Posted On December 15, 2020 Slip and Fall Accident
While some welcome the winter weather, for most, it’s a major hassle. We all need to walk outside from time to time, and the presence of snow and ice can make something as ordinary as safely navigating parking lots and sidewalks a real challenge. In fact, falling is one of the leading causes of preventable injury in the United States, and a large number of falls occur during the winter months.
Slip and fall accidents can cause a range of injuries, depending on a variety of factors. For example, older victims and those who have pre-existing medical conditions, such as back and neck problems, are at a much higher risk of suffering severe, life-altering injuries. That said, even falls that initially seem minor may be anything but.
A few of the most common injuries we see in slip and fall accidents include:
All property owners have an obligation to keep areas accessible to guests reasonably safe. This extends beyond the building itself, and to common areas, parking lots and sometimes sidewalks. When a guest is injured, the property owner may be liable for the victim’s injuries through a premise’s liability lawsuit.
While every case is different, there are few important issues that frequently come up in winter slip and fall accidents.
In some cases, such as a slip and fall on a neighbor’s walkway, this is straightforward. However, if you fell while in a parking lot, sidewalk, or business’s common area, it may not be easy to find out who is at fault. Identifying all potentially liable parties helps determine the amount of insurance coverage available.
It is common to slip and fall on friends’, neighbors’ and family members’ walkways, but many victims may be hesitant to bring a claim against someone they know. However, if the homeowner has property insurance, the insurance company is the one who is ultimately on the hook for your injuries. In fact, this is the purpose of buying insurance.
One of the most common defenses property owners rely on is claiming that the accident victim was partially at fault for their own injuries. States vary in how they handle situations in which the plaintiff shares responsibility for their injuries. There are three types of laws that states use:
Pure comparative fault: Any victim who suffered injuries as the result of an accident can pursue a claim against any other at-fault party. The accident victim’s damages will be reduced by their percentage of fault, regardless of whether they are one percent or 90 percent responsible.
Modified comparative fault: Similar to pure comparative fault, under a modified comparative fault analysis, accident victims who share responsibility for an accident can recover reduce compensation, based on their own percentage of fault. However, victims who are more than 50 percent (or 51 percent, in some states) cannot recover for their injuries at all.
Contributory negligence: Contributory fault bars any plaintiff from recovering for their injuries if they were at fault for causing the fall. This applies even if the accident victim was only one percent to blame for the accident.
Although every case is different, there are generally two types of damages in slip and fall premises liability claims:
Compensatory damages refer to the out-of-pocket costs you incur as a result of the accident, as well as the costs related to your emotional and psychological damages. All of the following fall under the umbrella of compensatory damages:
Punitive damages are not directly related to your injuries, and instead punish a company for being reckless and irresponsible. The idea behind punitive damages is to prevent similar negligence in the future. These damages are not always available in every case, but when they are, they tend to be substantial.
Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer, Richard P. Console Jr.
When you’re ready, give the experienced winter weather slip and fall lawyers at Console & Associates a call. We will be ready to answer all your questions and help you bring a claim against those responsible for your injuries.