Hawthorne Slip & Fall Accidents Lawyer

Representing Slip and Fall Accident Victims in Hawthorne

Slip and fall accidents are not always minor mishaps with easily treatable injuries. Slip and fall accidents are a leading cause of personal injury claims, workers’ compensation claims, and billions of dollars in damages and lost productivity each year. Many of these accidents are preventable, and when slip and fall injuries occur due to negligence, the victim has the right to seek compensation for their damages from the party responsible for the incident.

McLachlan Law, APC has years of experience handling all types of personal injury cases on behalf of clients in the Hawthorne, CA area. Some slip and fall accidents result from poor management of private property, and some of these incidents occur on publicly owned properties. If you have recently experienced a slip and fall injury of any kind and believe another party is liable for your damages, it is crucial that you speak with a Hawthorne slip and fall accident attorney right away to discuss your options for legal recourse. Our team can help you determine your best available avenue for recovery, which typically means holding the party responsible for your damages accountable with a personal injury lawsuit.

Should I Get a Lawyer for a Slip and Fall?

It is important to know when you should seek legal counsel after suffering a personal injury. If there is any reason to believe another party is liable for your slip and fall injury, you should speak with a Hawthorne slip and fall accident lawyer as soon as possible. Your attorney can review your situation and let you know how to approach securing compensation for your losses. A slip and fall may sound minor, but the reality is that these incidents can easily lead to life-changing injuries. It is not uncommon for victims of slip and fall incidents to suffer broken bones, spinal fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and injuries to their internal organs.

If you are unsure whether your recent slip and fall injury constitutes grounds for legal action. Ask yourself a few basic questions to determine whether you need to speak with an injury lawyer:

• Is someone else responsible for your injury? For example, did a private business employee forget to mark a wet floor, or did a property owner fail to notify you of a known hazard on their property?
• Did your slip and fall incident result in significant medical bills? Depending on the types of injuries you sustained from your incident, you may incur tens of thousands of dollars in medical expenses in a very short time.
• Do your injuries carry the potential for long-term complications, such as reduced range of motion or impaired mobility?
• Has your injury caused you to miss work, or has it left you unable to work?
• Have you experienced psychological effects from your incident due to inability to work and pay regular living expenses?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it is imperative to consult a slip and fall accident attorney as soon as possible to begin discussing your legal options. If another party bears responsibility for your slip and fall accident, you should hold them accountable for your damages.

An experienced attorney can provide clarity and reassurance when you are unsure of how to best proceed after a slip and fall injury. During an initial consultation, you have the chance to ask a potential attorney specific questions about your case, and they will likely have questions of their own that will help them gain a more complete understanding of your available legal options. Slip and fall injuries can easily cause life-changing medical complications, and you should not have to navigate your recovery process entirely on your own.

Possible Injuries From a Slip and Fall Accident

Some falls only cause minor scrapes and bruises. Others are far more damaging, sometimes causing permanent medical complications or even resulting in the victim’s death. A few examples of injuries commonly caused by slip and fall incidents include:

• Bone fractures. Depending on how far and how hard you fell, it is possible that your slip and fall incident resulted in one or more broken bones. While some bone fractures will heal in a relatively short time, others may require surgical correction and rehabilitative therapies. It is also possible for severe fractures to cause infections, nerve damage, and a host of other complications.
• Spinal injuries. The human spine carries messages from the brain to the entirety of the body. Any interruption of this neurological communication channel can result in diminished sensation in the affected area of the body or even paralysis. Additionally, the human spinal cord does not heal itself like the rest of the body. Any injury is permanent.
• Traumatic brain injury. It is not uncommon for slip and fall incidents to involve the victim falling and hitting their head, either on an object on their way down or against the ground. Any head injury has the potential to cause long-term damage and many head injuries are life-threatening without immediate medical intervention.
• Facial and dental injuries. A slip and fall that damages the face could result in tooth damage, a broken jaw, and facial injuries that result in permanent disfigurement.

Anyone who suffers a slip and fall accident potentially faces at least one of these personal injuries. The incident will result in immediate losses that quickly escalate into difficult financial problems that may take the victim years to overcome without reliable legal assistance.

Recovering Compensation For a Slip and Fall Injury

If you believe that your recent slip and fall injury resulted from another party’s negligence, you have the right to pursue a personal injury claim to secure compensation for your losses. The first step in securing your recovery is identifying the party responsible for your slip and fall and proving their negligence directly resulted in your losses. For example, if you suffered a slip and fall injury while visiting a retail store, and an employee had just mopped the floor but forgot to place a wet floor sign in the area, this would constitute a breach in duty of care and the business owner would be liable for your damages.

