Slip And Fall Attorney Fairview Heights, IL
Request a free consultation with an experienced slip and fall attorney from Jerome, Salmi & Kopis, LLC. Headquartered in Fairview Heights, IL, we serve all of southern Illinois and eastern Missouri.
I Fell at the Store, What Should I Do Now?
Falling down is one of those incidents that can cause three layers of pain. First, it hurts your pride because people see you in a helpless position. Secondly, it physically hurts because it causes injuries to your bones, muscles, and joints. Third, a slip and fall can also hurt your wallet by leaving you unable to work. But you may not have to accept this as your reality. With help, you might be eligible for financial compensation and assistance finding great medical care, whether you have health coverage or not. An experienced JSK slip and fall attorney can help you recover faster in most cases.
Why People Slip in the Store
Slip and fall injuries occur inside of stores for a variety of reasons. One of the top reasons is a wet floor. People also slip and fall on obstructive items such as food items, toys, and the like. In rare cases, people fall because of untied shoelaces or something similar. Rarer still, some people fall because they’re walking while they are distracted by a conversation with another person or a cell phone call. All those situations can cause slip and fall accidents, and they may all be eligible for compensation; yes, even the ones that involve shoelaces could be eligible for compensation. But it really depends on the specific facts of your case. Just don’t assume you are out of luck without first talking to a slip and fall lawyer at JSK.
Who’s Fault Is a Slip and Fall?
It is important to establish fault in a slip and fall occurrence, because it’s one of the qualifying criteria in a personal injury case. In many cases, the establishment or an employee of the establishment is responsible for the occurrence because of a form of neglect. The most classic slip and fall accident type is the one where the patron falls on a wet store floor because no one advised the person that the floor had just been mopped. Businesses sometimes are at fault because they don’t clean up food spills right away, or they don’t have a regular cleaning crew that removes dangerous items from the floor’s surface. You can conduct a search for a “personal injury attorney near me” to find one who can assess your slip and fall situation. The attorney may find that more than one person is at fault, but that may not affect the outcome. You could still be eligible for compensation if your fault is less than the company or employee. Only the attorney can tell you for sure.
What’s a Personal Injury?
A personal injury is any injury that occurs because of another person’s negligence. Some of the most common types of personal injuries are car accident injuries, slip and fall occurrences, medical malpractice situations, product liability cases, dog bites, and so forth. The similar factor in all personal injury cases is that one of the parties acted in a way that caused harm to the other party. That could mean a doctor administered the wrong medication to someone, or it could mean that a store owner didn’t put a “wet floor” sign out to protect his customers.
Does My Slip and Fall Count as a Personal Injury?
Your slip and fall incident will count as a personal injury if you can prove that you have been injured. Next, you will have to prove that neglect was the main cause of your injury. Finally, you will have to prove the amount of expenses and damages that the accident caused you. That is why you need to face such a case with the help of the reliable and trustworthy attorney. Our Attorneys at JSK will analyze the case and figure out the best way to get you the compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering.
How Can an Attorney Help?
JSK can help in many ways. First, he can assess your case and let you know if you are eligible to receive monies for your incident. Secondly, the attorney can collect all your documentation and then try to contact the other party to settle the case out of court. An out-of-court settlement can save you a lot of time and money. You won’t have to worry about suffering while you wait for the case to go to court. However, your attorney will fight for your compensation even if you have to go to court with the other party.
How Much Money Can I Get?
The amount of money you get from a slip and fall incident will depend on many factors. We will combine all of your medical bills, medication costs, lost earnings, and more, in order to come up with a number to ask for in compensation. If the other party is found to have been extremely neglectful, then you may qualify for punitive damages as well as compensatory damages. Compensatory damages will cover your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. Punitive damages are designed to deter the other party from causing any future incidents. These are extremely rare and may be capped in some states. Punitive damages are not used to compensate for harm, rather, they are there to punish wrongdoers. To receive this type of damage, you must show willful and wanton or reckless behavior. We can help you determine if punitive damages are available in your case.
What Can I Do With the Money?
The settlement you receive from a personal injury case is yours and yours alone. You can use it to further your treatment and recovery from the incident. It is yours to use if you decide you want to buy a new car, buy a home, or go on vacation. There may be unpaid medical bills, liens, attorney fees, and litigation costs that must be reimbursed from a settlement or verdict. However, your attorney can help you to estimate these amounts and understand them while negotiating with the insurance carrier. This way you know how much to request in order to clear (or take home) after all these things are paid.
Get Legal Help Today
Now that you know the basics about slip and fall accidents and what they mean for you, request a free consultation with an experienced slip and fall attorney at JSK Law. You might be pleased to find that your incident is eligible for compensation. You may even have access to contingency representation, which means you will not have to pay for representation until you receive your settlement check. Start your journey now by contacting JSK Law.
FAQs — SLIP & FALL
Yes. When possible, tell the property owner that you fell and injured yourself. In retail establishments, there are often incident report forms that can be filled out to document the incident. Remember to ask for a copy of the incident report.
Yes. If possible, take photographs of the area in which you fell to preserve exactly how the area looked at the time of your fall.
No. There is no requirement for you to talk to the insurance company of the property owner.
No. There is no requirement for you to give a recorded statement to the insurance company for the property owner.
Yes. If possible, ask any witnesses for their names and telephone numbers so that they can be contacted later if necessary.
There are time limits for filing claims and these time limits can vary depending upon which State you were injured and the facts of your fall. Contact our firm as soon as you can after your fall and our lawyers can discuss with you what time limits may apply to your accident.
Yes. The sooner you contact our firm about your accident, the sooner we can take steps to protect your rights.
We do not recommend that you try to settle your claim by yourself. Insurance claim representatives are trained to try to settle claims for as little as possible.
Yes. As time passes it is easy to forget the details of the accident, your injuries and the events occurring after the accident. Writing down these details, whether it is on your computer or a simple pad of paper can help you recall all these details later.
Discuss Your Case
Get a free face-to-face consultation with a JSK lawyer now.