Slip and fall accidents aren’t to be taken lightly. Some slip and fall accidents can be so severe that they result in significant injury, disability, or even death. If you have been hurt in a slip and fall accident in Fresno, you may be entitled to compensation. The Fresno personal injury attorneys of OnderLaw are ready to talk with you about your case to figure that out.

Following an accident, you’re likely to be faced with a slew of responsibilities, such as paying mounting medical bills, meeting with insurance companies, and recovering from your injuries. However, you don’t have to tackle all of this by yourself. You have the option of hiring a compassionate and skilled slip and fall lawyer to help you with your case.

With the right lawyer by your side, many of the anxieties and worries from the aftermath of your accident will disappear. You’ll know that you have an excellent legal representative to handle the paperwork, investigation, and negotiations to attain the full amount of compensation payable to you.

For the best legal representation, call the team of OnderLaw to schedule a free consultation. You will not owe us a single cent until we get compensation for you.

Why Do I Need A Lawyer?

It is important for you to contact an attorney immediately following an accident. While it’s possible for you to file a personal injury claim on your own, the process can be confusing and tiresome. When you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, it’s important for you to focus on getting your health back. If you’re busy trying to file a personal injury claim on your own, you may not be able to get the rest and calm you need to recover fully from your injuries.

An experienced lawyer can take the lead on the entire process. An attorney can help you collect your medical records, gather evidence, and negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf. Additionally, there are filing deadlines, both for insurance claims and for court cases, that present a strict time frame for filing a personal injury case. An attorney will be aware of these deadlines and keep you up-to-date as your case progresses.

Why Choose OnderLaw ?

Since our founding in 2002 by James G. Onder, the team at OnderLaw have achieved impressive results on behalf of our clients. For example, our partners have secured well over $400 million in compensation for victims of personal injury cases of all types. We are tenacious, fighting to secure the full amount of money available to our clients. We are results-oriented and will stop at nothing to get justice served to those suffering from slip and fall accident injuries.

Several members of our team are recognized by reputable legal organizations. We are proud to say that Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Rue Ratings Best Attorneys of America, and National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers recognize our firm and partners to be among the top legal representation in the nation. Should you choose OnderLaw to represent you, you can be assured that your case is in the right hands.

Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents

There are several reasons why a slip and fall accident may occur. Some of the most common causes of slip and fall accidents include:

  • Wet or uneven flooring. This category includes, among other things, the following: uneven flooring, pavement, or other surfaces, loose flooring, rugs or mats, recently waxed or polished flooring, wet areas or flooring that aren’t closed off, floor treatments on sloped floors, lack of non-skid floor treatments when needed, bulging, worn or broken carpeting, unsalted icy surfaces, spills, potholes, grease or oil.
  • Environmental conditions. The environment includes debris or trash on the floor, loose cords, poor or bright lighting, open cabinets and drawers, flooring transitions.
  • Weather conditions. Heavy rain and flooding, ice, sleet and snow, heavy fog can all be contributing factors to a slip and fall accident.
  • Unsafe ladders or stairs. Lack of handrails, worn or warped steps, skipping steps, debris or trash on stairs, waxed or polished steps, using ladders that are not secure, using furniture instead of a ladder: all these are potentially dangerous.
  • Improper safety precautions. When custodial staff neglects cleaning up spills and leaks, property maintenance is poorly tended, or environmental or weather hazards on a property are overlooked, slip and fall accidents can result.

Common Injuries Suffered in Slip and Fall Accidents

There are many injuries that can result from a slip and fall accident. They include:

  • Fractured or broken bones
  • Soft tissue injuries
  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
  • Hip fractures
  • Sprained ankles or wrists
  • Scrapes, cuts, and abrasions
  • Back and spinal cord injuries
  • Paralysis
  • Shoulder or neck injuries
  • Knee damage

Compensation For a Slip and Fall Accident Claim

The full amount of compensation payable to you depends on several factors, including the severity of the injuries you sustained due to a slip and fall accident. Some of the most common types of damages awarded to compensate victims for their losses include:

  • Medical expenses. You can receive compensation for the medical expenses you incur as a result of your injuries. This includes hospital and doctor’s visits, ambulance fees, x-rays, physical rehabilitation, prescription medications, and more.
  • Pain and suffering. You may be eligible for compensation for the pain and suffering the accident and resulting injuries have caused you. This includes past, present, and future pain and suffering.
  • Lost wages. Lost wages include compensation for the income you lost while you were away from work while recovering from your injuries. This includes past, present, and future lost wages.
  • Loss of earning capacity. You may be disabled following a slip and fall accident. You could be eligible to receive compensation for the loss of earning capacity due to your accident-related injury or disability.
  • Incidental expenses. You can be compensated for the incidental expenses you incur as a result of an accident, such as mileage to and from doctor’s appointments each month.
  • Loss of enjoyment of life. Following an accident, you may find yourself unable to enjoy activities that you previously engaged in on a regular basis pre-injury. You could recover compensation for this loss of enjoyment of life.
  • Loss of consortium. If you lose a loved one due because of their slip and fall injuries, you may be able to receive compensation for the loss of their love and companionship, also known as loss of consortium.

Proving Negligence in California

Negligence is the action (or inaction) of another person that leads to the injury, disability, or death of an individual. In California, in order to be compensated for negligence in the court system, you must be able to prove that someone else did something or failed to do something that caused your accident. Then you have to prove that you were injured, and that your injuries were caused by their actions. Finally, you have to show that you suffered losses as a result of the accident. These losses could be that you were injured and required medical treatment, they damaged your property, or you had intangible losses, like pain and suffering, anxiety, or PTSD as a result of the accident.

Once you’ve proven that someone else was responsible for your accident and that you suffered losses as a result of their actions, then the court can determine the amount of compensation you should receive. Because California is a pure comparative negligence state, even if the court determines that you were partially responsible for the accident, you can still recover a percentage of the compensation they determine you’re entitled to.

Statute of Limitations on Personal Injury Lawsuits

In California, the statute of limitations on personal injury lawsuits is two years from the date of injury. However, if you’re filing a claim against a city, county, or California state government agency, this deadline drops down to six months from the date of injury.

It’s important that you have legal representation so that you know the timeline you’re working with in your particular case. If you fail to file a personal injury claim within the statute of limitations period, you risk losing out on any potential compensation payable to you as a result of your injuries.

Slip and Fall Accident Statistics

People are injured in slip and fall accidents across the United States each day. Here’s what the numbers look like:

According to the National Safety Council, 8,049,881 people were injured in falls at home and at work. 39,443 of those injuries resulted in death.

The National Floor Safety Institute reported that about half of all deaths in the home occur as a result of a fall. Most of those falls happen at ground level and not from a height.

Data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal that falls were the number one leading cause of all non-fatal emergency room visits, with 8,049,882 U.S. citizens requiring emergency medical care in 2019.

Contact a Fresno Slip and Fall Accident Attorney

If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident in Fresno, contact the skilled and experienced lawyers at OnderLaw . Give us a call to schedule a free consultation today.