Lifestyle

Can I Sue A Company For A Slip And Fall?

While it may not sound terrible at first, a slip and fall can cause serious injuries and impact you in more ways than you could possibly imagine. Sometimes, they’ll even induce economic losses, permanent health damages, or handicap you for the rest of your life. Slip and falls are often the consequence of a property owner’s negligence in providing a safe and risk-free environment for employees and visitors. This is even truer when these accidents take place on company property.

In essence, yes, you can and are entirely within your legal rights to file a lawsuit against a private firm if you’ve been the victim of a slip and fall on their premises.

Now, to guide you through the process and help you get the compensation you deserve, we’ve put together a useful guide outlining what you should know and do in case you ever find yourself in this unfortunate situation.

IMAGE: PEXELS

1. Why Do Slips And Falls Occur In The Workplace?

Slips and falls represent some of the most common work-related accidents in the United States each year. In 2016 alone, an estimated 230,000 people were involved in cases of slips, trips, and falls while at work. An additional 700 deaths were reported that year, as a direct consequence of these incidents.

Reasons for slips and falls vary greatly. Among the most typical and widespread scenarios is poor maintenance, as well as failure to alert clearly against potential on-site hazards. For instance, a spilled drink or substance, a wet floor, or a piece of equipment or machinery that’s laying where it shouldn’t can put you at risk. Similarly, you may also be exposed to unfilled potholes on the company’s front pavement or parking lot. All in all, slips and falls can happen as a result of virtually anything, no matter how large or small.

2. Who Is Legally Responsible?

It’s important to keep in mind that business owners have an obligation to provide an accessible, safe and dependable workspace for their employees, visitors and consultants. As a result, they are legally liable for any slip and fall accidents that occur on their premises.

If your boss attempts to evade responsibility and hold you liable for the incident, do your best to gather any material evidence (video surveillance tapes, pictures of your injuries, medical bills, and such) and witness testimonials that will prove useful in the event that you plan to take him to court and ask for financial compensation.

3. Choose Legal Representation And Obtain Compensation

Now, before threatening your superiors to sue them and flip the firm upside down, it’s essential to know when you actually have a case. Failing to assess whether a case is triable or not may lead to you losing your lawsuit. In that case, the other party can petition the court to have you reimburse them for any legal expenses and fees, which might end up costing you a lot of money.

As such, it’s best to call on the services of an experienced lawyer to get professional advice and maximize your chances of winning. If you live and work in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, you’re bound to find a helpful resource to assist you in finding the right lawyer that will ensure you receive adequate compensation. This will allow you to recover any lost wages and to repay your medical bills (economic damages), as well as get indemnities for your pain and suffering (non-economic damages).

4. Common Injuries After A Slip And Fall

Depending on the context and circumstances of the accident, victims of slips and falls can suffer anything from minor bruises to debilitating paraplegia. Regardless of the severity of the damage, work-related injuries can be traumatic and even prove to be lethal in certain cases.

To get a better sense of the health consequences, here are the most frequent types of injuries after a slip and fall:

Bone fractures
Head and neck injuries
Pulled muscles, torn ligaments, and tendons
Hernia and slipped discs
Spinal cord injury
Internal organ damage
Traumatic brain injury

Of course, the nature and degree of pains vary considerably, yet any one of these instances can induce weeks, if not months, of medical treatment, hefty hospital bills, and being out of work for substantial periods of time.

All things considered, slip and fall accidents are a major inconvenience for all parties involved in a lawsuit case -victims and negligent business owners alike. As a friendly reminder, although you can perfectly sue a company for that motive, never be tempted to abuse the law to claim undue compensation. These laws are put in place to protect you and ensure fairness, certainly not to be taken advantage of for personal enrichment.

If you are interested in even more lifestyle-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.