| Read Time: 4 minutes | Personal Injury
What to Do After a Slip-and-Fall Accident—From a Legal Perspective

Slip-and-fall accidents are extremely common. In most cases, the victim walks away with little more than a bruise or minor injury. An unlucky few, however, suffer a significant injury when they fall.

Often, these accidents are caused by the negligence of others. For example, a property owner failing to mark a hazard or a shopkeeper leaving wet floors for customers to slip on could cause an accident.

In any case, if someone else’s negligence caused you significant injury, you deserve compensation.

At Peerali Law, we know how to help victims recover compensation for the negligent actions of others. We have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for accident victims. Our creative and innovative legal approach drives our success. If you suffered a slip-and-fall injury, contact an experienced slip-and-fall attorney for a consultation.

What Is the Difference Between Slip, Trip, and Fall?

There are subtle differences between the terms slip, trip, and fall. A slip happens when you lose your footing. A trip occurs when an object or uneven surface makes you stumble. Falls often result from a slip or trip, and they happen when you lose control and move downward, landing on the ground.

Legally, the difference between a slip-and-fall accident and a trip-and-fall accident can be relevant. Slips and falls tend to involve injuries sustained from falling backward. Trips and falls often involve falling forwards. The types of injuries you sustain affect the compensation you can recover.

Further, proving negligence after a trip and fall might be different than proving negligence after a slip and fall. Every negligence case is unique, and different evidence will be required to prove fault.

Legal Steps to Take After A Slip and Fall Accident

You should take several steps after suffering an injury during a slip-and-fall accident. These steps will help you protect yourself and improve your chances of a quick recovery. They will also help you protect any legal claims you might have.

  1. Seek immediate medical attention: Your health and well-being is the most important concern. Going directly to the hospital will also lend credibility to your claims and help prove you suffered the injury during the fall.
  2. Collect evidence: Get the contact information for any witnesses, and take photographs of where you slipped and any abnormalities that might have caused the fall. Write down your account of what happened and record the date and time of the fall as accurately as possible.
  3. Report the incident: If you can locate the owner or manager of the property, report the incident to them. Ask them for a copy of a written statement acknowledging that you reported the fall to them.
  4. Do not admit fault: Never admit fault after an accident. It is also critical to refrain from discussing the incident publicly or on social media.
  5. Contact an attorney: A slip-and-fall attorney will help you file a claim and negotiate a settlement with the relevant insurance company. They will also take the case to court if necessary.

Following these steps will ensure you receive medical attention quickly and help protect your financial claims against the property owner or manager.

How Do You Prove Negligence in a Slip and Fall?

To recover compensation for your injuries, you must show that the property owner or manager was negligent. How do you prove negligence in slip and fall? In California, there are four elements that victims must demonstrate to prove negligence. The elements are:

  1. The property owner or manager owed you a duty of care,
  2. They breached their duty of care,
  3. Their breach caused your injuries, and
  4. You suffered compensable losses.

Each element has its own nuances that you must prove. Schedule a consultation with Peerali Law to learn more about how to prove negligence under the circumstances of your case.

Are Slip-and-Fall Cases Hard to Win?

It is difficult to predict whether or not a slip-and-fall case will be successful without specific knowledge of the case. Are slip-and-fall cases hard to win? Slip-and-fall cases often lead to the victim recovering compensation for their injuries. Contact Peerali Law today and schedule a consultation for more information regarding your case.

How Are Slip-and-Fall Settlements Calculated?

The compensation available to slip-and-fall victims depends on their injuries. So, how are slip-and-fall settlements calculated? There are three types of damages that a victim can recover in California: economic damages, noneconomic damages, and punitive damages.

Economic damages compensate a victim for the quantifiable monetary losses they suffer. These damages include past and future medical bills, lost wages, and other financial costs related to your injury.

Noneconomic damages are for subjective, non-monetary losses the victim suffers. Pain and suffering, emotional distress, and reputational harm are examples of noneconomic damages.

Punitive damages punish the defendant for egregiously bad acts or omissions. It is rare for the courts to award punitive damages in slip-and-fall cases.

How Long Can a Slip-and-Fall Case Take?

How long can a slip-and-fall case take? Every case is different. In general, settlement negotiations can quickly progress once you identify the responsible parties and present evidence to the insurance company. However, some contentious settlements can take years to finalize. Further, if settlement negotiations break down, you must file a lawsuit and prove your case in court. If you have to go to trial, it could take a long time to recover compensation.

An experienced attorney at Peerali Law can help you formulate an effective strategy to recover compensation for your injuries. We will weigh any settlement offer against the value of a potential lawsuit to provide you with the best advice on moving forward.

Should I Get a Lawyer for a Slip-and-Fall?

Should I get a lawyer for a slip-and-fall? Insurance companies bolster their profits by providing low payouts to accident victims. Hiring an experienced attorney is the only way to ensure they treat you fairly. A good Slip-and-fall lawyer will guide you through the entire case and protect your rights at every step.

Contact our Los Angeles Slip-and-Fall Lawyers Today

At Peerali Law, our Los Angeles slip and fall lawyers graduated from some of the nation’s top law firms and have a track record of success. We are a boutique law firm that can give every client the detailed attention they deserve. Our firm handles each case from intake to the end of the settlement or trial, no matter how complex the issues are. Contact Peerali Law today, and we can handle the law so you can focus on your recovery.

Author Photo

Kristopher earned his J.D. at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law where he was a member of the Review of Law and Social Justice honors law journal and was awarded several scholastic honors.

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