Tripping over something or slipping on a wet floor can be sudden and unexpected. Slip-and-fall cases are often not serious and only leave the victim embarrassed as they pick themselves up from the floor. However, sometimes the fall can cause serious injuries such as broken bones, head injuries, sprained ankles, or torn ligaments. Breaking a leg, collar bone, or arm in a fall accident is terrible. The victim is rendered physically incapable of carrying out simple activities during their period of recovery. In a slip-and-fall accident that involves a senior citizen, they may not be able to recover from their fall injury. This leaves them with life-long effects that compromise their living habits and comfort. Victims should take legal action, especially if it happens on someone else's property. It could also be at a store such as a retail outlet or a supermarket. They can even occur in a parking lot. A slip-and-fall lawyer can help them file a claim for any serious injury. Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys has some of the most reliable Houston slip-and-fall accident attorneys to help victims get fair compensation for their suffering.
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What Our Clients Have To Say
I have worked with Schuerger Shunnarah twice and they have been very helpful on my personal injury cases. They went above and beyond my expectations and did a great job both times.
- Ashley C.
Schuerger Shunnarah helped me receive a settlement on my case in just months. I was treated with respect and dignity. Thanks to their help, I have been able to get my life back to normal.
- Michael S.
They provided me with excellent service throughout my personal injury case. They were available to answer my questions and helped me understand the process. I am very grateful for them!
- Deshawn B.
Common Slip-And-Fall Accident Injuries
A fall injury can take many forms. Here are some life-changing injuries that an individual can get from a slip-and-fall accident:
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Head Injury
It is easy for victims of a fall accident to develop traumatic brain injuries when they hit their heads on the ground. This causes skull fractures and bleeding in the brain. This is considered one of the most serious fall-related injuries.
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Spinal Cord Injuries
Victims of slip-and-fall accidents can also break the vertebrae in their spine. This is also a serious injury since it mostly results in paralysis or other forms of permanent disability.
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Broken Bones
The impact of hitting the floor after a person catches their foot on something or tripping can be massive. Such falls can break their bones depending on the intensity and how they land. It can get messy when the person hits a sharp edge or furniture corner in the process.
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Muscle Sprains and Tears
It is possible to tear the ligaments that link joints when stretched beyond what they can handle. This also affects the muscles in some cases. Sprained or torn muscles and ligaments are painful. The victim might experience swelling and restricted movement in some limbs.
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Other Injuries
Apart from the ones listed above, there are several other injuries that can result from a fall such as an injury to the neck or back. These can cause infections that may be challenging to manage since the injury compromises the victim's immune system.
Potential Damages Available for Slip-And-Fall Accidents
Slip-and-fall victims seek damages to cover expenses such as medical bills, wages they'll lose due to the injury, cost of rehabilitation, pain, suffering, etc. In some cases, the injury leads to partial or permanent disability, ruining the probability of the victim finding a job in the future. This is why the personal injury lawyer of the victim aims at getting full compensation for their clients. The cost of an injury to the individual and family can't be quantified. The idea is that the compensation can help the victim regain what they lose as much as possible. It also serves as a deterrent to other negligent building owners.
The statute of limitation in Houston, Texas, gives the plaintiff a two-year period to file a slip-and-fall injury claim. Failing to file the injury claim before the deadline means the victim forfeits their right to receive any compensation for their injuries out of court. The longer a claim is delayed, the less likely it is to succeed.
Victims should speak to our slip-and-fall lawyers at Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys to get the legal representation they deserve.
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What to Do After Your Slip and Fall Accident
A person that trips and falls while visiting a property can protect their rights to compensation with the following steps:
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The victim should get medical assistance immediately after sustaining the injury. Minimizing complications from injuries should always be the topmost priority in a slip-and-fall accident. Additionally, the medical reports can help prove later that the injuries specified are related to the fall.
