Las Vegas Slip and Fall Attorney

There are several types of slip and fall hazards that can lead to injuries. Uneven walking paths, debris, spilled liquids, and even non-illuminated walking paths can all create a risk of a slip and fall accident. The most common slip-and-fall injuries are head, neck, and back injuries, broken limbs, and even spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. When a person is injured in a slip and fall accident that occurs on the property of another, then the injured person may have a claim for damages against the owner of the property.

What Does the Law Say?

The law generally requires those who hold open their properties to the public, like shops and offices, to ensure the property is free from slip and fall type hazards. When a specific hazard can’t be made safe, then the law requires that the owner responsible for the property at least warn visitors of the hazard – but even a warning may not be enough to shield property owners from the liability of a slip and fall accident.

Further, the law generally allows victims injured in a slip and fall accident on private property to pursue damages from the employer operating on the property. This means that if a low level employee creates a slip and fall hazard or allows one to exist, then the injured victim can pursue damages from the employer, instead of the employee. This is allowed by the legal principle known as “respondeat superior,” which is Latin for “let the master answer.”

Damages which can generally be awarded in a slip and fall accident include those for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and, if the injury is enough to prevent the person from being able to work, then lost earning damages. Other damages which are less common can be awarded on a case by case basis. The extent to which damages will be awarded, and the value which is placed on an injury will depend on the specific facts of a case.

What To Do After A Slip and Fall Accident

Slip and fall accidents can happen in shopping centers, restaurants, casinos, offices or other retailers. Hazardous floor conditions are the leading cause of shopping-related injuries. Spilled drinks, worn carpeting, and cracked tiles cause thousands every year – and scores right here in Las Vegas – to slip or trip and become seriously injured. Stacked merchandise and retail displays tip over on people. Escalators can be extremely dangerous. So, what should you do if you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident?

First, get medical treatment. Get an accurate diagnosis of your injury as possible evidence and as the basis for your claim. Contact an experienced Las Vegas slip and fall attorney to lead the investigation and lawsuit.

Does the retailer or property have a surveillance camera? After receiving medical treatment, you should attempt to find out. Surveillance footage can be the determining factor in a personal injury lawsuit. List and identify any witnesses. It helps a great deal if you have witnesses who can testify about what happened and verify your explanation of how the incident occurred.

Expect the property owner to fight back. A property owner may claim no dangerous condition existed, that the condition didn’t cause your injury, or that you were the negligent party. The property owner may try to claim that the hazardous condition was recent and temporary. If a hazardous condition was recent and temporary, it might be more difficult for a premises liability lawsuit to prevail. For example, a bottle of juice spilled on a supermarket floor moments before your injury may not be the supermarket’s fault if there was no time to post warning signs and clean up the spill.

If you are a slip-and-fall victim in the Las Vegas area, and if you believe that you have a legitimate personal injury claim, contact an experienced Las Vegas personal injury attorney immediately.

Slip and Fall Accidents and the Elderly

You have to be concerned about the possibility of slip-and-fall injuries if you have elderly loved ones. As we get older, reactions slow and healing takes more time, which puts the elderly at the highest risk for slip-and-fall injuries.

Of course, avoiding an injury altogether is best, and you can take several steps to protect your elderly loved ones from slip-and-fall injuries. Regular medical check-ups are imperative for the elderly. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, fading vision, and drugs that cause drowsiness can put the elderly at greater risk of slipping, falling, and being injured.

If you or someone your love is injured in a slip-and-fall accident caused by another person’s negligence, speak as quickly as possible with an experienced Las Vegas personal injury lawyer who can investigate and offer the advice you need.

Ask for Professional Help

Since most average citizens don’t have direct access to professional resources which can help place a fair value on an injury, it is generally best for victims of slip and fall accidents to work with an attorney, like one from the experienced legal team at the Fletcher Firm, to pursue damages.

Placing the wrong value on an injury, or being convinced by attorneys or insurance agents for the other side that an injury is not as valuable as the victim thinks, can lead the injured slip and fall victim to recover less than the law allows.

A slip and fall attorney from the Fletcher Firm can help with several other aspects of a case as well. The attorney can screen calls and questions to the slip and fall victim to ensure the victim’s rights in the matter remain protected throughout the legal process.

This can also prevent the victim from making a comment or answering a question which may hurt the case, as it is common for insurance representatives handling a claim to try to catch accident victims in their “lies”.

Unfortunately, these “lies” are often nothing more than the product of misunderstood or cleverly misleading questions, nervousness in response to a barrage of questions, and even frustration from an aggressive or demanding tone of voice from an interviewer.

Instead of dealing with these hassles on their own, victims of slip and fall accidents should consult an experienced personal injury attorney on the Fletcher team as quickly following the accident as possible, and should refrain from making any statements or answering any questions until the Fletcher Firm has been contacted.