New Brunswick, NJ Slip and Fall Injury Lawyer
Slip and fall injuries are often embarrassing but can also be extremely dangerous. Severe slip and fall injuries are possible, and property owners might be liable.
When discussing slip and fall injuries, most people think of slipping on an icy walkway in the winter because a property owner neglected to shovel the snow. While that is possible, it is far from the only possible cause. Wet floors and tripping hazards can also cause someone to slip and fall. In a lawsuit, you can usually sue the property owner because it is their duty to make the premises safe for guests and visitors. In your lawsuit, you can claim damages for economic losses like medical bills and non-economic injuries such as pain and suffering. You must have evidence to prove your claims, and an attorney can help you find and obtain the evidence you need.
Being injured in a fall can be humiliating, especially if the accident happens in public. These accidents can also lead to severe injuries. Our New Brunswick, NJ slip and fall injury lawyer can help you sue for damages. For a free case review, call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083.
Possible Causes of Slip and Fall Injuries in New Brunswick, NJ
Slip and fall accidents can happen almost anywhere, with many possible contributing factors. One commonly cited reason for slip and fall injuries is icy walkways. Depending on where you live, local ordinances might require home and property owners to clear the ice and snow from the walkways around their homes. Failure to do so might cause neighbors or passersby to slip and fall on the ice, injuring themselves.
Wet floors are another frequent contributor to slip and fall injuries. Perhaps someone spilled a glass of water that was never mopped up. It is also possible that a leak or busted pipe created a puddle that nobody has noticed yet. These kinds of slip and fall injuries can happen in someone’s home or places of business. In either situation, our New Brunswick, NJ slip and fall injury lawyers can help injured victims sue for damages.
Slip and fall injuries are not just caused by wet or icy conditions. In many cases, people are injured because of tripping hazards that the property owner should have removed or repaired. For example, walkways in a grocery store must remain clear for customer safety. If some canned items fall off the shelf and nobody picks them up, a customer might trip and fall, and the store should be held liable.
Whom You Can Name in a Slip and Fall Injury Lawsuit in New Brunswick, NJ
Slip and fall injuries generally fall under the category of premises liability lawsuits. These cases often involve plaintiffs injured because of unsafe conditions on another person’s property or premises. Property owners are usually held liable because they are responsible for maintaining their properties. Our New Brunswick, NJ slip and fall injury attorneys can help you determine who should be held liable for your accident.
Property owners are often responsible for slip and fall injuries because they are legally obligated to make their property safe for guests and visitors. Under premises liability laws, property owners owe a duty of care to guests to remove or repair any known hazards from the premises and make reasonable inspections for unknown hazards. This might include little things like cleaning up spills and making sure no tripping hazards are on the floor. It might also include making significant repairs to electrical and plumbing systems.
In many cases, private homeowners are held liable for slip and fall injuries that occur in their homes. If your injuries occurred while you were shopping or running errands, the business where your accident happened might be held liable.
The duty of care extends to invited guests that property owners are expecting in addition to uninvited guests that property owners should reasonably expect. For example, people do not necessarily invite mail carriers onto their front porches, but they should reasonably expect such visitors and make sure the front porch is safe. Unknown trespassers, however, are owed no duty of care.
Damages You Might Recover in a New Brunswick, NJ Slip and Fall Case
Damages in slip and fall accident cases can be much greater than people realize. Your injuries might be severe depending on how you fall and how you tried to break your fall. Injuries to hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, necks, heads, and backs are common. In some cases, injuries are catastrophic. Our New Brunswick, NJ slip and fall injury attorneys can help you calculate economic and non-economic damages related to your injuries.
Economic damages in slip and fall injury cases should almost always include medical expenses. Even minor injuries might be met with hefty medical bills, especially if you do not have health insurance to ease the financial burden. Some people are so badly injured that they cannot return to work and may claim the value of their lost income.
Non-economic damages are based on subjective experiences that often do not have a monetary value. Even so, courts will compensate these damages with a monetary award. The greater these experiences impact your life, the greater your damages award might be. Common non-economic damages include physical pain, mental suffering, humiliation, and damage to your reputation.
Collecting Evidence in Slip and Fall Injury Cases in New Brunswick, NJ
Evidence in slip and fall injury lawsuits is sometimes difficult to collect. Property owners often clean up accident scenes before important evidence and details can be collected. One way to combat this problem is to take photos of the scene immediately after your accident. If possible, take pictures of the surrounding area and the hazard that caused your fall because the property owner will likely remove the hazard as soon as possible.
If taking photos is not possible, witness testimony can help paint a picture of the accident scene. In many cases, the fall happens where others can see. For example, if you slipped and fell in a restaurant, other patrons likely saw the accident and might testify about what they saw. Our New Brunswick, NJ slip and fall injury lawyers can help you identify and contact potential witnesses.
It is also important to present your medical records as evidence. People tend to disregard slip and fall injuries, and a jury might be inclined to do the same regarding your injuries. Your medical records might be necessary to prove to a jury just how bad your injuries are and why you deserve compensation.
Call Our New Brunswick, NJ Slip and Fall Injury Lawyers for a Free Case Assessment
If you were hurt in a slip and fall accident, you can take legal action to get your various expenses and damages paid for. Our New Brunswick, NJ slip and fall injury attorneys can help you get started. For a free case evaluation, call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083.