Goose Creek Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

Slip-and-fall accidents can lead to substantial financial, emotional, and physical burdens. Over your lifetime, you might face medical expenses, hospital visits, rehabilitation, and various economic losses.

The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm is here to assist you if you’ve been injured due to negligence.

Slip-and-fall accidents are often the result of dangerous conditions on commercial, private, or public properties. Indoors, hazards might include torn carpeting, abrupt flooring changes, poor lighting, narrow stairs, or slippery floors.

Outdoors, risks could involve rain, ice, snow, or unseen hazards like pavement gaps or potholes. While not all slip-and-fall accidents can be avoided, you may be entitled to compensation if a property owner or business manager could have prevented your incident.

Our firm is dedicated to holding negligent Goose Creek property owners accountable for injuries and harm caused to lawful visitors. Slip-and-fall accidents can lead to significant immediate and future losses, including medical expenses, lost wages, and emotional suffering.

We have successfully secured millions for victims impacted by property owner negligence in ensuring a safe environment for visitors. Contact our experienced slip-and-fall accident attorneys in Goose Creek for expert legal guidance.

How Can Our Goose Creek Slip and Fall Accident Attorneys Help Your Claim?

A slip-and-fall accident is often due to a property owner’s failure to maintain a safe environment. This negligence can lead to significant injuries and other losses for lawful visitors.

Our firm is committed to fighting for the justice you deserve if a property owner’s negligence has harmed you. Our detailed approach ensures that we build a strong claim on your behalf.

Here’s how we can support your slip-and-fall claim:

• Claim Evaluation and Legal Guidance: We thoroughly evaluate your claim and provide expert legal guidance on the best course of action.
• Detailed Investigation: We comprehensively investigate the details of your accident, reviewing video surveillance footage, medical records, and other crucial evidence.
• Negotiation: We negotiate with insurance adjusters and other relevant parties to safeguard your legal right to total compensation.
• Clear Communication: We explain your legal options and answer any questions you have throughout your case.
• Accurate Valuation: We collaborate with field professionals to accurately determine the value of your claim.
• Court Preparation: If a fair settlement cannot be reached, we prepare your case for the court to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

Our Goose Creek slip-and-fall lawyers are known for their tenacity in fighting for personal injury victims nationally and internationally. We understand how life-altering slip-and-fall injuries can be, contributing to over one million emergency room visits annually.

Contact us today for expert legal assistance with your slip-and-fall claim.

What Does Our Goose Creek Slip and Fall Accident Law Firm Do for Clients?

Insurance companies and retail institutions often aim to settle quickly and pay you as little as possible. They have teams of attorneys dedicated to protecting their interests. No matter how friendly they seem on the phone, you are vulnerable and alone without an attorney.

You need the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm experts to represent your interests.

Insurance adjusters often want to speak with victims immediately, and many people naturally want to “just tell the truth.” However, even if the accident was not your fault, insurance companies have numerous tactics to use your statements against you.

By having our slip-and-fall lawyer handle communications with the insurance adjuster, you can neutralize their strategies and ensure your rights are protected.

What Is a Slip and Fall Injury?

Slip and fall injuries are among the most common reasons for hospital visits in the United States. When a complainant files a lawsuit due to a slip and fall injury, it is often because they believe someone else’s negligence caused the injury.

The term “slip and fall” is a general phrase used to describe any injury resulting from slipping, tripping, or falling and is commonly used in legal contexts.

These injuries don’t necessarily have to involve a slip and fall happening in one sequence. “Slip and fall” encompasses a range of similar injuries that occur due to hazardous conditions, and the term is typically used during legal proceedings to address these types of incidents.

How Do Slip-And-Fall Accidents Occur?

Slip-and-fall accidents can happen anywhere—in the home, office, store, or elsewhere. The causes of these accidents can vary based on the conditions and layout of a property and any prior notice (or lack thereof) concerning potential safety hazards.

When someone slips, trips, or falls on another person’s property, the key question is who can be held liable for the conditions that led to the accident and any resulting injuries.

