A slip and fall might not sound like a serious accident, but many victims are left with head injuries, back injuries, and broken bones that can affect them for at least the next four to six weeks, if not for the rest of their lives. Especially if you are an older adult or already had a disability or injury to start with, injuries from a slip and fall can be more serious.
To get full compensation for your injuries, you should consider fighting your case with the help of an experienced attorney. Many property owners and their insurance companies will seek to shut down claims and belittle the victims who file them. But when your financial future is on the line, you should get the help you need to get medical bills and lost wages reimbursed, along with damages for pain and suffering.
Call our slip and fall lawyers at Legal Care New Jersey today at (732) 838-9769 for a free case evaluation.
Injuries from Fall Down Accidents in Clifton, NJ
As mentioned, injuries from slip and fall accidents can be very serious. Most people who suffer a fall down injury, slip and fall accident, or trip and fall accident will face only minor injuries, if any. Often, young, athletic, or physically fit people are simply better at falling down without being injured, whether because of practice doing so in sports or because their bodies are simply better equipped to take injuries in stride. But if you are an older adult or have a preexisting injury or disability, you could be left with serious and potentially life-threatening injuries, even from what seems like a simple accident.
Eggshell Plaintiff Rule
There is a principle in law called the “eggshell plaintiff” or the “eggshell skull” rule that dictates that you take the plaintiff – the victim – as they are in a legal case. This means that courts and insurance companies are not supposed to look at what injuries might result to the average person, but instead have to look at the injuries that actually resulted to this victim in this case. Even if a theoretical victim had an “eggshell skull” and suffered serious injuries where anyone else would have been okay, the law requires the injuries that actually occurred to be compensated.
In practice, this principle means that if you fell and suffered only some scrapes because you were able to tuck and roll, then you can certainly sue for whatever treatment you needed for those injuries. But if you fell down and suffered a broken wrist, head trauma, and a slipped disc in your spine, then you are also entitled to get compensation for those far more severe injuries.
Mild vs. Severe Injuries from Slip and Falls
No matter how mild or severe your slip and fall injuries were, our slip and fall lawyers can help you get compensation for them. Property owners are responsible for whatever injuries they caused as well as any medical care or lost wages that resulted.
Injuries for Older Adults, People with Preexisting Injuries, and Disabled People
Damages can be especially high for older adults, who are generally more vulnerable to physical injuries and heal slower. Often, seniors face injuries in slip and fall accidents that others might have walked away from.
If you have a preexisting injury, your body could already be going through a lot, and it might take you more time to heal and return to work now that you face new injuries. The same is true if you have a disability or chronic health issue.
With both preexisting injuries and disabilities, you can receive compensation for whatever independent injuries the slip and fall caused as well as the extent to which this accident made those preexisting conditions worse. For example, if you already had a broken leg and were walking in a boot, it might have been harder for you to get through a dangerous obstacle, and that could be why you fell in the first place. If your fall rebroke your leg and caused a broken wrist, you can get compensation for both injuries, but not for any of the pain and suffering, lost wages, or medical bills the broken leg already caused you before this slip and fall accident.
Causes of Slip and Fall or Trip and Fall Accidents in Clifton, NJ
People are often injured in slip and falls when property owners and operators leave dangerous conditions on their property without repairing, clearing, or cleaning up the condition. Alternatively, if the condition cannot readily be amended, a proper warning is required, such as a sign that warns of a wet floor while a janitor is mopping.
Slip and falls often happen because of wet floors. Whether that is from active cleaning, wet or snowy weather being tracked inside, spills, or leaks, the property owner is required to mop up the puddles or warn guests. Some flooring materials are especially dangerous and prone to being extra slippery when wet, and those materials might be too dangerous to reasonably use.
Slip and falls also happen from ice and snow. Property owners are required under local ordinances and general standards of reasonableness to clear ice and snow from their property or at least properly apply salt to prevent accumulation. Failing to do so, especially in a parking lot or on a walkway that customers use, can lead to a lawsuit.
Trip and falls can occur because of loose wires, uneven surfaces, tree roots coming through pavement, and other dangers.
Call Our Clifton, NJ Slip and Fall Attorneys Today for a Free Case Review
If you were hurt in a slip and fall accident, call Legal Care New Jersey at (732) 838-9769 for a free case evaluation with our slip and fall lawyers.