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If possible, the victim should take photos of the scene as evidence. These can be pictures of the hazard that caused the fall, the entire area, and the injuries sustained. The images can be relevant in court when proving negligence.
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Victims can also talk to the management of the property to ensure they file an incident report. This report is necessary to establish that the fall occurred in the store. It can't be disputed later.
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The slip-and-fall victim must contact an experienced personal injury lawyer immediately. It is never too late to start a dialogue on their available rights and options. These attorneys also have the knowledge and resources to carry out a proper investigation.
Causes of a Slip-And-Fall Accident
There are several factors responsible for a person slipping or falling. Hazards exist all around that can dangerous falls. These include:
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Damp or slippery floors
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Areas with poor lighting
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Wet floors with no warning signs
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Damaged floor tiles
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Broken staircases
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Stray debris
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Frayed or worn-out carpets
A Houston slip-and-fall lawyer can determine liability for an injury with one of these factors or a combination of them:
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Whether the victim bears some responsibility for the accident
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The type of relationship between the victim and the property owner
Houston slip-and-fall accident lawyers can provide victims with the necessary information on their rights after a fall injury.
Victims can contact Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys if a slip-and-fall accident injury has left them with health issues that persist to this day. Our firm has experienced Houston slip-and-fall attorneys with years of experience in helping victims secure compensation for their injuries. We offer a free consultation to help people who get injured in slip-and-fall accidents understand how they prove negligence on the part of a property owner.
Client Testimonial
They were polite and really cared throughout the entire process and made me feel like my case was important. I would highly recommend them to anyone that didn’t get a fair offer from the insurance company like me!
- Brian D.
Classifying Slip-And-Fall Accident Victims
In Texas, plaintiffs in slip-and-fall accidents are put into one of three possible categories.: invitee, licensee, or trespasser. Each of these groups gives specific rights to bother the property owner and the victim.
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Invitee
A customer of a commercial establishment such as a restaurant, motel, or supermarket is known as an invitee. This is because the person is given an implicit invitation as a member of the public to indulge in a business transaction that is mutually beneficial to the parties involved. The property owner in such a case has a high "duty of care" to reduce the risk of a personal injury accident to its minimum.
This duty includes ensuring that obstacles or defects on the property that may cause customer injury are removed as soon as possible. If there is any reason why this cannot be done, the property owner is supposed to provide adequate warning signs to the invitees. This gives them prior knowledge of the hazard and shifts the responsibility of being careful to them. Property owners that fail to warn invitees of such a situation may be held liable for an accident even if they claim ignorance of the danger. It is their responsibility to carry out inspections so they know about them.
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Licensee
The licensee is a social guest on a property. These include neighbors that are invited to dinner. A person on a property for business that benefits the property owner in no way is also classified as a licensee. Property owners are also responsible for warning licensees about hazards on their premises.
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Trespasser
Trespassers are people who access the property without permission from the property owner. Thieves and vandals fall into this category, including people without criminal intentions. They are trespassers provided they lack the necessary authorization.
Property owners in this category have the least duty of care. However, the circumstances are different when the trespassers are children. Under the “attractive nuisance doctrine,” a property owner may be held liable for hazards that harm minors even if they accessed their property without their permission.
Hire a Houston Slip-And-Fall Attorney Today
An attorney from Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys can help you get the necessary compensation to take care of the bills you incur after the accident. We believe that our law firm also contributes to ensuring that properties in Houston are safe for everyone. Fall accident victims don't have to suffer unfairly for another person's negligence.
Call us at (833) 692-5038 if you sustain injuries on someone else's property. You can get a free consultation with a fall accident attorney on the steps to take.
Slip and fall accidents can be extremely serious and difficult to litigate. If you have been harmed in a fall due to the negligence of a property owner, you need a slip-and-fall lawyer who will help you obtain a settlement. Don’t hesitate to call the Houston slip and fall lawyers at our law firm. We will do whatever it takes to get you the best results possible for your slip and fall case.