A slip or fall can result in significant injuries, such as brain or spinal cord injuries, broken bones, hip fractures, knee damage, and other medical complications. These injuries often require extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and may lead to substantial medical expenses and time away from work. If you’ve been involved in a slip and fall accident, reach out to a dedicated Indian Land slip and fall accident lawyer to discuss your options.
When a slip and fall accident happens on someone else’s property in Indian Land or nearby areas, it’s crucial to establish if negligence by the property owner contributed to unsafe conditions that caused your injury. In some cases, responsibility may lie with the property manager or a parent company, which could be held accountable for your injuries.
Our slip and fall accident attorneys are here to assist clients throughout South Carolina, including communities such as Lancaster, Fort Mill, and Rock Hill.
Five Key Steps After a Slip and Fall Accident in Indian Land
- Take photos of the accident scene immediately to document the hazard that caused the fall. Photos can serve as vital evidence to demonstrate what led to your injury. It’s common for property owners to quickly address hazardous conditions after an accident occurs.
- Collect contact information from witnesses at the scene. Witnesses may offer important testimony to support your version of events and the circumstances leading to the slip and fall.
- Speak to a store manager or property owner if the accident occurs in a commercial space. Request that the manager create an accident report and ask for a copy for your records. Pay attention to any statements made by the manager, such as apologies or admissions of fault.
- Seek medical attention immediately, especially if you hit your head. Medical records from your doctor can provide an independent assessment of your injuries, which is helpful if you pursue a slip and fall claim.
- Consult a skilled slip and fall accident attorney to review your case and explain your rights, particularly if your injury occurred due to another party’s negligence.Why You Should Hire David Blackwell Law for Your Slip and Fall Injury Claim
Attorney David Blackwell and the slip and fall injury legal team at David Blackwell Law have the experience and the resources to help you pursue full compensation for your slip and fall injuries, including payment for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. David Blackwell has decades of experience investigating premises liability accidents and negotiating with insurance companies for full and fair settlements. We will go over the details of your slip and fall accident-free of charge, answer your questions and explain your legal options. We take pride in the one-on-one attention we provide. Call us today for a no-obligation consultation.
Can You Sue if You Fall in a Store?
In some slip and fall accidents, you may have a right to sue, while in other accidents, the property owner would not be liable for your injuries. You may have a valid injury lawsuit against a store if you suffered a serious injury as a result of something the store did or failed to do. Retail stores have a legal responsibility under South Carolina law to provide safe conditions for visitors and to take reasonable steps to warn of any unsafe conditions that cannot be corrected immediately.
Premises liability cases depend on the specific circumstances in which the fall injury occurred and whether the property owner or property manager acted with care to try to prevent accidents or disregarded a dangerous condition.
For example, if you were shopping in a grocery store and slipped on spilled liquid on the floor, you would need to show that the store acted negligently by failing to clean up the spill in a timely fashion and failing to post an adequate warning.
An experienced premises liability attorney would need to investigate the accident to determine how long the spill had been on the floor when the slip and fall occurred, whether a warning sign was clearly posted, and what kind of steps store employees routinely took to monitor the store premises for hazardous conditions. All of these issues speak to whether the store was negligent. It is important to investigate a slip and fall accident quickly and preserve evidence of the unsafe condition before it is repaired or removed.
The value of the injury claim will depend on the specific details of the accident and the insurance policies available to provide compensation.
The bottom line is that depending on the circumstances of the accident, you may have a valid legal claim against the store or business where your injury occurred. But you will need to work with an experienced slip and fall injury lawyer to gather evidence to develop a strong case. David Blackwell Law has helped many victims of personal injury accidents in Indian Land recover just compensation after serious accidents, allowing them to move forward with their lives with some financial security.
What Is a Slip and Fall Accident?
Slip and fall is a phrase used to describe a type of legal case in which a person slips or trips and sustains a personal injury on another person’s property.
Slip and fall accidents may occur at commercial businesses or in private residences. South Carolina law allows people who have been hurt while lawfully on others’ property to hold the property owners financially accountable.
If you have been injured, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost income from missed work, pain and suffering and other losses. You should not be burdened with debt for an accident caused by someone else’s disregard for safety.
Typically, the compensation is a negotiated insurance settlement paid by the insurance company representing the owner of the property where the accident occurred. Insurance companies try to minimize the amount they pay by making the victim’s injuries seem less serious than they actually are, or by trying to shift the blame to the accident victim. It is important to have a determined and experienced slip and fall attorney handling the negotiations for you.
If an insurance company refuses to agree to a reasonable settlement, David Blackwell Law is prepared to file a slip and fall lawsuit and go to court if necessary.
Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
Not every slip or trip causes serious fall injuries. But falls are a leading cause of serious injuries and fatal injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury.
Each year, 3 million people require emergency medical attention for fall injuries and 800,000 are hospitalized. Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries. They also are the leading cause of injuries and death from injury among older people.
Many hazardous conditions can lead to a fall injury. They include:
- Wet floors
- Spilled food or liquid left on floors
- Wrinkled or uneven carpeting
- Loose steps
- Uneven steps or unmarked changes of elevation in unexpected locations
- Loose railings
- Missing handrails
- Inadequate lighting
- Cluttered aisles in a retail store
- Unmarked low ceilings
- Potholes
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a fall accident on someone else’s property and you suspect another person’s carelessness caused the accident, you should have an experienced Indian Land slip and fall lawyer review the details of the accident. You may be entitled to seek compensation for your medical bills, lost income and other expenses related to the slip and fall accident.
It is important to be in touch with an attorney as soon as possible to investigate the accident. The property owner may try to fix the unsafe condition, removing the evidence of what happened. Preserving evidence of the hazardous condition is important to a successful premises liability case. Call today.
Contact Our Experienced Indian Land Slip and Fall Injury Lawyers Now
The first step to pursuing compensation after a slip and fall accident is to meet with an experienced attorney who can review your specific situation and determine whether you have a valid claim. Let personal injury attorney David Blackwell offer compassionate and professional representation to individuals in Indian Land who have been injured in a slip and fall accident due to others’ carelessness or negligence. We only represent accident victims. We do not represent insurance companies.
You should not have to worry about how to afford an attorney while you are struggling to recover from a serious injury. At David Blackwell Law, we represent slip and fall accident victims on a contingency fee basis. We do not charge a legal fee unless you collect compensation through an insurance settlement or a jury award. You do not pay anything upfront.
Let our office explore your options for fair compensation under South Carolina law. Call 803-232-7753 to schedule your appointment. Contact us today.