Slip and Fall Accidents
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South Jersey Slip and Fall Attorney
Slip and fall lawyers in Pennsauken & South Jersey
Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere and at any time. Often, slip and fall accidents lead to serious injuries. You may be severely injured and left with long-term pain or disability. You may be unable to work while costly medical bills add up and you face significant financial trouble. A slip and fall accident can be a real-life nightmare.
The National Safety Council lists falls as among the top three leading causes of unintentional injuries. In fact, falls account for around between eight and nine million emergency room visits every year, and they are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries.
Over the past decade, fall deaths among people younger than age 65 have increased by 22 percent.
According to Injury Facts, over 45,000 people died in falls, either at home and at work in 2023. That number accounts for 21 percent of all preventable injury-related deaths in the U.S. that year.
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Common Slip and Fall Injuries
Often, slip and fall accidents result in various injuries. Depending on the nature of your accident, different types of injuries can result. These injuries can range from mild to severe. Here are some of the most common types of injuries:
Head injuries: An injury to the brain as a result of a slip and fall may be a bump, bruise, or minor concussion. A severe TBI can impact your brain function or cause seizures.
Back injuries: A person can land on his or her back or twist the back to avoid falling. The result can be a disc injury or even paralysis.
Broken bones: Slips and falls can result in broken hips, especially in older individuals. Other fractures may include the pelvis, arm, leg, ankle, or hand.
Shoulder or neck injuries: A person can fall on his or her neck, resulting in a strain or even paralysis. A person landing on his or her shoulder can break his or her collarbone, tear nerves, or dislocate his or her shoulder.
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Steps to take after a slip and fall accident.
What you do following a slip and fall may help or hurt your chances of receiving compensation for your injuries. In order to establish liability in a slip and fall accident, there must be established negligence on the part of the business or property owner where the incident occurred. This can be difficult to prove in a fall. As the injured party, you must demonstrate how the property owner allowed a dangerous condition to exist which then led to your fall.
Get Medical Attention
If your injuries are serious, call 911. Make an appointment with a doctor if you experience any pain or other symptoms after the accident. You may not experience symptoms from some injuries, like TBIs, until a few days after the accident.
Document and Report the Accident
Report the accident to the relevant authorities. Inform the person in charge, for example, the store manager, of your injury. Take pictures and collect contact information. Snap a picture of a slippery floor or whatever caused your fall. The scene will be cleared soon after your fall. If someone saw you fall, get their name and phone number.
Contact a Lawyer
A slip and fall lawyer can investigate your case and begin to negotiate a settlement for compensation for your injuries. The team at Petrillo & Goldberg can help you get the most successful outcome possible by demonstrating that you were not responsible for your injuries.
AFTER A FALL
Steps you can take.
Compensation for Slip and Fall Injuries
Usually, in New Jersey, you have two years to file a lawsuit against a property owner to receive compensation for injuries you suffer in a slip and fall, but if the owner is a government, you must file a claim within 90 days.
Private Business Premises Liability
If you fall on business property, such as a store, you can recover compensation for your medical expenses, your lost wages, and your pain and suffering. This is accomplished through a personal injury lawsuit, most of which settle out of court.
Falls on Government Property
Special rules apply when the government owns the property where the slip and fall occurs. Examples include slips and falls at a public school or at a public park. An experienced slip and fall lawyer can walk you through the process of recovering against a governmental entity, like a school district or a city.
FALLS AT WORK
Workplace falls can be deadly.
Falls are the third leading cause of workers having to take days off. In fact, slip and fall accidents account for around 18 percent of occupational injuries that required time away from work.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 31 percent of fall-related injuries affect the lower half of the body, mainly the knee. In 25 percent of cases, falls injured the upper body such as the arm and shoulder. About 17 percent of falls resulted in back injuries.
Every year, roughly one-third of fatalities in the construction industry were due to slips, trips and falls.
Proving Fault in a Slip and Fall
To receive compensation for your injuries in a slip and fall, you must prove two things.
First, a slip and fall lawyer will show the owner created a hazard on the property or that the owner knew or should have known about the hazard. Second, the lawyer will show the owner of the property had time but failed to remove the hazard or warn you of the hazard. In New Jersey, if your own fault contributed more than 50 percent to the cause of the slip and fall, you cannot recover. If your fault was 50 percent or less, your fault reduces your recovery by the percentage of fault assigned to you.
If you suffer injuries in a slip and fall at work, you do not have to show fault on the part of your employer. You only have to show that the slip and fall arose out of and in the scope of your employment. Your fault does not affect your right to compensation or the amount you can recover.
Claims for Work Injuries
If you fall at work, you cannot sue your employer. You file a workers' compensation claim. Your recovery is a percentage of your average weekly wage (70 percent in New Jersey). Your employer must pay your medical expenses. You cannot recover for your pain and suffering.
A Team Approach
After a slip and fall accident.
Our unique team approach to all our cases makes us a standout firm and allows us to give each of our clients the total knowledge and experience of our entire firm. That also means that here you do not just have one attorney fighting for your case, you have all four Petrillo & Goldberg Law attorneys on your side.
Our slip and fall lawyers will investigate your case. For example, we can get a video from a security camera of your fall. Our lawyers will negotiate with the property owner or operator for a reasonable settlement to compensate you for your injuries.