Slip and fall accidents are one of the most common personal injury claims. It is known as a “premises liability” claim. These claims are often misunderstood. Below, a slip and fall lawyer will share more about six common myths related to this type of accident.
You Can File A Claim Whenever You Get to It
This is a dangerous myth for any personal injury claim, including a slip and fall. Each state has its own law known as a statute of limitations that determines how long you have to file your claim.
In most states, you have only two years from the date of your slip and fall or two years from the date you realized you were injured because of the accident. Make sure that you speak with a lawyer in your area to better understand the timeline of your potential claim.
You Slipped And Fell, But There Was A Warning Sign
Like other types of personal injury claims, a slip and fall requires liability and negligence if your claim will be successful. If you slipped and fell and there was a warning sign, this doesn’t mean you can’t file a claim. Other questions must be explored and answered. For example, if you fell because of a puddle left by a leaky refrigerator in the cold food section of the store and there was a sign, one question that would still need an answer is whether the employees or store is liable because they knew of the hazard and placed a sign. However, the puddle remained thus creating the hazard.
You’re Only Eligible To Recover If You’re Seriously Injured
While it is true that someone with more serious injuries may receive more compensation, it doesn’t mean that you must have a serious injury to be eligible for financial compensation.
According to our friends at Herschensohn Law Firm, PLLC, You may be able to recover for:
- Medical bills
- Lost time from work
- Pain and suffering
No Compensation Because The Property Owner Didn’t Know About The Danger
Because slip and falls are “premises liability” accidents, they require an element of negligence. In simple terms, negligence means that someone did or did not take care of their legal responsibilities. This does not mean that the property owner is absolved of responsibility if they did not know about the danger. What must be answered is if they knew or if they should have known about the danger so that steps could be taken to avoid an accident.
The Slip And Fall Happened On Public Property So You Won’t Be Compensated
It is true that it is difficult, at best, to hold a city or town responsible for a slip and fall hazard on public property, such as a park or on a city sidewalk. However, parks and other public spaces aren’t always government-owned. Even those that may be government-owned, they may contract with private companies to handle the repairs and upkeep of the property. If so, that private company may be at least partially responsible for injuries sustained by a slip and fall.
You Can Handle Your Slip And Fall Case Alone
Do you have the right to handle your own slip and fall case alone? Yes. Should you? Not necessarily. While a slip and fall case may seem straightforward, it’s not always such. It’s also likely that the property owner or their insurance company may make the process more difficult in a bid to convince you to accept only a small amount of what you may be eligible to receive. A qualified slip and fall attorney can help you handle your slip and fall claim, thus potentially improving the likelihood of compensation. If you have suffered one of these accidents, contact a lawyer near you immediately.