People tend to look at slip and fall accidents with a bit of disdain. It is not uncommon for people to assume that a slip and fall plaintiff is just a clumsy person looking to make a quick buck at someone else’s expense. What people fail to realize is that slip and fall cases can leave victims with incredibly serious and long-lasting injuries. The responsibility of property owners and managers to maintain their premises also tends to be overlooked. If you were harmed in a slip and fall accident, you deserve compensation for your injuries and suffering.
Slip and fall accidents can be physically painful and financially draining. They can happen anywhere from sidewalks to stairs to wet floors. In most cases, a slip and fall accident happens because the person in charge of keeping a particular area safe failed to fulfill their duty. Damages for an accident can include the medical expenses of the person injured in the fall, additional damages for lost wages, and pain and suffering. The value of a slip and fall case can be quite high, and plaintiffs must be compensated for their injuries.
Call our Lehigh County slip and fall attorneys as soon as possible if you or someone close to you was injured in a slip and fall accident. If your accident happened because of someone’s negligent property maintenance, you should be compensated for your injuries. Call the Reiff Law Firm at (215) 709-6940 for a free legal consultation.
Why You Should Hire an Attorney for a Slip and Fall Accident in Lehigh County
Slip and fall cases have a bad reputation for being quick money-grabs by greedy people, but this could not be further from the truth. Slip and fall accidents present complex legal questions that often take a long time to resolve. The people involved are often seriously injured and have no other means to pay for their expenses than filing a lawsuit. Our legal team understands that you are filing a lawsuit because you have to, not because you want to.
You need an attorney who understands the relevant law and can effectively argue on our behalf. To be successful, you have to prove that your defendant was negligent in how they maintained their property, and their negligence is what led to your fall. Proving your case requires far more than just telling your side of the story. An attorney has the skills and experience necessary to gather strong evidence and present it in a way that convinces a court that you deserve compensation.
For more than 34 years, the lawyers of The Reiff Law Firm have stood up for the rights of Pennsylvanians injured in slip and fall accidents. Our experience and resources permit us to take a strategic approach to each case. When you work with us, we first discuss the fact and circumstances surrounding your case. If your case appears to be meritorious, we then explain the process of slip and fall accident litigation step-by-step. By explaining the process, we ensure that you will know what to expect. Being aware of the path forward can significantly decrease your anxiety over the future and permit you to focus on your health. Call our Lehigh County slip and fall lawyers today to get help with your case.
Why Are Slip and Fall Accidents in Lehigh County So Serious?
Slip and falls are one of the most common types of premise liability actions. Pennsylvania law protects individuals invited onto a property or who have permission from the property owner to be on the premises. For these individuals, at minimum, the owner must warn of dangerous conditions and may have an obligation to undertake a reasonable inspection to discover dangerous conditions.
According to the National Safety Council statistics, slips, trips, and falls are the second-leading cause of accidental death in the United States. In 2009 alone, falls contributed to at least 25,000 deaths. In 2011, falls accounted for nearly 9 million visits to the hospital emergency room. Whether located in Allentown, Hanover Township, or Mechanicsville, the leading causes for slip and fall injuries are similar. The causes include:
- doorways
- stairwells
- ramps
- heavily trafficked areas
- ladders
- uneven or broken sidewalks
- ice or snow-covered walkways
If you have fallen due to unsafe or hazardous conditions in one of these locations or otherwise, contacting an experienced litigator is often the first step in recovering compensation. Our Lehigh County slip and fall lawyers can help you get the compensation you need and deserve. Call our offices for a free legal consultation.
What Should I Do After Suffering a Slip and Fall Accident in Lehigh County?
After suffering a slip and fall accident in Lehigh County, you need to get medical attention immediately. Depending on how you fell and what part of your body is injured, you might be unable to stand on your own. If you can, call for help and see a doctor immediately. This is important for two reasons: first, you need to take care of your physical safety and wellbeing. Second, you need to begin compiling records and documentation of your medical issues and injures related to the fall.
It may also be useful to snap some pictures of the location where you fell. The conditions of the location of your fall are crucial to proving your case. Sometimes, when the victim of a slip and fall accident goes to the hospital, the owner or manager of the property might secretly fix up the fall area to eliminate incriminating evidence. If you tripped on even stairs, an icy sidewalk, or a wet floor, the court needs proof of those conditions. Pictures and videos taken immediately after a fall can be very helpful to your case. If you cannot take the pictures yourself, have a friend or someone nearby take some for you if possible.
Once your injuries have been treated by a doctor, consider calling an attorney to discuss your legal options. The sooner you get started on your lawsuit, the better. Our Lehigh County slip and fall attorneys can help you get your lawsuit started today.
Proving Negligence in a Slip and Fall Case in Lehigh County
Most slip and fall accidents are based on theories of negligence. Negligence is a legal standard that typically involves unintentional acts by defendants. However, defendants may have been under a legal duty to behave in a specific way, and they did not conform to that duty. In a slip and fall case, we must show a court that the defendant had a legal duty to maintain their property to be safe for others and that the defendant failed to maintain their property.
For example, a store owner must make sure that the floors and walkways throughout their business are safe and hazard-free. If an area must be cleaned and the floor is made wet, the owner is responsible for ensuring a wet-floor sign is posted, and customers are adequately warned. If the floor is wet and no warning sign is posted, or one is posted where customers cannot see it, the owner may be deemed negligent and held liable for your injuries.
For assistance with your case, call our Lehigh County slip and fall accident attorneys. Our team can help you prove the defendant in your case was negligent and liable for your accident.
How Much is a Slip and Fall Case Worth in Lehigh County?
The value of your slip and fall case may be difficult to determine, and many different factors and variables play significant roles. Some plaintiffs get tens of thousands of dollars for their injuries. Other plaintiffs get far less. Speak with our Lehigh County slip and fall attorneys to determine the value of your case.
Assessing the value of a slip and fall case requires assessing your damages. Your damages refer to any losses you may have incurred because of your accident, financial or otherwise. Losses typically included in a plaintiff’s damages are medical expenses, lost earnings from missing work, and pain and suffering. The more severe your injuries, the greater your damages may be. This can be difficult to assess because pain is very subjective, and different plaintiffs handle pain in different ways. If you feel your pain has had a large impact on your life, you may argue for greater damages.
How Can I Prevent Slip and Fall Accidents?
It is often said that prevention is the best cure. This is especially true for both young people and seniors because children and the elderly are the individuals most likely to suffer a slip and fall injury. Therefore, taking practical steps like installing gates at the top and bottom of stairways in homes with children can go a long way to reducing the likelihood that an accident would occur. Other reasonable steps to reduce the probability of a slip and fall accident include:
- Ensuring pathways have adequate lighting
- Immediately cleaning up all spills
- Securing electrical cords and phone cords
- Ensuring that a ladder is properly secured before use
- Keeping drawers and cabinets closed
- Removing debris or garbage from pathways
- Arranging furniture and fixtures so that pathways are obstruction-free.
- Checking for snow and ice
- Never misuse a chair, table, or other surfaces as a ladder
As personal injury attorneys, we have seen the unfortunate and life-altering injuries that can occur due to a slip and fall. Therefore, we encourage individuals to take all reasonable steps to prevent these tragic accidents. Contact our Lehigh County slip and fall attorney for help today.
Let Us Guide You Through Your Personal Injury Claim
For more than 34 years, The Reiff Law Firm has represented Pennsylvanians injured in slip and fall accidents. If you have fallen and suffered an injury due to the negligence of another, call our Lehigh County slip and fall lawyers at (215) 709-6940 to schedule a free consultation.