Common Types of Slip-and-Fall Accidents:

• Inadequate Lighting: Poor lighting in walkways or stairways can lead to accidents.
• Slippery Surfaces: Icy, snowy, oily, or wet floors and surfaces pose significant risks.
• Obstacles on Ground Level: Objects left on the ground can cause trips and falls.
• Hidden Hazards: Extension cords or other hidden objects can be dangerous.
• Poor Stair Design: Improperly designed or maintained stair steps can lead to falls.
• Unsafe Structures: Defective balconies or terraces are hazardous.
• Poor Maintenance: Unkept sidewalks and parking lots can cause accidents.
• Floor Level Changes: Sudden dips or rises in floor levels are potential trip hazards.
• Defective Carpeting: Raised or damaged carpeting can lead to slips and falls.
• Rotting/Broken Floors: Unsound flooring can collapse or give way underfoot.

These risk conditions can result in falls that cause serious injuries, ranging from scrapes and bruises to broken bones, hip fractures, and even death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five falls results in serious injuries, such as broken bones or head trauma.

Falls are also the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the United States.

Beyond the immediate physical injuries, fall-related accidents can have broader implications. Injured individuals may find themselves unable to work, leading to lost wages and potential job loss if they cannot recover within a timeframe deemed acceptable by their employer.

Severe injuries might result in permanent conditions such as paralysis or disability, significantly disrupting one’s life.

The Five Most Common Slip-and-Fall Accidents and Potential Injuries:

• Wet or Uneven Surfaces: Accounting for 55% of all falls, these accidents can be due to rain, ice, spills, uneven flooring, poor carpeting, or inadequate lighting. Injuries can include sprains, strains, fractures, and severe cases of head trauma.
• Stairs: Falls on stairs can occur from a lack of handrails, poor lighting, or uneven steps. Outdoor stairs may become slippery when wet or icy. Injuries can include broken bones, head trauma, and back injuries.
• Ladders and Scaffolding: Common in construction but possible anywhere these tools are used, falls from heights can cause severe injuries, such as broken bones, TBIs, spinal injuries, and even death.
• Tripping Hazards: Clutter, loose cables, open drawers, or small changes in floor level can cause trips and falls. Resulting injuries can include sprains, strains, fractures, and head injuries.
• Escalators and Elevators: Malfunctioning or suddenly stopping escalators and elevators can cause falls. Injuries can range from minor sprains and strains to serious head, neck, and fracture injuries.

What to Do if You’ve Been in a Slip-And-Fall Accident?

Taking specific steps can help you gather evidence for an accident claim and strengthen your case if you’ve slipped and fallen on another’s property and sustained an injury.

Seek Medical Attention

Not every injury is immediately apparent after a fall. Symptoms may take days or weeks to manifest, and some injuries may worsen without prompt medical treatment.

If you’ve been seriously injured, call 9-1-1 immediately. Head and hip injuries are common in falls, especially among older adults, and may require urgent care to prevent serious complications.

Document the Accident Scene

After receiving necessary medical attention, start collecting evidence of how the accident occurred and the resulting injury. Use your phone to take photos of the scene, the unsafe conditions that led to the accident, and your injuries.

Note the time, date, and location of the accident, the type of property, and any warnings (or lack thereof) about the unsafe conditions. Also, record the names of the property owners or managers.

Identify Witnesses

Witness testimony can be crucial in supporting your case. If witnesses were present (e.g., other customers in a store), ask them for a brief explanation of what they saw and obtain their names and contact information for future follow-up.

Notify the Property Owner or Manager

Inform the property owner or manager about the accident. You might be asked to file an accident report if the incident occurred at a business establishment.

Ensure the report includes all relevant details of the incident. Avoid admitting any fault before consulting an attorney.

Filing an accident report can prove later that you took the incident seriously and documented it appropriately.

Contact a Slip-and-Fall Lawyer

Property owners or managers in premises liability cases often try to avoid compensating injured parties. While hiring a personal injury lawyer isn’t mandatory, having legal representation can significantly improve your chances of securing fair compensation.

Contact a slip-and-fall lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights.

What Is the Average Settlement for a Slip and Fall?

