The leading cause of emergency room visits in the US is slip and fall injuries – about 800,000 patients every year. As innocuous as falls may seem, the are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. They can cause severe injuries at any age that may make it difficult to live independently, such as hip fractures and back injuries. If your fall injury occurs on someone else’s property, you have legal rights per the law. If the property owner is at fault for your fall, they have an obligation to compensate you for any losses incurred as a result of the accident. Hiring a White Bear Lake personal injury attorney may be you best course of action after a slip and fall. If you or a loved one was hurt in a slip and fall accident, contact Sand Law for a free consultation where we will inform you of your rights and answer any questions you may have.
Where do Slip and Fall Accidents Happen?
While accidents can happen almost anywhere, there are places where they’re more common. A victim of an accident can take legal action against property owners or renters occupying said property. However, this can only be done if the owner or renter was negligent about fixing a hazard on the property, or failing to adequately warn of a hazard that can’t be dealt with right away. Common fall locations include:
- Retail stores and shopping malls
- Restaurants
- Hotels and Motels
- Public places like theaters, arenas, and stadiums
- Business spaces such as offices
- Retirement homes or assisted senior living facilities
How do Slip and Fall Accidents Happen?
- Wet, slippery, slick floors without proper warning signs posted
- Cluttered walkways through the buildings
- Snow and ice on pathways
- Floors and stairs that are damaged or in ill repair
- Ditches and potholes in sidewalks
- Uneven, abrupt changes in walking surfaces
- Inadequate lighting that fails to illuminate any of the above
- Lack of Ag-in-Place Home Improvements
Types of Slip and Fall Injuries
The amount of money that can be recovered from responsible parties for the accident varies depending on how badly the victim was hurt by the accident. It also is determined based on insurance policies and whether the individual was fully or only partly at fault. Injuries that can result from slip and fall accident include:
- Bone fractures, especially in the arms owing to the instinct to brace the fall, and in the hips
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Spinal cord injuries such as herniated discs or cracked vertebrae
- Neck and shoulder injuries, such as pulled muscles
- Knee injuries
Injuries that result from a slip and fall can have long-term consequences. These can require expensive, lengthy medical treatments and rehab periods. Your ability to work can be affected, and you may experience ongoing, constant pain.
Taking Legal Action
In the event you are injured in a slip and fall accident caused by the negligence of a property owner, you are entitled to make a personal injury claim against that property owner based on their responsibility to maintain the property. To bring a successful claim to court, you need to show a number of things. First and foremost is the most obvious, that your injury resulted from a fall on the property in question. You must have been a legal right to be on the property – you cannot file a claim if you were trespassing. The owner must have failed in their obligation to keep the property safe, and that resulted in you suffering harm. One other thing to keep in mind is the “open and obvious” rule. This simply refers to dangers that reasonable persons should recognize and avoid, such as a deep, open construction pit.
Experienced Slip and Fall Attorneys in White Bear Lake, Minnesota
If you believe you have a case to make for personal injury claims as the result of a slip and fall accident in White Bear Lake, don’t hesitate to contact our experienced lawyers at Sand Law. We can be reached online, or at 651-291-7263. Our experienced team will work tirelessly to help you get the compensation you deserve so you can focus on your recovery.