Whether you are at work or in some store, sometimes due to the wet floor or lack of maintenance, one can slip or fall. This usually happens on the slippery floors or floors that are obstructed with things that should not be present there. No matter what the cause is if the person is injured in the public place or workplace, the owner or the manager is liable for those injuries.
However, the slip and fall injury settlement is done considering various factors, and each category receives some compensation depending upon the type of injury, whether permanent or temporary. The different categories may include medical bills, attorney fees and money associated with pain and injury.
Besides, various factors determine the settlement for a slip and fall accidents and to know them better three questions need to be reviewed-
- Which party is liable for the accident?
- Was the liable party negligent or contributed to the accident?
- Did the injured party contribute to their accident?
Before discussing these questions, let us throw some light on common injuries associated with slip and fall accidents-
1) Back and neck injuries- Slip and fall can result in slip disk, chronic pains near the neck and spinal column. A person may have to go through surgery sometimes. Such things become even difficult for the ones who are not yet earning.
2) Head injuries- Head getting injured in the slip and fall accident can be a very sensitive case as it can cause concussions, brain damage leading to various other diseases, including, a memory loss, trauma, etc.
3) Pelvic injuries- If the person is older, he may break his pelvic area or hips, resulting in being in the wheelchair for a while or forever. Such injuries require surgeries and homestay.
4) Torn tendons and ligaments- A person usually try to save himself when he is about to fall, in that case, he may use his elbows, knees or hands to stop it from happening but in turn, can make it worse by rupturing his tendons and ligaments.
Factors that Determine a Slip and Fall Settlement
Considering the have questions here are some of the important points to notice-
1) Negligence- If the owner or liable party is negligent about the act of responsibility concerning others, but they could have improved the condition, if possible before the injury could have taken place. There could be potholes, uneven surface, leaking ceilings or any such thing that an individual would not have identified. It could have happened because of poor lighting, lack of maintenance, lack of company policy. If a victim feels that way, he or she can hire a personal injury lawyer to know better.
2) Liability- If you want to prove someone liable for your injury, they must have legal rights and responsibilities over that property. An owner usually assumes liability over injury only if they have insurance that can get them rid of the liability. All the victim has to do is file a suit against them instead of the insured.