Slip and fall injuries represent a significant portion of a personal injury law attorney’s activity. These accidents are actually quite common, as public businesses and organizations have a legal responsibility to maintain a safe environment for their tenants, clients, employees, and their guests. A slip and fall case may be appropriate when someone trips or falls because of a hazardous condition that the company did not rectify. This could be a pothole in a parking lot, a broken section of sidewalk approaching the office building, or a grocery store aisle with a spilled soda. If someone with fall injuries can prove that the business or property owner was negligent in the maintenance of their property, they may be rewarded compensatory damages.
Slip and Fall Injuries Explained
If you have experienced a slip and fall injury in a public location (or even a private residence), call a personal injury lawyer to discuss your case and how to proceed. Here are some statistics that may be of interest.
- Over 8 million visits annually to the emergency room are due to slip and fall injuries, and one million of those may involve negligence.
- The average expense incurred by a slip and fall is between $30,000 and $40,000. According to the CDC, these costs play a significant role in causing insurance costs to rise, impacting society economically.
- 5% of slip and fall incidents result in broken bones and other serious injuries 30 percent of the time. These fall injuries result in significant pain, make work and normal daily activities difficult, and can cause mental and emotional distress.
- One-third of senior adults experience falls annually. The more aged the individual, the more likely they are to lose their balance and fall. Slip and fall injuries are the most common type of claim for people over 55 on the job site, and 60% of senior home residents fall at least once annually.
- Falls are responsible for 95 percent of hip fractures, which cause pain, suffering, and impaired mobility – radically altering the victim’s life. They also typically require invasive surgeries.
- Slip and falls are the most frequent cause of non-fatal injuries across all demographics, with the exception of those younger than 24 years old. Slip and falls are also the primary cause of permanent brain injuries.
- The costs for medical treatment for slip and fall injuries exceed $34 billion each year. Because unexpected medical expenses are a frequent root cause of personal bankruptcy, those costs can rise exponentially. Victims of slip and fall accidents miss 11 days of work on average, but more severe cases can cause job loss, wage loss, and loss of productivity for the company.
- A very small percentage (2%) of cases will be heard by a jury in a court of law. While some people are tentative about pursuing a personal injury case because they are afraid of testifying in front of a judge in a courtroom, this is an unfounded fear – most cases are settled out of court.
When an individual is injured in a slip and fall event, the Florida legal system may offer the ability to recover damages from the party deemed responsible or negligible.
Slip and falls may be common, but that doesn’t mean your suffering is not deserving of damages and compensation. However, attempting to recover these damages without professional assistance may result in you getting less money or not receiving payment at all. Whether you are negotiating with an insurance company or trying to convince a jury, it is always best to have a professional on your side. Call the attorneys at Probinsky & Cole, and we will meet with you to discuss your Sarasota, Brandon, or Orlando personal injury case.
