Should I Get a Lawyer for a Slip-and-Fall?

A slip-and-fall accident can occur when you least expect it and may be traumatizing both physically and emotionally. Under Georgia law, you may have legal recourse after falling on private or public property. However, the prospect of making a full recovery while trying to file an insurance claim or pursue a lawsuit can be stressful and overwhelming.

Slip and fall injury cases can be complicated and often involve a higher burden of proof than other accident claims. If you are the victim of a serious fall, you may be wondering whether you need a slip and fall lawyer to pursue compensation for your pain and suffering on your behalf.

You are not required to hire an attorney, and not every accident on public or private property justifies filing a legal claim. Nevertheless, depending on the circumstances of your fall, it is often in your best interest to discuss your legal options with a knowledgeable slip and fall lawyer.

The following will discuss the various factors commonly involved in such cases and how an attorney can help you regain your quality of life after a fall accident.

Common Reasons for Atlanta Slip-and-Fall Accidents

A slip-and-fall accident may be unavoidable and can occur almost anywhere, at any time. For example, fall accidents can be the direct result of a property or business owner failing to maintain his or her property in a reasonably safe manner for visitors. Sadly, statistics show that over 800,000 patients are hospitalized annually because of fall injuries.

Potentially dangerous conditions that can lead to a slip-and-fall incident include:

• Wet or sticky floors
• Broken steps
• Damaged or uneven flooring
• Debris or unsafe materials left in aisles or walkways
• Lack of clear or appropriate signage warning of hazards
• Improperly installed or broken flooring transitions.
• Loose or broken grab bars in restrooms
• 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
• Icy sidewalks and entryways
• Poorly maintained driveways and parking lots
• Further building code violations

Regardless of the cause of your fall, the toll that such an incident takes may negatively impact your life for years to come. A local attorney with experience in such cases can evaluate the conditions surrounding your fall accident and advise you on how to best proceed with your claim. In this way, all negligent property owners will be held responsible and you will get the restitution you deserve.

Common Places Where Atlanta Slip-and-Fall Accidents Occur

While a slip-and-fall accident can happen just about anywhere, such incidents often occur in places accessible to the general public. 

Around the Atlanta area, slip-and-fall accidents are commonly reported in locations such as:

• Restaurants
• Supermarkets
• Big-box stores
• Movie theaters
• Sports stadiums
• Concert venues
• Amusement parks
• Public parks and playgrounds
• Hospitals 
• Nursing homes and assisted living facilities
• Swimming pools
• Parking lots and parking garages
• Public transportation
• Airports
• Elevators and escalators
• Business offices
• Construction sites
• Apartment complexes
• Private residential housing

Slip and fall cases can be complicated, especially when a large corporation or government entity is involved. If you believe that your fall was the result of a property owner’s negligence, an experienced Atlanta slip and fall lawyer can help you to establish the facts of your case and file a personal injury claim on your behalf. Hiring a fall accident lawyer is often the best way to attain full and fair compensation for your losses.

Common Injuries in an Atlanta Slip and Fall Claim

A slip-and-fall may lead to anything from a few bumps and bruises to life-threatening injuries. Suffering severe injuries from a fall can impact your life for the foreseeable future. In such cases, filing a personal injury claim against all negligent parties can help you get your life back on track after the accident.

Serious injuries in a slip and fall case may include:

• Soft tissue injuries
• Lacerations, cuts, and abrasions
• Broken bones
• Complicated fractures
• Dislocations
• Concussions
• Knee damage
• Hip fractures
• Facial injuries
• Foot and ankle injuries
• Back and spinal cord injuries
• Neck and shoulder injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries

A severe slip and fall injury should not be treated lightly. These kinds of injuries will likely result in costly, prolonged medical treatment along with long-term pain and suffering. Pursuing compensation for such conditions can help you regain your physical and emotional well-being.

Establishing Negligence and Liability in an Atlanta Slip-and-Fall Accident

If you fell and were injured on someone else’s property, whether public or private, you must be able to demonstrate the owner’s negligence and liability to successfully resolve any personal injury claim. In the case of a slip-and-fall, the property or business owner will likely attempt to deny responsibility for your fall or contest the extent of your damages. Proving that the property owner’s negligence was the cause of your injury is key to winning a fair settlement.

All property owners in the State of Georgia have the legal obligation to ensure that their premises are reasonably maintained and safe for visitors. In the event that an unsafe situation arises, it is the property owner or representative’s responsibility to correct the problem in a timely manner. Until the issue is resolved, visitors must be warned of the potential danger.

If you slipped and fell on someone else’s property and wish to successfully prove negligence against that person or their representative, you will need to establish that:

1. There was a dangerous condition existing on the property
2. The property owner or representative knew, or should have known, that the dangerous condition existed
3. He or she failed to resolve or adequately warn of the dangerous condition within a reasonable period of time, and;
4. As a direct result of not acting to correct the dangerous condition, you fell and were injured

Under premises liability law, slip-and-fall claims and lawsuits can be challenging and time-consuming. A well-practiced fall accident attorney, knowledgeable in premises liability cases, will be able to assess the real circumstances of your fall and the events leading up to it. By gathering evidence to establish what exactly occurred, he or she will work to prove negligence against the property owner.

Potential Compensation in an Atlanta Slip and Fall Case

A serious slip-and-fall accident can have awful consequences. It may result in debilitating injuries and a considerable loss of income if you are unable to work for some time.

The law enables you to pursue both economic and non-economic damages against the negligent property owner. The goal is to receive enough financial compensation to fully rebuild your life after the traumatic accident.

You may be able to recover compensation for:

• Past and current medical bills
• Future medical expenses
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation
• Prescription medication
• Property damage
• Lost wages
• Reduced earning capacity
• Anxiety and mental anguish
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of companionship or consortium
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Other out-of-pocket expenses related to the accident
• Wrongful death

Fall injury lawyers can help you assess the full extent of your damages and assign a monetary value to your claim. A passionate and determined slip and fall attorney is the advocate you need to successfully win enough compensation to meet both the challenges you have today and in the future.

Benefits of Hiring an Atlanta Slip and Fall Attorney After an Accident

Slip-and-fall accidents tend to catch you off guard and leave you shaken. After suffering a life-changing injury, you may find that you need all the help you can get. In the aftermath of such an incident, your fall injury lawyer will focus on protecting your legal rights so you can focus on your treatment and recovery.

There are multiple reasons why you can benefit from hiring a qualified attorney after sustaining a serious slip and fall injury.

A slip and fall attorney can assist you in several fundamental ways:

• Clarifying legal procedures: Filing an insurance claim or pursuing a slip and fall lawsuit involves many steps and is rarely straightforward. Additionally, everything must be filed in a timely and succinct manner. A skilled attorney knows how best to move your case through the legal system, thereby advancing the claim in behalf of your best interests. 
• Offering advice: Your attorney can give you knowledgeable and objective advice on how best to proceed with your claim. The process of resolving an accident claim often involves many parties, including lawyers, medical personnel, and insurance negotiators. A capable slip and fall lawyer knows how to interact with all involved parties and can negotiate with them on your behalf.
• Gathering and establishing evidence: This is critical in pursuing a successful premises liability claim. Your lawyer can identify what kind of evidence will be beneficial in your case and then help you to gather and verify it. This may include accessing medical records and incident reports, as well as contacting witnesses and perhaps experts to testify in your case if necessary.
• Proving negligence: In any kind of injury claim, the injured person must prove fault to collect damages and win the case. Your lawyer will be able to help you determine legal liability and identify at-fault parties. The negligent party could include a property or business owner, his or her representative, a government entity, and others. Even if your own actions contributed to your fall injury, in the State of Georgia, you may still be eligible to receive an amount of compensation – depending on your share of fault.
• Setting the value of your claim: It can be difficult to establish the dollar value of a slip and fall injury claim. Your attorney will help you to consider many factors beyond the cost of your medical care. You may claim lost wages, home healthcare, physical therapy, mental and emotional trauma, and property damage – if appropriate. It is essential to carefully weigh the full impact of your injuries to come to a reasonable and fair compensation agreement.
• Negotiating with the liable party’s insurance company: Insurance companies are notoriously hard to deal with in premises liability claims. They are usually more often interested in preserving their own bottom line than in the future well-being of the injured person. Insurance negotiators are tough and may look to settle before all facts of the case have been established. Further, they may try to use your own words against you. An adept slip and fall lawyer, though, can handle this pressure and diligently fight to the end for your right to full and fair compensation.
• Evaluating settlement offers: An attorney for slip and fall injury claims understands the importance of getting your settlement exactly right in order to meet your long-term needs. Therefore, when a settlement offer has been made, your attorney can analyze it and help you decide whether it is advisable to accept the offer, reject it, or file a counterclaim. 
• Representing you in court if necessary: Although most slip and fall injury cases are settled out of court, having a personal injury lawyer familiar with your case is especially invaluable when your case goes to trial. Experienced court representation can ensure a more favorable outcome for injury victims.
• Allowing you to focus on your recovery: Suffering a serious fall injury is incredibly stressful. Such an incident can bring terrible physical, financial, and emotional strains. It is critical that you be able to focus on your recovery in order to regain your quality of life. Your slip and fall lawyer will focus on your legal claim for you so that you can prioritize your physical and emotional healing.

