Most people have slipped and fallen at some point in life. Usually, these accidents leave victims with relatively minor injuries like bumps, bruises, scratches, and perhaps a bit of embarrassment. In some slip and fall cases, however, victims are seriously hurt and require significant medical attention. In 2019, the National Safety Council reported that over 8 million people were admitted into emergency departments across the United States because of slip and fall accidents. If you have been hurt in a slip and fall accident that was caused by someone else, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses.

Determining Fault in Slip and Fall Accidents

In order to be able to recover compensation after a slip and fall accident, victims need to be able to establish that their accident was the result of someone else’s negligence. Generally speaking, in cases involving slip and fall accidents, the party who could potentially be at fault is the owner of the property or a person or business renting a property. These parties have a duty to keep their property reasonably safe and, when they fail to do so, they can be held liable. There is a number of slip and fall hazards that could be the result of negligence on the part of a property owner or lessee. Some of the more common include the following:

• Accumulations of snow or ice
• Exposed electrical wiring
• Torn carpet
• Uneven stairs
• Cracked pavement
• Liquid spills
• Slippery floors
• Missing or broken handrails
• Unmarked steps
• Inadequate lighting

After an accident, do not make the mistake of assuming that your accident was or was not the result of negligence without speaking to an attorney. There are many issues that come into play when determining negligence, and the exact same slip and fall hazard may be the result of negligence in one circumstance but not the result of negligence in another.

Slip and Fall Accidents Can Leave Victims with Serious Injuries

Slip and fall accidents are capable of causing surprisingly serious injuries. Some of the more common injuries sustained in slip and fall include the following:

• Fractures
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Dislocations
• Spinal cord injuries
• Lacerations
• Sprains
• Strains
• Contusions
• Concussions

When serious, these injuries can require long-term medical treatment and even emergency surgery. As a result, many slip and fall victims incur medical expenses well into the tens of thousands of dollars. In addition, slip and fall accident victims are unable to work while they are recovering, which means that they can miss weeks or even months of work. Because of these potentially significant financial losses, it is critical to protect your rights after a slip and fall by retaining an attorney as soon as you can.

Do You Need to Retain a Lawyer after a Slip and Fall Accident?

If you have been involved in a slip and fall accident, you may wonder whether you need to speak to an attorney. In some cases, the at-fault party may immediately offer you money to cover your medical expenses and other financial losses in return for you signing a document releasing them from liability. Generally, this type of offer is an attempt to limit liability for an accident and avoid paying a victim for the full value of his or her claim and should be rejected.

The problem with accepting a settlement offer without speaking to an attorney is that it is extremely difficult for victims who do not have legal training to accurately determine how much compensation they could be eligible to receive. While determining losses like medical expenses and lost income may be relatively straightforward, placing a monetary value on subjective losses like pain and suffering may be complicated. In addition, if a slip and fall accident results in injuries that result in long-term problems that prevent you from returning to work, determining how much income you would have earned over the course of your career may require analysis from an expert. Because of the complicated nature of assessing the losses caused by a slip and fall accident, you should consider speaking with a lawyer after an accident.

How We Can Help

Slip and fall accidents often leave victims with extremely serious injuries that can affect them for weeks, months, or even years. Fortunately, in many cases, New Jersey state law allows victims to seek compensation for their losses. To find out whether you have a claim and to speak with a skilled slip and fall attorney, call Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A., today.