When a slip causes major injuries

Everyone has fallen or slipped at least once in their lives, and more likely than not they probably did not suffer broken bones or head injuries. But sometimes such traumatic injuries do occur, and when the fall is really bad it is typically the result of a carelessly maintained sidewalk or roadway.

If you have slipped, fallen, or tripped, and have been injured outside of your home to an extent that required hospitalization, you were most likely a victim of an unsafe walking surface condition. Medical bills that accumulate and the pain and suffering you endure should not be your responsibility. Whether this occurs on a public sidewalk or in a grocery store, we can help.

Common Causes of Slips and Falls

Slips or falls can happen for a variety of reasons. As previously mentioned, it can be due to the lack of maintenance of a road or walkway. A sidewalk with a lift, a brick walkway with a missing brick or two, or a hole in a road can all trigger a potential trip.

Falls can also occur due to poor transitions between two different types of floor - or even from stairs to ground-level flooring. Wet flooring, slippery stairs without rails, a build-up of mud or leaves on a sidewalk, or tripping hazards on a path can also lead to slips.

Sometimes slips and falls can be caused by our own wrongdoing or at least exacerbate the extent of our injuries when we fall. For instance, if browsing on our phone, not watching where we’re going, or wearing worn-out shoes without tread, this can increase the odds of us falling. However, if the walking conditions were still unsafe, you may still be eligible to receive some compensation.

What to Do After a Slip, Fall, or Trip

Get Medical Help

The most critical step after a fall is to seek medical attention. If your injuries are serious or if you’re unsure of the extent of your injuries, it’s best to call 911 to get prompt care.

Getting medical help ensures you get the diagnosis and treatment you need, especially for serious injuries that otherwise may not heal on their own like a broken bone. Being seen by a medical professional also provides proof of your injuries to help build your court case.

Take Pictures

If you’re okay enough to do so, take pictures of the scene. Show the location of the slip and where exactly you fell. This will give an attorney a better understanding of what led to the event and whether or not the property owner may be at fault for the injury. It can also prove that the event did, in fact, take place on the property you claim it did.

Keeping photo evidence of a slip injury secure is important. We recommend storing photos on multiple devices, on cloud storage, via an email you send to yourself, or on a flash drive or CD. An attorney can also help keep critical evidence safe from potentially getting lost or deleted by mistake.

Document Your Injuries

Shortly after the event, it’s important to document your injuries. Take photos and/or a video of the injuries you sustained from the fall. This may mean bruises, swelling, bumps, cuts, or scrapes.

As time goes on, you may notice your injuries getting worse. Be sure to continue documenting the healing process and any changes you notice. If your injuries are worsening, you may also wish to write down the symptoms you’re experiencing to create a timeline of how your injuries progressed.

Refuse Hush Money

Property owners or businesses leasing a property may try to find quick solutions after your slip and fall injury. They may offer you a discounted product or service, freebies, or even cash as a response. They know how serious a fall injury can be, how it could jeopardize their establishment, and how it could get them into legal trouble.

The truth of the matter is, hush money, as the name implies, is just a way to get you to keep quiet. The problem with hush money is that not only does the guilty party not get the repercussions they deserve, but for you, this often means not getting enough compensation for your injuries. This may result in you having more out-of-pocket medical expenses, unpaid time off work, and other financial obligations that are not yours.

Not to mention, a business or property owner not having consequences for their inability to upkeep their property means another accident could occur in the near future. After the event is said and done, they’ll likely not resolve the trip hazard - unless someone takes them to court.

Speak with an Attorney

To get the best resolution after a slip on commercial, public, or residential property, seek legal help. A personal injury attorney can help investigate the situation, gather evidence, determine fault, and fight for your compensation.

Don’t wait to get legal help. The longer it has been since the fall, the less likely you are to win. In some situations, what would have been a case may no longer be a case if too much time has passed. This is primarily due to two things: evidence can get lost or lose quality over time, and there is limited time to take legal action.

In the state of California, victims have two years from the date the injury occurred from a slip and fall accident. If they tripped on government property, the statute of limitations may be reduced to just six months. This is why it’s imperative to act fast.

We can help

Just because you have fallen does not necessarily mean you were careless. The law expects landowners to keep roads and streets safe for people like you and me so that we can walk around without falling and injuring ourselves. Even if you were partially at fault, you may still be able to file a claim and receive compensation.

If you feel that you were the victim of such unsafe conditions, we can help. Examples of such unsafe conditions include: