Slip and Fall Lawyers in Tacoma
Helping Injured Clients Recover Compensation
If you recently slipped and fell while walking in a public place, you’re not alone. Just about everyone can relate to that feeling of panic while slipping, quickly followed by humiliation and pain after hitting the ground. While most people sustain minor wounds and recover quickly, not everyone is that lucky, as some end up with severe or even permanent injuries. If this is the case for you, it’s worth talking to a Tacoma slip and fall lawyer to find out if you’re entitled to compensation from the property owner or their insurance company.
At South Sound Law Group, we have sympathy for injured victims, especially when they’re left with costly medical bills after someone else’s negligence has hurt them. So, if there is a chance that the owner of the property you were injured on was at fault for your fall, we’d like to talk to you about your legal options. You might be able to get your medical bills and other costs covered. Contact our Tacoma law office today for a free consultation with caring attorneys.
What Usually Causes Slip and Fall Accidents in Washington State?
Slip and fall accidents can occur on public or private property, including businesses, private residences, and public walkways. Basically, if you were walking through a property and slipped or tripped on an obstacle or wet floor, you might be able to initiate a slip and fall legal claim against the owner of the property.
Some of the most common locations for slip and fall accidents include:
- Grocery stores
- Retail stores
- Malls
- Hotels and resorts
- Parking lots and garages
- Escalators and staircases
- Restaurants and bars
- Apartment complexes
- Hospitals and doctor’s offices
- Public parks and pools
- Movie theaters
- Stadiums
- Gyms
Whether your fall occurred at one of these locations or somewhere else – such as a person’s house – you may be able to collect compensation from the property owner if you can prove that their negligent actions led to your slip and fall accident. After all, the owner of the property is supposed to keep the area free of potential hazards, including debris, broken flooring, and spilled liquids. If there is evidence of these or other dangerous issues on the property, you may be able to bring a claim against them.
Some examples of hazards that can lead to slip and fall accidents include:
- Slippery floors due to spills that were not cleaned up
- Obstructed walkways due to cords, boxes, or debris on the floor
- Poor lighting, including missing or broken bulbs, making it hard to see slipping hazards
- Loose or missing steps or handrails on staircases
- Uncleared snow, ice, or rainwater in parking lots and on sidewalks
- Damaged flooring, such as missing tiles, loose carpeting, and slippery rugs
- Uneven surfaces, such as cracked concrete and potholes in parking lots
It is up to the property owner to notice these or other dangerous situations on the premises so they can make repairs before someone gets hurt. Otherwise, they could be liable for any slip and fall accidents that occur on their property.
So, if any of these or similar hazards caused you to fall and sustain serious injuries, you should contact our Tacoma personal injury law firm to consider your legal options. Our lawyers can review the details of your case – including the likely cause of your accident – to determine if you should make a slip and fall claim against the responsible party.
What Injuries Do Slip and Fall Accident Victims Frequently Sustain?
Slip and fall accidents can cause severe injuries that take months or years to heal. It’s possible to even end up with disabilities or a shorter lifespan due to the injuries sustained in the accident. This typically depends on your age, the type of surface you fell on, and the force of the fall. Some of the most common injuries suffered in slip and fall accidents include:
- Broken bones, especially in the hips, arms, wrists, and legs
- Dislocated or torn joints, including the knees and shoulders
- Traumatic brain injuries, including concussions
- Spinal cord injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Neck injuries
- Cuts and bruises
- Paralysis
- Facial injuries
Regardless of the extent of the injuries from your slip and fall accident, it’s best to seek medical care right away to get the medical diagnosis and treatment you need. If you’re worried about the costs of medical care, your next step should be to schedule a free consultation with a Tacoma personal injury lawyer to find out if you should initiate a slip and fall claim against the at-fault party. Call our law office today for help determining who is at fault and what compensation you should seek.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Slip and Fall Accident in Washington State?
Slip and fall accidents can be painful and humiliating from the moment they occur. However, the situation can become even worse when you start getting the bills for any medical treatment you need after the accident. Your paychecks from work might also be lower than usual if you had to take time off to recover from your slip and fall accident, making it difficult to pay your bills as you heal. This is why we urge you to consider filing a slip and fall accident claim with the help of a Tacoma personal injury lawyer.
When you contact our legal team to discuss your options, we’ll review your situation to determine what kind of compensation you should seek. In general, you have the right to request enough money to pay for all your expenses related to the slip and fall accident. These usually include:
- Lost wages from any time you took off work
- Loss of future earning capacity if you can no longer do your job due to your injury
- Medical expenses from the treatment immediately following the incident, such as ER bills, surgery, pain medication, doctor copays, and assistive medical devices
- Future medical expenses, including physical therapy, medication, and additional surgeries
- Property damage, assuming your phone, purse, or other valuable personal property was damaged in the incident and must be replaced or repaired
An experienced Tacoma slip and fall attorney can help you get the maximum compensation for these expenses. They can also pursue additional damages for you to make up for the mental and emotional effects of a slip and fall accident. These damages can include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Emotional distress
- Humiliation
- Disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
A skilled Tacoma attorney will ensure you know which damages you’re likely to get compensated for in your slip and fall case. No one can guarantee a specific total since it’s determined by several factors, such as the severity of the injury, your current and future medical costs, the length of your recovery period, and the emotional and practical impact of the accident on your life. However, the right attorney for your case will do everything possible to get you the maximum amount. If you’re ready to seek justice and get the fair compensation you deserve, contact our Tacoma law office today.
What Should You Know About Slip and Fall Cases Before You Take Legal Action?
If you’re recovering from a slip and fall accident in Washington State and want to know if you should file a legal claim, you should consider a few details about slip and fall claims. First, it’s essential to prove fault before requesting to be compensated for your financial losses, and you’ll need a lawyer’s help to do this.
According to premises liability laws, property owners must ensure that anyone who visits, lives on, or works on their property is safe from hazards. This is why it’s common for property owners to be held liable for injuries in slip and fall accident cases. However, you and your lawyer must prove that the property owner in your case knew about the unsafe condition of their property and failed to fix it. So, if they knew about a missing step or handrail on their staircase and did not repair it, they could be considered at fault for your slip and fall accident.
Of course, you’ll have to prove this, which a skilled premises liability attorney can assist with by gathering video footage and photos of the accident scene, property inspection reports, or witness statements attesting to the fact that the property owner was warned about the safety issue. Your attorney can also present evidence that you were severely injured due to the actions of the negligent property owner, and that you suffered financial losses as a result of their negligence.
If you’re unsure if you have a strong legal case to make against a negligent property owner, contact our Tacoma personal injury law firm today for an initial consultation. The statute of limitations on personal injury claims is three years from the date of the injury, so you must consider your legal options as soon as possible if you want the chance to get a fair settlement.
Are You Ready to Call Tacoma Slip and Fall Lawyers?
You deserve to feel safe at your local grocery store and other businesses, not worried about safety hazards that could leave you with broken bones, dislocated joints, and other injuries. If you’re severely injured after visiting someone else’s property, it’s time to hold the property owners accountable for their negligence by bringing a premises liability claim against them – with guidance from experienced personal injury attorneys in Tacoma.
At South Sound Law Group, we have successfully represented countless clients hoping to be compensated so they could pay their bills after suffering serious injuries from falls. If you’re interested in seeking damages from property owners whose negligence caused your injury, contact our lawyers for legal guidance. We can take care of the necessary legal tasks, including gathering your medical records and other available evidence, communicating with insurance adjusters, and more. If you’re ready to speak with a skilled slip and fall attorney, call 253-465-2722 for a free consultation today.