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A trip-and-fall accident can result in everything from a few minor bumps and bruises to catastrophic injury that significantly impacts your quality of life. In many cases, if you have been hurt in a trip-and-fall accident, you may have legal recourse against the negligent parties.
A trip-and-fall accident can occur when you least expect it, and it can be traumatizing both physically and emotionally. In addition to seeking proper medical care, you may be intimidated by the process of filing an insurance claim or pursuing a lawsuit. An experienced personal injury lawyer can assist you in this process, helping to ease your stress so that you can focus on your recovery.
Judd Shaw Injury Law is here for you in this time of need. With decades of combined experience, we have fought for and recovered over $240 million on behalf of our clients. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our knowledgeable and empathetic legal team today. The sooner we can get to work on your case, the sooner we can put our resources to work on your behalf.
If you have been injured in a trip-and-fall accident, you can contact Judd Shaw Injury Law by calling 732-888-8888 or completing our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We want to help you and offer you our No Fee Guarantee®, which ensures that you don’t owe us anything unless you get money for your claim.
Common Reasons for Trip-and-Fall Accidents
Falls are a leading cause of unintentional injury. Most slips, trips, and falls are probably avoidable. Unfortunately, at times, businesses and property owners fail to reasonably maintain their properties, thereby putting your safety at risk.
Things that may cause a trip-and-fall accident include:
- Damaged or uneven flooring
- Debris and unsafe materials left in aisles or walkways
- Lack of clear or appropriate signage warning of hazards
- Broken steps
- Fraying or lose carpeting or doormats
- Uneven or damaged sidewalks and passageways
- Uneven door jams
- Elevators that do not stop even with the floor
- Malfunctioning escalators
- Dim or inadequate lighting
Any object or substance left on the floor could present a tripping hazard and lead to serious injuries. A skilled personal injury lawyer, though, can help you to establish the facts of your case and pursue restitution for your damages.
Types of Trip and Fall Injuries
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), more than 6.8 million people are treated annually in emergency rooms for fall-related injuries. Trip and fall injuries can be severe, and in some cases, life-threatening.
When you trip over an object, you are most likely to fall forward. Injuries resulting from such a fall can include:
- Lacerations, cuts, and abrasions
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken or dislocated bones
- Sprained and broken wrists
- Knee and elbow injuries
- Foot and ankle injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Broken teeth
- Neck injuries
- Facial injuries
Such injuries can be life-altering. Although many such conditions may not be directly life-threatening, they are still traumatic and can impact your quality of life.
What to Do Immediately After Your Trip-and-Fall Accident
You will want to take some steps to protect your legal rights after a trip-and-fall accident. Taking these will help you to establish the legitimacy of your case and prove the negligence on the part of those responsible for maintaining the property where you fell.
Steps you should take include:
- Seeking medical treatment. A fall can be a life-threatening event. Even if you do not think that you are seriously injured, it is best to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Some major injuries show few immediate symptoms. Furthermore, a medical exam will also serve as documentation of the accident and evidence of the resulting health conditions in case you decide to pursue a personal injury claim later on.
- Identify what caused you to trip and fall. Proving what led to your trip-and-fall is key to successfully pursuing your claim. Uneven flooring, poor lighting, or some item left in the walkway could all have played a part. Whatever the direct cause may have been, do your utmost to identify it and all other possible contributing factors.
- Report the incident. Trip-and-fall accidents can happen anywhere, on both public and private property. Always record the location of the incident and report it to the owner or manager of the premises. If you fell in a place of business, the manager should fill out a formal accident report, and you should receive a copy. The accident report will ensure that the business cannot later claim that the incident did not happen.
- Take pictures. If at all possible, take pictures at the scene of the accident. Photograph the location and any conditions present that might have caused your accident, in whole or in part. The evidence will not last long. Many times, debris left in walkways or other hazardous conditions from the time of the incident will be cleaned up or removed after the fact.
- Get witness contact information. You must collect the names and contact information of anyone who witnessed the accident, including anyone who may not have seen the fall itself but can verify the conditions of where the incident took place. Eyewitness testimony is truly valuable when you choose to pursue a claim.
- Contact a personal injury lawyer right away. A skilled attorney can help you by gathering evidence before it disappears, guiding you through the claims process, and negotiating with the insurance company. All this ensures that you get a settlement that you feel is fair for the damages sustained.
Taking such steps will help to build a strong foundation for a successful personal injury lawsuit.
Potential Compensation You Could Get for a Trip-and-Fall Accident
Trip-and-fall accidents are generally governed by premises liability law. Property owners or managers have a duty of care to maintain their premises in a safe manner for visitors and guests. This means that government entities, both private and commercial property owners, landlords, tenants, businesses, and other entities in control of property could be held liable for damages caused by a fall.
If you tripped and fell, you may be entitled to compensation for the physical, emotional, and financial tolls associated with your accident.
You may qualify to obtain restitution for:
- Pain and suffering
- Hospital and medical bills
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning capacity
- Physical therapy
- Disability or disfigurement
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Proving fault for a trip-and-fall accident can be complicated. You will need to establish several things:
- That there was a dangerous condition that existed on the property
- That the owner knew, or should have known, that the dangerous condition existed
- That he or she failed to remedy or adequately warn of the dangerous condition
- That, as a result of failing to correct the dangerous condition, you got hurt when you fell
At Judd Shaw Injury Law, we understand the challenges premises liability cases bring. Our knowledgeable and results-oriented lawyers will work aggressively to achieve the best possible outcome for you.
Contact New Jersey Personal Injury Lawyers Who Want to Help
A trip and fall injury can be devastating both physically and emotionally. In addition to facing what may be a long physical recovery, there is the stress and pressure of filing an insurance claim or pursuing a lawsuit. The attorneys at Judd Shaw Injury Law have dedicated their careers to helping injury and accident victims in New Jersey to attain the compensation they deserve.
Our legal team is committed to seeing your case through to the end. We abide by the Judd Shaw Way – meaning that, in our commitment to client service, we are guided by a set of core values that defines every action we take on behalf of our clients every day.
Have you or someone you love been hurt in a trip-and-fall accident? There is little time to waste. Contact Judd Shaw Injury Law at 732-888-8888 or complete our simple contact form to schedule your free case evaluation which comes with no obligation. Our representatives are standing by to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We want to help.