Slip and Fall Lawyers IN Austin
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When compared with terms like “wrongful death” or “medical malpractice,” the term “slip and fall” can feel relatively minor. However, if you are suffering from the fallout of a slip and fall accident, then you know that the ramifications can be anything but minor.
Slip and falls often leave their victims in a great deal of pain; pain in the pocketbook from doctor visits compounds the stress. Some are overwhelmed by the stress of receiving calls from insurance companies who want to rush them into making decisions they don’t feel ready to make.
After your accident, find an Austin personal injury attorney who takes your case as seriously as you do. If you or a loved one has been injured in an Austin slip and fall accident, call (800) 863-5312 to speak with one of Zinda Law firm’s Austin slip and fall lawyers near you today.
what is a slip and fall?
A slip and fall accident is essentially what it sounds like, which is a situation in which the accident victim slips or trips on a slippery or uneven surface, leading to injury. However, in a legal sense, slip and fall generally fall into the personal injury category of premises liability, in which a property owner may be held liable for a victim’s injuries if their failure to maintain safe conditions on their property led to the accident. If you were the victim in a slip and fall, it will be necessary to establish exactly who is responsible for the location in which the accident occurred; then you must prove that they were negligent in causing—or failing to fix—the dangerous condition.
slip and fall statistics
Minor trips or stumbles can be a relatively common occurrence, and most do not result in any sort of injury or legal action. However, slip and fall accidents that do lead to more serious consequences are a more serious problem than some may think. On an annual basis, falls are actually the leading cause of hospital visits, comprising 21.3% of all visits. Of these, slip and falls account for 12% of total falls. Some more slip and fall statistics are detailed below.
- Victims of falls are divided about equally between men and women. However, men are at more risk on the jobsite. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, falls accounted for 5% of job-related fatalities for women while accounting for 11% for men.
- The most serious consequence of falls are bone fractures, which happen in 5% of all falls.
- Falls impact older people at a higher rate and more severely than they do younger people. Of deaths resulting from a fall, 70% occur in people over the age of 65.
causes of slip and falls
Given how common slip and fall accidents are, they can happen in a large number of different ways. The Texas State Office of Risk Management put together a list of the more common risk factors; understanding some of the ways these accidents come about can be helpful. A slip and fall attorney near you can work with you to understand how the cause of your accident impacts your ability to recover compensation for your injuries.
Uneven Surfaces
Many falls reported by Texas agencies don’t occur from any significant height, such as from the top of a building. For example, many injuries have been reported from people stepping off of a curb or stepping into an animal hole. An accident victim might also trip over a cracked section of sidewalk that sticks out over another portion. Regardless of the small height differential that causes a fall, the consequences can be severe.
Stairs
Of the fatal falls that occur in the United States, nearly half occur on a staircase. In the home or in the office, climbing and descending stairs occurs many times each day. Wherever there is a staircase, it is important that there are proper safety measures in place to minimize the possibility of accidents. Stairs should be well-constructed, have proper lighting with an on/off switch at either end of the staircase, and have a sturdy handrail in place to help guide the user.
Ramps and Docks
Several lakes around Austin provide plenty of opportunities for enjoying recreation. Being near and even in water, docks and boat ramps can naturally become quite slippery. It is important for all lake visitors to exercise extreme caution when on the edge of the water; just as important, those in charge of the docks and ramps must ensure that the proper non-slip surfaces are used and that they are properly cleaned and maintained regularly.
slip and fall injuries
A lawyer in Austin can give you a better perspective on why your injuries are significant legally; for example, how different types and severities of injuries impact the legal process of seeking compensation. Aside from the financial repercussions, though, any injury from a slip and fall accident should be taken seriously for other reasons. Even if it seems relatively minor, seek medical attention to make sure that your injuries aren’t worse than they appear or that they don’t worsen over time. Some of the more commonly suffered injuries in slip and fall accidents include:
Head Injuries
Any time you hit your head, there is potential for serious injury. Head injuries can be particularly pernicious because the symptoms might be brushed off as something that is not as serious, such as slight dizziness or a headache. However, given the serious consequences that an untreated head injury can have on a victim, it is important that you seek medical attention as soon as possible after your slip and fall accident if you believe you may have injured your head.
Fractures
As mentioned previously, bone fractures occur in 5% of all falls. Fractures can not only be very painful, but there can also be a host of other complications that result, including blood clots, swelling, or a lack of mobility.
Rotator Cuff and Wrist Injuries
Many people will naturally extend their arms to break their fall. Unfortunately, this will often lead to different kinds of injuries in the wrists or shoulders.
what to do after a slip and fall accident
Immediately after your accident, it can be difficult to know what to do. This situation can be complicated by the fact that you may have people like insurance claims adjusters speaking with you soon after and asking probing questions or offering settlements that don’t seem quite right. Keep these few action steps in mind to complete after your accident happens.
1. Seek Medical Attention
Immediately after your accident, the most important thing that you can do for yourself is seek medical attention. This is true for a couple of different reasons. First, certain injuries might be much worse than they appear to you at the time. They may also become worse over time, which means that having your injuries checked out quickly is critical.
In addition, it will be important to establish that your injuries were caused by your slip and fall accident and not something else, which may be argued by other parties. Seeking medical attention soon after your accident helps to strengthen the link between the actual slip and fall and the injuries you sustained.
2. Report the Accident
Report the accident to whomever is responsible for the area in which the slip and fall occurred. If the accident took place at work, report it to employer. If it happened in a store or residence, let a manager or property owner know. Put this report in writing so that there is a record of the steps that you took after the accident.
3. Gather Information
At the early stages of a potential legal claim, it is far preferable to be overprepared than underprepared. This means that as you gather information, be as thorough as possible, and if you aren’t sure whether a piece of information will be important, gather it anyway. Some helpful things to make sure you have are copies of a police report if any was filed, photos of the accident site and any hazards that existed at the time of the accident—like water or broken flooring—and medical bills and health records.
4. Speak with a Lawyer in Austin
Consulting with an experienced Austin personal injury attorney is the best way to ensure that your case is adequately reviewed and that you aren’t taken advantage of by insurance companies or other parties who want to pay you as little as they are legally obligated to. When speaking with attorneys, make sure that they know how to handle Austin slip and fall accidents, that they have the resources to be able to aggressively pursue your claim, and that they aren’t so overburdened with clients that you become simply another number or paycheck to them.
Call zinda law group today at (800) 863-5312 for a 100% free consultation
You may have had to go to the hospital, suffered from a debilitating injury, or even lost your job because of your accident. To put it bluntly, slip and fall accidents can dramatically change lives for the worse. The Austin personal injury attorneys at Zinda Law Group will fight to make sure that these injuries do not go unfairly uncompensated. What’s more, we believe that accident victims shouldn’t be forced to worry about their ability to afford legal representation, which is why you won’t pay us anything unless we win your case for you—that’s our No Win, No Fee Guarantee.
Meetings with attorneys are available by appointment only.
