Victims of slip and fall accidents in Redding can suffer very serious injuries. This is especially true if they fall on their heads, elbows, knees, ankles, or lower backs. The injuries that a slip and fall accident victim may suffer will depend upon how they fall to the ground and the force with which they fall. The surface where the accident victim falls is also a consideration. Some of the most common injuries that victims of slip and fall accidents may sustain include broken bones and fractures, traumatic brain injuries, soft tissue injuries, cuts and abrasions, spinal cord injuries, and full or partial paralysis injuries.
If you believe that you might have suffered an injury in a Redding slip and fall accident, you should always seek proper medical treatment right away. Specifically, you should go to a hospital emergency room or urgent care center and get checked out. The healthcare provider there can examine you and render emergency medical treatment if you need it.
In addition, the healthcare provider can take the necessary imaging studies. For example, they might take an X-ray, MRI, or brain scan to determine what, if any, injuries you suffered in your accident. Finally, they can make follow-up medical treatment recommendations. For example, they can refer you to an orthopedic surgeon or a physical therapist for treatment. It is also a good idea to consult with your primary care doctor, if you have one, following your slip and fall accident.
The knowledgeable team of Redding slip and fall lawyers at Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel can begin handling all of the legal aspects of your slip and fall claim or lawsuit while you complete your medical treatment. Specifically, we can request copies of investigative reports, eyewitness statements, and medical treatment records and bills to date. We can then begin assembling a settlement demand package to forward to the premises owner’s insurance company.
How Do I File a Claim after a Slip and Fall?
Right after a slip and fall accident, you should immediately report the incident to a supervisor or manager in the event your fall happened on business premises. That person might ask you to fill out an incident report where you describe what happened and the injuries you sustained. You should be complete when filling out that report and specifically point out the location of your injuries as well as your symptoms.
As soon as possible after your accident, you should also speak with a knowledgeable Redding slip and fall personal injury attorney. Your lawyer can tell the insurance company how the incident occurred, the injuries you sustained, and make a monetary demand for settlement. Along with a demand letter, your lawyer will send copies of your medical records, medical bills, incident reports, lost wage documents, and other pertinent information.
The insurance company will then typically get back with the attorney and state whether or not they are accepting fault for the accident. If they are accepting fault, your lawyer can negotiate with the insurance company and pursue a favorable settlement offer on your behalf.
If not, your lawyer can file a lawsuit in the court system in the event the insurance company contests fault for the accident. Even if the insurance company accepts liability, your lawyer might still need to file a lawsuit if the insurance company refuses to offer you full and fair compensation for your injuries.
Filing a lawsuit in the court system begins the litigation stage of a slip-and-fall personal injury case. At that juncture, the parties can still resolve the case through settlement. However, the courts will establish certain deadlines by which the parties must meet various milestones.
For example, the court will likely set at least one settlement conference date, where the parties will come together and try to resolve their claim. If the parties do not settle their case during litigation, they can take the case to a jury trial, at which time a jury will decide any issues still in dispute.
The most likely disputed issue in a slip and fall accident case is the damages you deserve. The parties might also want to consider some alternative dispute resolution options, such as mediation or arbitration, to bring about a full and final resolution of the case.
The knowledgeable legal team at Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel can help you decide whether you should accept a pending settlement offer from the insurance company in your slip and fall claim. We can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf and work to get you the best possible compensation available. If the insurance company does not offer that, we welcome the opportunity to litigate your slip-and-fall accident case in court and work to pursue a favorable resolution there.
Potential Damages in a Slip and Fall Injury Claim
Victims of Redding slip and falls often must undergo extensive, expensive medical treatment. Medical procedures, doctor bills, and physical therapy expenses can pile up very quickly. Fortunately, as part of a personal injury claim that stems from a slip and fall accident, you might be eligible to recover various damages and other monetary compensation. First and foremost, you can pursue compensation for all of your related medical expenses, lost earnings, and other out-of-pocket losses.
In addition, you might be eligible to recover non-economic damages for your inconvenience, mental anguish, pain and suffering, and other intangible damages. If you suffered a permanent injury in your slip and fall accident, you can pursue compensation for loss of the ability to use a body part (such as with paralysis) and compensation for loss of enjoyment of life.
If you have suffered injuries in a slip and fall accident that resulted from a property owner’s negligence, you have legal options available to you. The knowledgeable legal team at Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel can explain to you what those options are and will do everything possible to maximize the compensation you can recover for your accident-related injuries.
Contact a Knowledgeable Redding Slip and Fall Lawyer about Your Legal Matter Today
If you suffered injuries in a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property, the experienced legal team at Reiner, Slaughter & Frankel is ready and willing to help. Our team can promptly review the facts and circumstances of your claim with you, explain all of your legal options, and pursue the compensation you deserve through a settlement or litigation.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a knowledgeable Redding slip and fall attorney, please call us today at (530) 241-0290 or contact us online for more information.
Redding
2851 Park Marina Dr #200
Redding, CA 96001
Phone: (530) 241-0290