Part of building a solid case is accurately evaluating your losses. This is relatively easy to do with tangible expenses, also known as economic losses. A lawyer can use receipts to prove these expenses, including: medical bills lost earning potential property damage however, depending on the extent of your injuries, you might also be entitled to noneconomic damages. These relate more to the physical and emotional effects the accident had on your life. Some noneconomic damages you might be entitled to include: pain and suffering loss of enjoyment of life disfigurement or disability loss of consortium according to the centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) , falls are the leading cause of death by injuries in adults over age 65.

If a property owner’s negligence caused your slip and fall, you have a right to seek compensation for your costs. Your insurance claim or lawsuit can include damages like: medical treatment costs, such as doctor bills, hospital bills, surgeries, medications, and more lost wages from having to miss work time loss of earning capacity emotional damages like pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life if you were not at fault, you might recover all of the losses from your injuries. You can strengthen your case by saving all bills, receipts, and other documents and seeing a doctor as soon as possible.

3. When is a property owner or occupant considered negligent?

Although it's apparent to the person who got hurt that a hazardous condition existed when the injury took place, it still needs to be proven to a judge or in court. A condition is considered “hazardous” if it poses a foreseeable risk of harm (for example, steps that collect rainwater from the leaky ceiling). There are an infinite number of such potential hazards. Broken floor tiles, uneven walkway paving stones, icy sidewalks, building entrances with no mat that become wet from snow and rain — these are just a few examples of potentially hazardous conditions. As discussed in the “notice” section above, it must be proven that the defendant was aware or should have been aware of the current danger at the property.

Proving that the owner or occupant of the premises was negligent in your slip and fall generally requires evidence from the accident scene to establish your claim. For instance, if you fell on the floor due to toys left on someone’s walkway, it’ll require evidence that the objects were there because of the property owner’s or occupant’s negligence. Some common kinds of evidence that a slip-and-fall lawyer in michigan uses to establish a claim of negligence include: photos and videos recorded by you at the accident site. Photos and videos recorded by the witnesses or cctv footage. Eyewitness statements. A slip and fall incident report (if available).

You should not worry about filing your lawsuit until you have gotten an initial medical evaluation and made sure that any immediate health conditions have been addressed. Once this is handled, you should reach out to your indianapolis slip and fall attorney as soon as possible. Your lawyer can help you with reporting your incident properly if you have not done so already. You may also find it helpful to have the help of a lawyer when gathering and recording evidence, calculating potential damages and communicating with other parties and insurance representatives, not to mention preparing your actual court filings.

Yes. Surgery is not a requirement to obtain a slip and fall settlement. However, while it is possible to recover compensation for slip and fall injuries that don’t need surgery, a serious medical procedure will increase your settlement. Because surgery requires additional medical care including hospital stays, medication, and post-surgical rehabilitative therapy, the costs for these services are factored into the final settlement amount. If you need time off work for surgery and recovery, the income you lose while you cannot work is also considered part of your damages and added to your settlement.

Slip and fall injury settlement amounts will vary. Many claims settle in the $30,000-$40,000 range, but there are no guarantees. The value of your case will depend on your economic and non-economic damages. The more serious your injuries are, the higher your settlement will be. Some cases that result in permanent disability have settled in the millions. Accepting a settlement offer without a lawyer on your side who can accurately value your case may result in compensation that does not cover your medical expenses in the future. Once you accept a settlement, you usually forfeit any rights to take further legal action against a responsible party.