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When Should I Contact An Attorney After a Slip and Fall Accident?

Slip and falls can happen to anyone – and they can result in very serious injuries. It is your right to sue the property owner as well as the individual on duty for injuries sustained due to their negligence.

Did you know that falls are one of the leading causes of visits to emergency rooms? There are over 8 million emergency room visits that are caused by falls, representing the leading cause with 21.3% of visits. Slips and falls account for over 1 million emergency room visits or 12% of all falls.

When someone’s negligence causes a slip and fall, the victim may have a right to compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. It is important to contact a personal injury attorney in order to find out how to proceed. But what happens when you don’t contact a personal injury attorney after a slip and fall accident? And your injuries seem minor at the time?

This article will cover when you should contact an attorney after a slip and fall accident and how to approach the situation.

What is a Slip And Fall Accident Case?

Slip and falls are accidents that occur when a property owner does not take the appropriate measures to ensure that their property is safe for patrons. For example, if a business owner fails to clean some sidewalk ice, it could cause people to slip and fall. If a store employee did not shovel the walkway to the store entrance correctly, they could cause someone to slip and fall. Another example would be failing to put up a sign during rainstorms telling customers that there is an area of high water that should be avoided.

Slip and Fall Accidents can lead to serious injuries like:

  1. Fractures
  2. Brain injuries
  3. Spinal cord injuries
  4. Paraplegia
  5. Quadriplegia
  6. Concussions
  7. Broken bones (arms, legs, ribs, etc.)
  8. Neck injuries (fractures and strains)

slip and fall lawyer

When Should I Contact An Attorney After A Slip And Fall Accident?

Whenever you have a legal issue that you don’t feel like dealing with on your own, you should contact a slip and fall lawyer. This is especially true when the issue involves medical treatment, negligence, or anything else that may be hard to figure out. It is much more difficult to find out the information you need without legal counsel.

The following are some common situations in which injury occur after a slip and fall accident:

  1. The property owner owns the site where a slip and fall incident occurred. If you have slipped and fallen at the mall, for example, most of the time, an insurance policy does not cover injuries resulting from that accident. You should take all possible steps to resolve the matter and contact a personal injury attorney immediately.
  2. Your insurance company may try to negotiate an out-of-court settlement. They know that you have no money and might settle for less than what you need to pay for medical expenses, lost wages, or other losses. Don’t be taken advantage of by an insurance company that wants to get the matter resolved quickly. If at all possible, you should contact an attorney immediately in order to fight for what is rightfully yours.
  3. A person or entity other than the insurance company may be legally responsible for your injuries. The owner of the property, a co-worker, or even the manufacturer of a defective product could all be liable for causing your injury. It is best to consult with an attorney right away so that you can have a good idea of your rights.
  4. There are time limits, known as statutes of limitations, to file claims or lawsuits in court – and they can vary from state to state. It is best to work with an attorney, who can outline your rights and any possible options.
  5. You can claim compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, personal and emotional losses, lost wages, and other losses that you have incurred after a slip-and-fall accident.
  6. An attorney can help you determine whether or not you have a case and help build your case for trial in court.
  7. Often, the property owner may have a lawsuit filed against them by someone else whose injury resulted from a slip and fall. When this happens, they will usually settle out of court in order to avoid the costs of going to court and being trialed. You should always consult with an attorney before settling out of court.

What Can Happen If You Delay A Consultation?

There are many victims who deny or delay contacting a lawyer because they think that their case is small or because it is somehow not important. However, if you don’t consult a personal injury attorney as soon as you slip and fall, break a bone or suffer any other kind of medical condition, the costs can add up quickly. The following are some examples of what can happen if you delay in contacting an attorney:

1. You May Lose Evidence

Facts are important to your case and facts can change over time. When you consult with an attorney, they will ask you questions regarding the incident and important details that they need to build your case. If you wait to contact an attorney, you may forget important facts over time! And it may be difficult to track down photos, witnesses, and other evidence.

2. The Insurance Company May Change Its Position

Once the insurance company becomes aware that you have contacted a personal injury attorney to represent you, they will most likely change their position on wanting to settle out of court quickly and instead may attempt to drag the matter out in court trial. It is best to call an attorney right away because they can help you avoid delays and protect your rights.

3. You May Settle with Too Little Payment

Insurance companies can be tricky, and they will try to settle out of court for little or nothing. They know that you may be unable to continue working or that you may not be able to make ends meet while paying medical bills. If you don’t consult an attorney immediately, you will have no idea what your claim is worth and accept whatever the insurance company offers as a “quick fix”, which might turn out not to be worth anything in the long run.

4. Making Costly Mistakes

You may try to deal with the insurance company on your own. If you do this, you could lose valuable time and money because their insurance adjuster will try to delay the matter as much as possible. This is a way for them to wear you down and get more time to gather more information that may be beneficial to their case.

5. Delaying Your Compensation

If you have suffered any kind of injuries or losses, it is important that you contact an attorney so that they can begin building a strong case for you right away. Your attorney can work with your insurance company and help you to settle for more of what you deserve.

6. Statue of Limitation Can Expire

You need to file your case in court or settle out of it within a specified period of time known as a statute of limitations. If you don’t consult an attorney immediately and you miss that deadline, the court may refuse to hear your case and the insurance company will use this to their advantage!

Contact The Right Lawyer For Your Slip And Fall Accident

If you have suffered an injury in a slip and fall accident, it is best to consult a personal injury attorney right away because they can help you to ensure that your case will be properly handled. At Ivey Law Firm, we are dedicated to helping our clients get the maximum compensation for the injuries that they have sustained. Since we know the law and have years of experience in this area, we can help you get what rightfully belongs to you. Contact us today at 888-335-0015 we are happy to speak with you about your case.