Slip And Fall Lawyer in Austin
If you were injured by a slip and fall accident that occurred because of a property owner’s negligence, you might be owed money to cover the cost of your medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. An Austin slip and fall lawyer from Loewy Law Firm can help you recover the compensation you deserve after suffering injuries in a slip and fall accident.
Slip and falls are a leading cause of spinal cord damage, traumatic injury to the brain, and other serious injuries that can change your life. The Loewy Law Firm is a trusted personal injury practice in Austin with an attorney dedicated to fighting for the rights of slip and fall victims.
Many people mistakenly believe that fall injuries are not serious. The reality is that a simple fall could leave you badly hurt and with substantial medical expenses. At the Loewy Law Firm, we provide representation to clients who fell at work, took a tumble at a public place, or fell in the home of a friend. We offer free case evaluations to victims to help them determine if they have a claim. We don’t charge fees for representation for clients unless we recover compensation for their injury. If you believe you may have a fall injury case, contact us now to get your case evaluated at no cost to you.
What Is a Slip and Fall Injury Claim?
A slip and fall claim is a specific type of personal injury claim in which a person slips or trips and is injured on someone else’s property. If the accident occurred because the property owner was negligent, either by failing to warn the person of a specific hazard or failing to eliminate a hazard they knew or should have known about, then the property owner could be held financially responsible for the costs of the injury.
How Can an Austin Slip and Fall Attorney Help Me?
The Loewy Law Firm represents injured victims only: we never represent insurers. We know how to deal with injury claims, and we are experienced negotiators and experienced litigators. We’ll be there to investigate, talk to insurers for you, gather evidence of how your fall occurred, and make decisions on your case.
Let us advocate for you and fight for your rights in or out of court. Our slip and fall lawyer can help you maximize the chances of getting compensation for a slip and fall. Call today to learn how we can bring our legal experience to the table to help with your case.
What are My Rights After a Fall Injury in Austin?
If you fell at work, you have the right to make a workers’ compensation claim. You can get certain benefits, including disability income and medical bill payments, regardless of who was at fault for the fall. While you can’t sue an employer for a work-related fall, you can sue third parties who may have been to blame. This can mean broader compensation.
Those who fell outside of work will need to file a personal injury claim and may need to go to court to get compensation. Many cases are settled by negotiating with insurance companies representing property owners. Adam Loewy at the Loewy Law Firm can seek compensation for you without a trial. If you need to go to court to get full and fair compensation for noneconomic injuries, our slip and fall attorney in Austin will be ready to represent you as well.
Who Should Be Held Accountable for My Losses?
Determining who to pursue a claim against after a fall is important. You want to ensure you pursue all possible claims so you can maximize your chances of compensation. Claims may be made against any individuals or businesses who failed to fulfill legal obligations to keep the properties safe. This could include:
- Property owners or renters
- Property maintenance or property management companies
- Landlords
- Project managers in charge of worksite safety
Falling down after slipping or tripping may seem like an innocuous incident, but many times, such accidents could have been prevented. Property owners and businesses (such as apartment complexes) are responsible to protect visitors and employees from potential harm. Owners and premise managers must keep their property well-maintained and free of potential hazards, but many fail to protect the safety of their workers and patrons. If their negligent behavior leads to injury, they may be held liable for their actions.
Slip & fall cases are based on the assumption that the owner’s lack of responsible effort caused the unnecessary accident that led to the injury. When making such an injury claim, the plaintiff needs to be able to prove that their injury could have been prevented had the owner followed safety regulations to ensure the well-being of those on their premises. Slip & fall accidents can result in incredibly serious injuries. These falls lead to broken bones, back and neck injury, and even brain damage in extreme cases. The victims that suffer from owner negligence can obtain justice through the support of a personal injury lawyer in Austin.
The right party to pursue a claim against varies depending upon the specific circumstances of how your fall happened. Let a slip-and-fall lawyer from the Loewy Law Firm conduct a free evaluation of your case to help you determine who could be held accountable to you.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents can happen almost anywhere. They occur in hotels, museums, grocery stores, shopping malls, restaurants, schools, government buildings, nursing homes, and hospitals. Slip and fall accidents don’t always happen indoors. If you slipped and fell on a sidewalk, you might have an equal claim to someone who fell in a store. Whether the accident occurs inside or outside, a negligent property owner can be held liable for the injuries they caused.
Some of the common causes of slip and fall accidents include:
- Wet or slick surfaces – Freshly mopped tiles, wet floors, and other slick surfaces can easily cause slip and fall accidents.
