Slip and fall accidents are quite common. However, the injuries sustained from them can sometimes be severe. For instance, some could cause a lasting impairment or make it difficult for a victim ever to work again. Other injuries may also cost a person substantial medical expenses bills or cause them to need to undergo prolonged and sustained care for an extended period.
If your slip and fall tragedy resulted from someone else’s negligence or malicious acts, you may be eligible for compensation. Case in point, if you sustained a bone fracture from the incident, a good attorney could help you recover any financial or non-financial damages you may have suffered.
A slip and fall lawyer will collect evidence about the accident, such as witness statements, photographs, and medical records. Your attorney will use this evidence to prove that the property owner was negligent, which caused your injuries. If the property owner’s insurance company refuses to settle, your lawyer can file a lawsuit on your behalf to obtain your rightful compensation.
Some of the damages you could claim from your slip and fall accident may include:
- Medical Expenses
After a slip and fall accident, medical expenses may cause you financial strain. The amount ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars, which can quickly empty your bank savings, especially if you have serious injuries, like a spinal cord injury. You may have to pay for:
- Ambulance costs;
- Doctor consultation fees;
- Medication;
- Tests;
- Hospital admission charges;
- Doctor appointments;
- Prosthetic devices;
- Surgeries;
- Rehabilitation or physical therapy; and
- In-home care fees.
All of these are damages you can claim if your slip and fall accident was caused by someone else’s negligence or ill intentions. An excellent personal injury attorney can help you calculate all the above expenses to determine how much compensation you could recover from your medical expenses.
If you need further treatment after filing your claim, your lawyer will consult two or more medical professionals to determine how much money you may need. Generally, a good attorney can help you recover past, present, and anticipated medical bills related to your slip and fall accident.
- Lost Income And Reduced Earning Capacity
Your slip and fall accident could make you miss work for long periods. This may be because of surgeries, doctor’s appointments, or physical therapy sessions you might have to attend.
Also, you could be unable to work temporarily or permanently. This can be pretty challenging since you won’t be able to provide for your needs and your family’s and you’ll still worry about the cost of treatment that may keep going up. With a good attorney, you could recover any wages, salaries, bonuses, or promotions you may have lost due to your accident.
If you were left disabled after an accident due to another party’s fault, you might not be able to return to where you worked before. This may force you to look for a lower-paying job to cater to your needs. If not that, your injuries could cause you to be unable to work anymore. In such cases, you may also recover damages. You might be paid for a change of employment or the loss of earning capacity.
These two amounts may be a bit challenging to determine. You might be required to provide past paystubs or proof of missed promotions or bonuses. Plus, you may need to consider your life expectancy and use various formulas. Without the proper knowledge or skills, it may be challenging to determine how much you should recover. Nonetheless, a well-experienced lawyer can consult a few experts to determine how much damages you should ask for.
- Pain And Suffering
You could also get compensated for the pain and suffering your slip and fall accident might have caused. These non-economic damages may include:
- Loss of enjoyment of life;
- Physical pain;
- Emotional strain;
- Mental anguish; and
- Loss of consortium.
A slip and fall incident can negatively affect your life in various ways, depending on the nature of your injuries. Therefore, the above list doesn’t contain all the non-economic damages you could recover from a slip and fall accident, just a few examples. A good lawyer could determine fair compensation for the pain and suffering caused by your accident.
There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for calculating pain and suffering. The compensation amount for pain and suffering varies based on the injury’s severity, the length of suffering, and other factors.
Sometimes, the court uses a multiplier to calculate pain and suffering damages. The multiplier is a number multiplied by the amount of the victim’s economic damages (such as medical expenses and lost wages) to arrive at the total amount. The multiplier is usually 1.5 to 5, but it can change depending on the injuries.
It’s important to note that pain and suffering aren’t awarded in all personal injury cases. The court will only award this compensation if the victim can prove these damages with medical and psychiatric records, among others.
It’s also good to note that all states and countries might not similarly reward pain and suffering damages. An excellent personal injury attorney from your region may be helpful here.
Conclusion
A slip and fall accident could cause you non-financial or financial strain. For instance, the incident may make you unable to do the job you once did due to injuries sustained. Also, you could lose wages, salaries, bonuses, and promotion opportunities because you’re out of your job for extended periods. If you’re left permanently disabled, you may no longer be able to put food on the table or provide for other personal or family needs.
If your accident was caused by someone else’s negligence or malicious acts, you might be entitled to compensation. The amount awarded will cover damages such as medical expenses, lost income, reduced earning capacity, and pain and suffering resulting from your accident. An excellent personal injury lawyer will fight for your rights and ensure you’re fairly compensated.
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