Slip and Fall Accident
Columbus Slip & Fall Lawyers
Accidents do happen, but every injury, illness, or death has a cause. When you suffer harm at a store, restaurant, hotel, or acquaintance’s house that is severe enough to require hospital treatment, you should consult with an attorney. As experienced workers’ compensation and personal injury attorneys, we can help you navigate the legal landscape surrounding slip and fall accidents.
There Are Four Things We Need to Know Before Filing A Lawsuit:
- Were you seriously injured?
- Did the accident occur at a business, attraction, or home other than your own?
- Did the slip and fall happen while you were at work?
- Was the risk for slipping and falling obvious and avoidable?
Was I Injured Enough to File a Claim?
Your injury may be serious if:
- You required emergency medical treatment
- You were hospitalized
- You needed surgery; or,
- You missed work while you were recovering
The important thing is to keep documentation and records of medical treatments and lost time from work.
Things to place aside that will help your claim:
- Doctors’ bills
- Prescription orders
- Therapists’ notes
- Health insurance statements
- Pay stubs
What Happens If I Slip & Fell At Work?
Work-related injuries are best handled via the workers’ compensation claims process. Ohio law makes it practically impossible for an employee to sue their employer for negligence.
That said, grounds may exist for seeking compensation from a third party, such as the contractor that installed the safety railing that gave way prior to your fall.
Consulting with an experienced workers’ comp lawyer at Agee Clymer will clarify whether you may have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit in addition to your workers’ comp claim.
What Happens If The Accident Happened at a Business, Attraction or Someone Else's Home?
Slip and fall cases fall under “premises liability” law.
Property owners have a legal duty to keep their grounds safe for customers and visitors. Some of their duties include:
- Complying with building codes
- Performing regular maintenance
- Fencing and controlling pets and livestock
- Securing elevated objects so they do not fall on people.
- Warning customers or visitors about injury risks from, say, a wet floor or loose carpet.
If your slip and fall accident happened while you were at a store or a neighbor’s house and also because the owner or occupant was negligent in meeting their duties to protect you, you should have grounds for filing a slip and fall lawsuit.
Was the Risk of Your Injury Obvious or Avoidable?
Customers and visitors also have a duty to protect themselves and act responsibly. Ignoring a warning sign, or dropping a bottle of liquid and then walking over it may disqualify you as you had a duty to try to prevent your own injury.
How Can an Attorney Help Me with My Slip & Fall Case?
An attorney will help you:
- Collect and organize evidence of negligence or recklessness,
- Deal with insurance company representatives,
- Calculate the actual cost of your slip and fall-related medical bills, time out of work, and lingering disability.
Talking to an Agee Clymer attorney can help you determine if you deserved to be compensated for your slip and fall!
Your attorney must know that you sincerely believe that either you did not know an injury risk existed or you did not take actions that significantly endangered yourself. Connect with one of our attorneys today for a free consultation on your slip and fall injury at 614-221-3318.