When it comes slip and fall accidents, getting the compensation you deserve is no laughing matter. Choose a proven Central Kentucky personal injury attorney that can prove liability in the case of a life changing accident.
It’s popular in old movie comedies – everyone laughs when someone slips on a banana peel and goes sprawling.
But slip-and-fall accidents are no laughing matter. In fact, slips and falls account for over one million emergency visits, or 12% of total falls.
Slip-and-falls can happen anywhere in Nelson County. Have you ever been to Kroger or another grocery store and see that someone has dropped a jar of something like pasta sauce? If you’re looking at the shelves, you might not see it and slip. Or, a spill has been cleaned up and the floor is wet. Or what if you’re using the walkway to a friend’s front door and slip of a loose rug? Slipping and falling can happen quickly, and the consequences can be life changing.
What are the Consequences of Slipping and Falling?
The consequences of any kind of accident are two-fold. There are injuries…
- Brain and spine injuries are seen in about 25% of same level fallers in one study, making these types of injuries more common than fractures
- Hitting your head in a fall could cause traumatic brain injury, and head injuries are most common in children.
- Spine injuries are very common and aren’t confined to high falls – they can happen from heights below six feet.
- Fractures occur in 5% of people who fall
- Of all fractures from falls, hip fractures are the most serious and lead to the greatest health problems and number of deaths
- Death from falls obviously depends on the height of the fall, but there is no safe height
And then there are the other costs:
- While slips and falls aren’t a primary cause of fatal occupational injuries, they are the primary cause of lost days from work
- 22% of slip/fall incidents resulted in more than 31 days away from work
- Compensation & medical costs associated with employee slip/fall accidents is approximately $70 billion annually
- According to Workers Compensation statistics from ITT-Hartford Insurance Company, falls account for 16% of all claims and 26% of all costs.
What all these statistics tell us is that there can be severe consequences to a fall. You can sustain injuries that could affect the rest of your life and put you and your family in economic jeopardy. And what if that brain injury proves fatal? And can you afford a month off work?
What Should You Do After a Slip-and-Fall?
If you’re injured at work, you’re covered by workers compensation insurance, and you don’t have to prove the fall was caused by someone else’s fault. But if it was, you may be able to recover worker’s compensation AND PERSONAL INJURY DAMAGES. Contacting an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you fight for the maximum compensation.
Other than for worker’s compensation, Slip-and-fall accidents require proof of liability. This could be at a business or at a friend’s house, inside or outside. You should take the same steps you take after any accident:
- Medical Attention: Ask for medical help or call 911 right after the fall. If you don’t get emergency medical care at the scene, see a doctor as soon as possible. Be sure to tell every medical care provider exactly when, where, and how you slipped and fell.
- Incident Report: Ask the property owner or manager to prepare an incident report and give you a copy.
- Insurance Information: Ask for the property owner’s insurance company’s name and contact information. Every business or homeowner should have this information handy. Depending on where you were hurt, you would be dealing with a homeowner’s insurance company or a business liability insurer.
- Witnesses: Get the names and contact information from employees, customers, friends, or passers-by who saw your slip and fall accident. Ask them all to write down what they saw and have them sign and date their statement.
- Photographs: Take photographs or video of the accident scene, especially the dangerous condition that caused you to slip and fall.
- If you were injured at a business, ask for copies of the surveillance camera footage for that day.
When dealing with the insurance company, don’t be fooled into thinking they’re on your side. Their job is to pay out as little as they can and close the case as soon as possible.
They’ll also try to pin the blame on you. Never admit to any sort of blame. And never agree to a recorded phone call.
Slip-and-fall accident cases can be complicated. Remember the tip to ask for surveillance camera footage? The business may refuse your request or stall for so long that the footage is erased.
Calling a personal injury attorney as soon as you can after your accident is your best bet for not only getting what you need to prove liability, but to get the compensation you deserve for injuries, lost wages and even wrongful death.
Trust McCoy & Sparks – Premier Personal Injury Attorneys in Nelson County
Long recognized as Nelson County’s best law firm for over a decade and counting, McCoy & Sparks works to help people in trouble, representing thousands of clients in Central Kentucky with a focus on providing premium service and delivering superior results. Regardless of the type of case, our goal is to develop a strategy that best serves your personal needs, then draw upon our courtroom skills to help you reach the best possible result. We start by getting to know you. Next, we will explain all your options, giving you the pros and cons of each choice so that you will be empowered to make informed decisions. You owe us nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Make the right call to 1-844-4KY-WINS for a risk-free consultation with one of our attorneys today.