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Recovering Damages
For Slip and Fall Accidents
Next to car accidents, the most common type of injury mishap is a
slip and fall. While many slip and fall accidents are minor and
don’t result in injuries, some are serious and result in significant
injuries and losses to the victim, including large medical bills and
lost wages. If you are injured in a slip and fall accident, it is
important to know if the property owner where it occurred is liable.
Here are some legal rules as well as steps to take if you are hurt
in a slip and fall accident.
Many people think that just because they are hurt in a slip and fall
accident, the property owner is automatically liable. This is not
always true. To be liable, a property owner must have known (or
should have known) about the dangerous condition and failed to take
steps to prevent injuries.
For example, suppose you slip on a wet spot in a market. Whether you
can recover damages usually depends on how long the floor was wet
and what employees knew and did to prevent accidents. If the floor
was wet for a while and employees knew about it but did nothing, you
will likely recover damages. But if the floor became wet just before
you slipped, recovering damages may be harder.
How to Protect Yourself
If you get hurt in a slip and fall accident, there are several
things you should do to protect your rights and help make sure you
can recover as much as you are entitled to receive under the law.
They include:
• make written notes on the accident;
• get the names, addresses and phone numbers of witnesses;
• save any evidence, such as whatever caused the fall.
Also, do not sign anything or give any statements before talking to
us. When a customer is hurt in a slip and fall accident, store
employees often try to get statements to use against them later. You
are not legally required to say anything to the other side, and you
should not before you consult your lawyer.
Slip and fall accidents can result in very serious injuries and
losses to the victim. If you are hurt in a slip and fall victim and
suffer injuries, you will likely want to make a claim to recover
your damages. If you intend to make a claim, call us promptly. You
will want to pursue your claim while the facts are fresh in your
mind and the minds of witnesses. Also, there are time limits for
making claims which, if not followed, can result in losing your
claim.
If You Are Hurt By
A Defective Product
Many injuries result from everyday household products like
kitchen appliances and tools. While some injuries are the user’s
fault, many are caused by products that are defective. People hurt
by a defective product can make a claim to recover their damages.
There are several ways a product is considered “defective” under the
law. One way is if the product was built incorrectly. For example,
something may have gone wrong in the manufacturing process and now
the product is broken or missing a key piece.
A product can also be “defective” if it was designed poorly. Even if
all the parts were assembled as planned, and none has broken, the
product is defective if the design itself is the problem.
Finally, a product is “defective” if there are inadequate warnings
about possible dangers.
People injured by a product should seek legal help to find out if
they can make a claim. Not only will making a claim allow the victim
to recover his or her losses, but making a claim benefits everyone
by helping remove unsafe products from the market and forcing
manufacturers to make products safer.
Call For Free, No
Obligation Consultation • No Fee If No Recovery
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