Success with a personal injury claim of any kind not only hinges on the plaintiff’s ability to identify the defendant responsible for their injury and proving their negligence, but also providing a complete and accurate accounting of all the damages resulting from the defendant’s behavior. The plaintiff must also provide clear evidence that their claimed damages were the results of the defendant’s negligence and not some other cause.

How Do Slip and Fall Accidents Occur?

Slip and fall accidents happen for many reasons. The determining factor in whether you have grounds for legal action following a slip and fall is if someone else caused the incident. Many slip and fall accidents fall under the purview of premises liability laws, which outline property owners’ obligations to lawful visitors on their property.

A property owner owes a duty of care to legal visitors to their property. This includes invitees, such as friends and relatives with express or implied permission to enter the property, and licensees, such as mail carriers and utility workers, who have implied permission to enter the property for their own purposes. Property owners do not owe a duty of care to trespassers who enter their properties illegally. If a trespasser suffers a slip and fall injury on private property when they did not have permission to enter the property, the property owner is not liable for any of the trespasser’s damages.

How Much Should I Settle For in a Slip and Fall?

If you or a loved one suffered a slip and fall injury caused by another party’s negligence, it is vital to know what you can expect in terms of a recovery for your losses. In California, the law allows a claimant to seek compensation for any injury caused by negligence. Your attorney can help you determine the full scope of your claimable damages, which may include:

• Medical expenses. This can be urgently needed medical expenses following the incident as well as anticipated future medical costs related to the victim’s injury, such as physical therapy or other rehabilitative treatments.
• Lost income. Your slip and fall injury may have left you unable to work for an extended time. You may also claim wages lost during this time, including vacation time you were forced to use while you recovered. If your injury leaves you disabled and unable to rejoin the workforce, you have the right to claim the lost income you could potentially earn in the future, in your personal injury lawsuit.
• Property damage. In the event a slip and fall accident results in damage to your personal property you have the right to claim repair or replacement costs in your lawsuit.
• Pain and suffering. California state law allows personal injury plaintiffs to recover monetary compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and psychological anguish resulting from a defendant’s negligence.

Ultimately, your slip and fall injury claim may be worth much more than you initially expect. It is not uncommon for personal injury victims to undervalue their claims at first, which is another reason why it is so crucial to speak with a Hawthorne slip and fall accident attorney, as soon as possible, about your recent slip and fall injury. Your attorney can help you accurately value your claim so you can have peace of mind as you work toward recovering your losses.

What To Expect From Your Hawthorne Slip and Fall Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one suffered a slip and fall injury that resulted in significant economic losses, it is vital to secure an accident attorney as soon as possible if you want to hold the party responsible for causing your damages accountable. A slip and fall injury attorney is a tremendous asset who can guide you through your recovery process, helping you draft your complaint and navigate the legal proceedings that follow the submission of your lawsuit.

Your attorney should begin handling your case by conducting a thorough review of all available evidence and documentation related to your injury. They should review the medical report from your doctor that outlines the full scope of your injuries and prognosis for future medical complications. When the time comes to submit your complaint, your fall lawyer should prepare you for the next phases of your case, which typically include settlement negotiations with the defendant named in your lawsuit.

The majority of personal injury claims filed in the United States end with settlement negotiations instead of litigation. During settlement proceedings, both parties meet with their respective attorneys and attempt to reach a mutually agreeable resolution to the case. Settlement offers the opportunity for the defendant to settle the matter quickly and avoid future claims of liability for the incident, and the plaintiff has the chance to secure compensation for their losses as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, settlement is not always possible. If the defendant denies liability or argues that the plaintiff’s claimed damages are unreasonable or unfounded, the case may proceed to litigation. Court proceedings for personal injury claims can take months or even years depending on the complexity of the case. Ultimately, it is typically in the best interests of all parties involved in a slip and fall accident claim to settle the matter as quickly as possible.

Find Your Legal Counsel Now

If you are reeling from the aftermath of a slip and fall accident that occurred due to another party’s negligence, it is vital to seek legal counsel as soon as possible to begin working toward your recovery. The attorneys at McLachlan Law, APC can provide the legal counsel you need to navigate your slip and fall accident claim with confidence. Rest assured our team will extend the full scope of our professional resources, litigative skill, and experience in personal injury law to you as we guide you through your case. Contact McLachlan Law, APC today to schedule a consultation with a Hawthorne slip and fall accidents attorney.