Slip and fall accidents occur in a split second, but they come with consequences that can follow you for the rest of your life. Chronic pain, medical debt, lost income, and even death are some of the many effects that might follow a slip and fall injury.
When a slip and fall accident leaves you with injuries and impacts your finances, help is available. Contact the Maryland premise liability attorneys at Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis LLP to schedule a free consultation and discuss your options for compensation.
What is a slip and fall accident?
When a person slips or trips and falls down, this is called a slip and fall accident. Injuries that come out of this type of accident are personal injuries that fall under premises liability claims.
Slip and fall injuries happen all of the time, in many different places. It may be possible to seek compensation for injuries and any other effects of the accident.
Common Slip and Fall Injuries
Common injuries that occur in a slip and fall accident include:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spine and nerve damage
- Broken bones
- Dislocations
- Sprained muscles
- Cuts and bruises
Even when full recovery is possible after a slip and fall accident, the injuries can leave a person with high medical bills, lost wages due to an inability to work, and lifelong chronic pain.
When more serious injuries are involved, a person can experience a radically reduced quality of life. They may be permanently disabled or even lose vital functions like mobility and cognitive functions.
In the most extreme cases, these types of accidents can result in death.
Who Can Be Held Liable?
As previously mentioned, these types of accidents fall under the category of Premise Liability.
Premises liability refers to the legal responsibility of a property owner to safely maintain a property. When this duty is not met, the property owner or other responsible party is liable for the costs that result from an injury.
Scenarios that often cause slip and fall accidents include:
- Cracked or uneven flooring
- Slippery flooring due to mopping or waxing
- Wet floors due to inclement weather, leaks, or spills
- Icy sidewalks or parking lots
- Uneven or broken stairwells
- Inadequate lighting
- Cluttered walkways
When a slip and fall accident happens due to the state of the property, it’s possible to pursue a lawsuit for the resulting damages.
Compensation
Gaining compensation in a suburban Maryland slip and fall accident depends on first establishing liability. Your attorney will work to build a case demonstrating that the property owner showed negligence by not keeping the property in a safe state.
Once negligence is established, you need to demonstrate proof of your damages. Damages can be either economic or non-economic.
Economic damages are ones with a financial value that can be demonstrated. These are proven through items like medical bills or pay stubs that show the amount of wages lost by missing work due to the injury.
Non-economic damages can be harder to prove in a lawsuit because these are damages that don’t have a financial value. They’re intended to compensate you for the non-monetary damage caused by the accident. Pain and suffering and reduced quality of life are examples of common non-economic damages.
Gaining compensation after an injury can be a challenge due to strict state laws. Maryland is one of the few states that consider contributory negligence when determining liability. This means that if you are deemed to be responsible in any way for contributing to the accident, you lose all chance for compensation.
Gaining compensation depends on using an experienced personal injury attorney to guide you through the process. Without an attorney, you might accidentally say something that could make you seem responsible for the accident and hurt your case.
Successful Suburban Maryland Slip and Fall Lawyers
The suburban Maryland slip and fall attorneys at Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis have a long history of fighting for clients’ rights and getting impressive results. Over the past 40 years, over one billion dollars in compensation has been recovered for clients.
Past case results and client reviews demonstrate the dedication and success of the Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis legal team. When clients desperately need compensation after personal injuries, the Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis attorneys know how to produce the outcomes they deserve.
Contact Our Suburban Maryland Slip and Fall Attorney Today!
Laws exist to protect accident victims when their injuries are caused by another’s negligence. With experienced legal representation on your side, it’s possible to find financial relief after a suburban Maryland slip and fall accident causes a loss.
Contact the experienced attorneys at Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis to begin discussing compensation for a suburban Maryland slip and fall accident.