There is no fixed settlement amount for slip and fall cases, as each incident is unique. Additionally, Goose Creek follows a pure comparative negligence rule.

This means that any damages awarded to the victim may be reduced by the court’s percentage of fault attributed to them.

For example, if someone fell due to a spill in a grocery store aisle but was also texting on their cell phone, their damages might be reduced by a percentage corresponding to their fault. This reduction will be subtracted from their final settlement amount.

Factors Influencing Settlement Amounts:

• The extent of Injuries: The severity of the injuries sustained in the fall is crucial in determining the settlement amount.
• Victim’s Age and Health: The victim’s age and pre-existing health conditions before the fall are considered.
• Impact on Quality of Life: The extent to which the injuries affect the victim’s daily life and overall well-being.
• Impact on Earning Capacity: How the injuries have affected the victim’s ability to earn a living.

Some damages, like medical bills, lost income, and ongoing care or physical therapy costs, are straightforward to calculate. However, subjective losses, such as pain and suffering, are more challenging to quantify.

If it can be demonstrated that the victim has suffered permanent injuries, the slip and fall lawyer will typically request a higher settlement amount. The experienced Goose Creek at the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm can compare your case’s specifics to similar cases they’ve handled to estimate a fair and just settlement.

How Long Does Settle a Slip and Fall Lawsuit Take?

The time it takes to settle a slip-and-fall lawsuit varies based on several factors, as achieving the best possible outcome for a client is the primary goal. Key factors that influence the duration include:

• Defendant’s Response: How the defendant responds to the lawsuit.
• Case Complexity: The complexity of the case and the specifics involved.
• Injuries Sustained: The severity and impact of the injuries sustained.

Generally, cases involving minor injuries are more likely to be settled out of court, as attorneys for both parties can agree on a settlement amount without the need for a trial.

However, if the defendant’s insurance company offers an unreasonably low settlement or attempts to place full blame on the plaintiff, denying all liability, the case may proceed to trial.

Our expert Goose Creek slip and fall accident lawyers will not hesitate to go to trial if it means securing a fair and just award for their client, especially when serious injuries are involved. At our firm, we have extensive experience battling large insurance companies and the resources to fight for our clients.

We are committed to seeing each case through to the best possible outcome for our slip-and-fall clients.

Compensation for Slip & Fall Accident Victims

During your initial consultation with a slip and fall lawyer, the attorney will carefully listen to the details surrounding your premises liability accident. From there, they will begin investigating your case and formulate a plan of action.

The financial compensation your lawyer seeks will depend on your unique circumstances.

Your slip and fall lawyer may pursue damages for:

• Medical Expenses: All past medical bills and any future treatment, therapy, or medications required.
• Lost Wages: Compensation for wages lost due to the accident and the loss of future earning potential.
• Vocational Training: If your injury prevents you from performing your previous work, you may be eligible for compensation to cover occupational training for a new job.
• Pain and Suffering: Compensation for the physical and emotional stress caused by the injury.
• Loss of Enjoyment: Damages are awarded when the victim’s quality of life is diminished due to the inability to participate in activities you previously enjoyed.

Common Damages Awarded In Slip-And-Fall Accident Claims

If you’ve suffered an injury from a slip-and-fall accident on someone else’s property, you might be entitled to compensation for your losses.

In personal injury law, “damages” refer to economic and non-economic losses resulting from an injury and punitive damages in certain situations.

The damages you can recover through an accident claim will depend on several factors, including the severity of your injuries, any fault in the accident, and the type of property where the accident occurred (e.g., business, private).

Commonly awarded damages in slip-and-fall accident claims include:

• Medical Expenses: Compensation for current and future medical costs.
• Lost Wages: Reimbursement for income lost due to the injury.
• Loss of Earning Capacity: Compensation if the injury affects your ability to earn in the future.
• Mental Anguish: Damages for emotional distress caused by the accident.
• Pain and Suffering: Compensation for physical and emotional pain endured.
• Wrongful Death Compensation: If a fatal slip-and-fall accident occurs, surviving family members may be entitled to compensation.
• Incidental Expenses: Reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses related to the accident.

