Personal Injury Lawyer
Unless there is bad weather or you know you are going to an unsafe place, you are likely not going out and expecting to slip and fall. For most people, this kind of accident happens on someone else’s property if the property has not been properly maintained or if there was some sort of dangerous area that was not fixed right away. For example, if frozen food melted in the freezer aisle of your favorite grocery store and there were no signs indicating that there were puddles on the floor, you may be walking unsuspectingly to get your bag of frozen peas only to slip and injure yourself. On the other hand, you could be eating with your family at a restaurant and get up to use the restroom just to tumble down the steps because the handrail was broken and not fixed in enough time. Whatever your situation, it is important to speak with a lawyer quickly to determine if you have what you need to file a claim.
What am I trying to show when I file a claim?
For many people, it can sometimes be awkward to file a claim if you are doing so against your favorite restaurant or even if you were injured by slipping and falling at a friend’s house. However, it is important to try to separate your claim from the establishment. Remember, when you are invited or welcome on someone else’s property and they did not maintain that property, they are responsible for injuries you sustained. Therefore, a lawyer, like a personal injury lawyer from a law firm like Barry P. Goldberg, knows that you will need to show:
- The business or store was negligent in some way
- This negligence specifically caused the accident to happen
- The accident resulted in injuries and damages
These are extremely important to prove because simply having a few of these steps will not be enough to be successful with your claim. For example, slipping and falling in a store can be scary, but if you did not end up injuring yourself then there will be no damages to pay for.
When you slip and fall, it will be important for you to document the circumstances under which you became injured. Write down notes or take pictures that show things like:
- The floor was uneven
- The handrail was broken
- The floor was wet
- There were no signs indicating a danger
- A light was broken
All of these factors can help bolster your slip and fall claim.
It is important to gather as much information as possible when you are working on your slip and fall claim so that you can provide evidence to your lawyer for the claim. Reach out to a law firm to start the consultation process today.