it may be necessary to pursue your matter in court. We will fight for your rights.
Allow Us to Evaluate Your Case
At Shook & Stone Injury Lawyers, we know that you may feel conflicted right now. You may wonder whether it is worth claiming compensation or whether you have a case at all. We offer a free case evaluation to help you find answers.
If you’ve been injured in an accident, you have two priorities. First, get medical attention. Second, get a professional opinion from a slip and fall lawyer in Sparks.
As part of our commitment to client-focused service, you can contact us at any time, seven days a week. There is no reason to delay. Simply call us right away.