If you’ve been injured in a slip-and-fall accident, it’s essential to consult with a personal injury lawyer to understand your rights and maximize your potential compensation.

Statute of LimitationsfFor Slip-And-Fall Accidents in Goose Creek

When taking legal action in a slip-and-fall accident case, time is of the essence. In personal injury law, victims who seek compensation must do so within the timeframe specified by their state’s statute of limitations.

The statute of limitations for slip-and-fall accidents refers to the period during which injured parties can file a claim or lawsuit following an accident. This deadline varies by state.

To understand how much time you have to file a claim, it’s important to consult with a slip-and-fall accident lawyer who can provide a comprehensive overview of your state’s specific laws and ensure you meet all necessary deadlines.

Four Elements of a Slip and Fall Injury Case

When evaluating a slip and fall injury case, an attorney will need to establish the presence of four essential elements to determine the viability of your claim:

• Duty of Care: The initial aspect a slip-and-fall attorney will investigate is whether there was a duty of care owed by a party to the victim. For example, a store manager is responsible for ensuring the safety of their customers by maintaining clear, hazard-free aisles.
• Breach of Duty: Next, it must be demonstrated that the party responsible for maintaining safety breached their duty of care. This often involves showing that they permitted a dangerous condition to persist, such as neglecting to repair a loose floor tile or failing to address a spill.
• Causation: A critical component of a slip and fall case is linking the breach of duty directly to the accident. For instance, this element would be supported if an accident occurred due to the plaintiff slipping on spilled cooking oil.
• Damages: Finally, the plaintiff must prove that the accident resulted in specific damages to pursue a claim. This can include medical bills, lost earnings, and compensation for pain and suffering.

Ali Awad offers complimentary consultations for victims of fall injuries in Goose Creek. During these meetings, he reviews the case’s specifics to assess whether the injuries were due to a property owner’s negligence.

He accepts cases on a contingency basis, meaning his legal services are provided without upfront costs to the client.

Contact Our Goose Creek Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

At the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, we understand the pain and suffering that can follow a slip-and-fall accident. Taking the right steps after such an incident can aid in your healing process.

Our clients and their unique stories matter to us; each client becomes a valued member of our extended family. We care deeply about your recovery and have helped many individuals who have suffered due to someone else’s negligence.

Reach out to us for a no-obligation consultation. Remember, you don’t have to walk the path to recovery alone.

Contact us online or call  (843) 278-2469 to discuss the details of your case with experienced slip and fall accident attorneys.

FAQs:

1. What are the common causes of Slip and Falls?

Slip-and-fall accidents can happen due to various hazards. Common causes include:

• Defects in pavement
• Snow and ice accumulation
• Torn, raised, or worn carpeting
• Inadequate lighting
• Broken handrails
• Holes and depressions in the ground
• Spilled food or drinks
• Stray electrical cords and wires

1. How much is your Slip and Fall case worth?

It’s natural to wonder about the potential value of your slip-and-fall case, especially as medical bills and lost wages accumulate.

The simple answer is to consult our legal professionals for a free case evaluation. They can provide detailed information regarding the value of your case based on your specific circumstances.

The more complex answer is that the value of your case depends on the extent of your losses. As your medical bills and lost wages fluctuate, so does the worth of your case.

Ses are worth more than others, particularly when severe injuries require extensive medical procedures. While no one wishes to exchange their health for money, our law firm is dedicated to helping you recover the full compensation you deserve.

1. If I fell on my neighbor’s steps and she lives in a rental property, who pays my bills?

This excellent question highlights the complexities of slip-and-fall cases and determining fault. The concept of “premises liability” holds that a property owner, landlord, or business owner can be responsible for injuries occurring on their property.

In your situation, depending on the lease agreement, the responsibility for maintaining the safety of the steps might lie with the renter or the landlord. Additionally, a third party, such as a snow removal service hired by the landlord, could be held accountable if they fail to fulfill their duties.

The best way to determine liability is to speak with our knowledgeable legal professionals, who can assess your case and guide you through the process.