- Uneven walkways – Loose floorboards, worn out or torn carpeting, cracked sidewalks, parking lot potholes, poorly constructed staircases, and other damaged foot traffic areas can lead to slip and falls.
- Electrical cords – Stray cords and wires can cause people to trip, leading to serious slip and fall injuries.
- Broken handles and rails – Some slip and fall cases happen because of broken or damaged handrails on stairs or along walkways. Sometimes the absence of handrails in areas where they are necessary can lead to accidents.
- Poor lighting – Poor lighting in buildings and along walkways lowers visibility and can cause slip and fall accidents as a result. Sometimes low visibility makes objects hazardous that a person could have avoided under better lighting conditions.
- Debris – Hazardous debris in businesses and work zones can cause slip and fall injuries. Property managers must keep walkways free and clear of clutter.
- Nursing home neglect – Sometimes, elderly nursing home residents are neglected by nursing home staff. When residents are unattended, slips and falls are more likely.
Common Injuries in Slip and Fall Accidents
Slipping and falling may sound less dangerous than a car crash, but they can be just as severe in some circumstances. If the fallen person is elderly or suffers from another injury or illness, slip and fall accidents can be devastating. Some of the common injuries caused by slip and fall accidents are:
- Traumatic brain injury – Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are usually caused by a violent blow to the head. TBIs can include concussions, fractures to the skull, and in severe cases, brain bleeds. TBIs can be life-threatening and require immediate emergency treatment. Aside from the physical effects of TBIs, they can also negatively affect logic, emotions, and personality.
- Spinal damage – Damage to the spinal cord can be debilitating and frequently happens due to slip and fall accidents. The spinal cord delivers messages from the brain to the rest of the body, so the entire body is affected by a spinal cord injury.
- Paralysis – If the spinal cord is broken, paralysis can occur below the injury. Paralysis can render a person immobile and completely alter the course of their life.
- Broken/fractured bones – Broken and fractured bones commonly result from slips and falls. These types of injuries can require surgery to repair the break, followed by extensive physical therapy. The recovery process can take months.
What Should I Do If I’ve Been Hurt in a Fall Accident?
If you’ve been injured by a slip and fall accident that occurred on someone else’s property, then there are several steps you should take in the hours, days, and weeks after the accident occurs.
- Seek medical treatment. Get evaluated by a physician and make sure your physician takes detailed notes about all of your injuries.
- Report the accident to the property owner or manager. Whether the property was a private home or a business, alert them so that they can make an incident report and correct the hazard.
- Collect medical documents. Keep a file of your medical bills, physical therapy expenses, prescription labels, and other medical records. These will be important later if you seek compensation from the negligent property owner.
- Keep a pain journal. Consider keeping a pain journal in which you document your injuries and your recovery process on a daily basis.
- Refrain from posting on social media. Don’t talk about the accident on social media or in any other public forum until your case is resolved. The insurance company could take anything you say and attempt to use it against you.
- Contact an experienced slip and fall attorney. A skilled slip-and-fall lawyer, like ours at Loewy Law Firm, can thoroughly investigate your case and file a personal injury claim with the appropriate entity on your behalf.
Slip & Fall Accident Statistics
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, fall fatalities occur equally between men and women. However, women are more likely to suffer non-fatal slip and fall injuries. Additionally, falls are responsible for about 5% of all work-related fatalities for women and 11% of work-related fatalities for men. Every year, eight million emergency room visits are related to fall injuries.
While fractures are one of the most serious side-effects of a fall injury, they only occur in approximately 5% of all slip and fall accidents. Slip and fall accidents are not the primary cause of work-related fatalities, but they do account for the largest number of occupational injuries. Every year, floors and floor materials contribute to more than two million slip and fall accidents. If you’ve suffered because of a serious slip and fall accident, contact the Loewy Law Firm today. With the right injury lawyer on your side, you stand a better chance of getting the compensation you need.
Contact an Austin Slip and Fall Lawyer
We believe that victims of preventable accidents deserve a strong Austin slip and fall accident lawyer to help them fight for their rights. Our Austin law firm is committed to helping those who have been seriously injured or killed because of the wrongful acts of others and may be able to assist you as well. Much like a premises liability claim, the owner of the property where you were hurt may be liable for your injuries.
We will work with you to examine all the evidence and create a detailed and forceful strategy, and support you during this physically, financially, and emotionally difficult time. Our expertise in personal injury cases enables us to provide clients with adamant and aggressive advocacy so that they are given the best opportunity for success. If you or a loved one was hurt in a slip & fall accident, the Loewy Law Firm may be able to help you secure compensation for your injuries. There is no reason to wait; call our offices today.