It happens before you know it – your feet fly out from under you on a slippery surface or loose flooring and you’ve gone from daily life as usual to flat on your face or back. Unfortunately, this is an all too common occurrence in Moreno Valley and the rest of the country. Falls account for the most emergency room visits of any cause at over 8 million per year, which is over 21 percent of all visits. They also are the primary cause of lost days at work.
A life-changing slip and fall can happen anywhere from the Moreno Valley Walmart to the Planes of Fame Air Museum to your apartment complex, but they cause far from mundane consequences and lead to more traumatic brain injuries than any other scenario. Unfortunately, most could and should have been prevented by a property owner or manager. If you were injured due to someone else’s negligence, contact an experienced Moreno Valley Slip and Fall Attorney today to see if you may be eligible for compensation.
Causes of Slip and Falls
Unsafe conditions often cause an unsuspecting victim to slip, fall, and sustain injury. You may be hurt through a variety of common scenario, including ones involving:
- Spills,
- Wax or polish on a floor,
- Broken sidewalks,
- Broken stairs,
- Debris on staircases,
- Torn carpet,
- Missing or broken handrails, and
- Improperly secured rugs or carpet.
In a town of over 206,000 like Moreno Valley, restaurants, shops, office buildings, and apartment complexes are commonplace but can house a variety of slip and fall risks for patrons to the premises.
Who Has a Duty to Keep Me Safe?
In California, anyone who owns, manager, or takes care of a property has a legal duty to keep the premises safe for guests and visitors. This means they must take reasonable care to maintain their property free of unsafe or hazardous conditions, as well reasonably inspect the premises to identify hazards and either correct them or reasonably warm visitors they exist if the hazard isn’t so obvious a guest would recognize it and take steps to avoid it. Failing to reasonably inspect creates the presumption they had constructive notice the hazard existed.
How do I Recover?
To prove negligence, you must show the responsible party with these duties breached them by either an act or a failure to act and caused your injuries. They may then be liable for your resulting harm and owe you damages to compensate you for what you’ve suffered. These may include:
- Hospital bills for injures such as brain injuries, fractures, and neck injuries,
- Lost wages,
- Lost future earning capacity,
- Property damage,
- Pain and suffering,
- Loss of enjoyment of life,
- Permanent disability, and
- Loss of consortium (companionship).
In certain cases, the negligent party’s actions may be so bad they warrant an additional award of damages to victims to punish their behavior and deter others from repeating the conduct. To understand what you may be entitled to and put your best arguments for recovery forward, it’s best to work with an experienced Moreno Valley slip and fall attorney.
Steps to Take
It’s understandable the trauma from a slip and fall, a sudden injury, and the level of stress commonly experienced after such an accident make taking quick action often seem overwhelming. However, to make sure you don’t lose out on your chance for recovery or do anything unintentionally to damage your claim, it’s important to take a few simple steps after your accident.
Don’t Delay
Like all states, California passed laws setting the time limit an injury victim has to file a lawsuit seeking compensation from the negligent party. If you don’t file within the timeframe, you may lose your right to recover in court forever. In California, most slip and fall cases must be filed within 2 years from the date of your injury.
Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Getting medical attention as quickly as possible after your slip and fall can be critical to your health, so it’s important to seek care even if you believe you weren’t injured. Some injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries common sustained in a slip and fall, don’t show symptoms for days after you’re hurt but can be fatal if left untreated. It’s important to have an examination and receive treatment for any injuries you sustained, as well as document the cause of your injuries for purposes of your case later. Follow all treatment plans, take medicine as prescribed even if you are feeling better, and attend all follow-up appointments.
Gather Evidence
If you slipped and fell at work, it’s important you immediately report it to your supervisor to document it and begin the workers’ compensation process. If not, make sure you notify the manager, owner, or caretaker of the property as soon as possible.
Wherever it happened, there are certain pieces of evidence that will be helpful to documenting your claim. If possible:
- Photograph the scene of the accident and condition that caused your slip or trip,
- Photograph your injuries,
- Get the information of any eyewitnesses to your fall, and
- Collect documentation of any damages you’ve sustained – including financial damages like lost wages and medical bills, insurance copays, and other damages like an inability to contribute around your household.
Contact a Moreno Valley Slip and Fall Attorney
If you or a loved one were hurt during a fall, contact the skilled Moreno Valley Slip and Fall Attorneys at Walton Injury Law right away to protect your rights and take an important step towards recovery. Our attorneys have spent years delivering professional, aggressive representation for victims like you and recovered millions in compensation for their injuries. Contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (866)-338-7079 or online through our Contact Page to schedule a risk free, no obligation case evaluation today. The initial consultation is free, and you pay nothing until we win your case. Let the skilled attorneys at Walton Injury Law fight for you so you can focus on your recovery starting today.