In the event of a serious fall injury, it is advantageous to have an experienced slip and fall attorney on your side. A skilled personal injury lawyer will use his or her legal know-how and resources to help you to establish a strong and compelling case as you move forward with your legal claim.

Ways in Which Your Slip and Fall Lawyer Will Support You Throughout the Claims Process

An experienced Atlanta slip and fall attorney will guide you through your insurance or legal claim in a way that makes you feel comfortable and confident in the process.

A reputable fall injury lawyer will support you in the following ways:

• Putting your interests first:A good personal injury lawyer listens to and empathizes with his or her client’s needs and concerns. Even after your initial consultation, your attorney will continue to ask questions, endeavoring to learn all the pertinent details of your case. In this way, he or she will be able to thoroughly represent your interests throughout the legal proceedings.
• Taking the initiative and remaining flexible throughout the claims process: No two accident claims are exactly alike. Insurance companies and opposing attorneys often throw curveballs during negotiations in an effort to disrupt or prolong the proceedings. An experienced slip and fall lawyer is able to take the initiative by anticipating many challenges before they arise. Maintaining a flexible approach will allow your attorney to keep your case en route toward a proper settlement agreement.
• Keeping you up to date as the case develops: A principled injury attorney will not take on more clients than he or she can handle. Look for this as you examine your choice of law firms; a narrow practice focus will allow your lawyer to give you the time and attention you deserve. He or she will regularly update you on any new developments with your claim as well as how any unforeseen issues can be resolved in your favor.
• Remaining focussed on your financial recovery: Your lawyer understands that slip and fall injury accidents are serious and that the stakes are high. His or her priority is to do what is best for each individual client. As you seek compensation for your losses, your attorney will not lose sight of the restitution amount needed to make your life whole again.

If you or a loved one has sustained serious injuries after a slip-and-fall accident due to someone else’s negligence, this is no time to go it alone. You need the support and legal advice of a compassionate and practiced fall accident lawyer. Having an experienced legal professional on your side will ease your stress as you work to make a full financial and physical recovery after the incident.

Contact Atlanta Slip and Fall Lawyers Who Want to Help

Suffering a serious injury in a slip-and-fall accident can result in numerous hardships. On top of the burden you already carry as to your pain and suffering, the legal process is rather complex. Pursuing compensation can be a confusing and difficult endeavor, which is why everyone needs legal assistance at times like these.

The Atlanta-based personal injury lawyers at Hoffspiegel Law believe that every injury victim deserves to tell his or her story. So please don’t hesitate to come to us. We are here to answer your questions and protect your rights from start to finish. We do all in our power to attain rightful compensation for the physical, financial, and emotional damages of every client.

The Hoffspiegels have chosen a concentrated practice focus. This has allowed us to develop significant know-how, comfort, and familiarity with the complexity of the cases we accept. As your legal warriors, we are committed to seeing your case through to the end.

Please don’t wait. Contact a slip and fall attorney at Hoffspiegel Law today. We handle all personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t owe us anything until you get money for your claim. Call us at (404) 760-8600 or click our Contact Us button for a free consultation with a member of our legal team.