Have you suffered from a slip or fall in New York City? Are you looking for a personal accident lawyer? Then read our guide for tips on finding the best personal injury attorney for you…
Slips and falls may seem amusing when observed in a cartoon or a comedy. To the real-life victims of slips and falls there is little to laugh about. Injuries sustained in a slip or a fall can lead to permanent disability or death. A professional slip and fall attorney is a professional who understands what the victims of slips and falls and their families are going through and who will fight hard to ensure that they receive appropriate compensation for their injuries from the parties whose negligence has lead to their suffering.
The Nature of the Problem
Such a litigator is also aware of the many conditions and circumstance that lead to slip and fall accidents. A partial list includes:
• defective or inadequate lighting
• unsecured or worn out electrical cords and plugs
• spilled liquids
• wet floors or sidewalks
• protruding store fixtures
• improperly cordoned off construction areas
• uneven or broken pavement
• worn out/raised or poorly installed carpeting
• floorboards and tiles that are poorly maintained or installed
Areas where such accidents occur include:
• the workplace
• shopping malls
• restaurants and bars
• places of worship
• grocery or department stores
• entertainment facilities
• construction sites
Injuries that stem from a slip or a fall are not always readily apparent until days or even weeks after an accident occurs. Injuries to the back, neck, head, and knee can completely stop people from working or greatly interfere with their ability to earn a living. The resulting financial hardship, huge medical bills and long rehabilitation periods can wreak havoc with a victim’s life.
What You Need to Know
Slip and fall injury cases in New York are quite common. They are also some of the most difficult to win on behalf the injured party.
A few basic facts include the following as likely burdens of proof for negligence:
• A party suspected of negligence had constructive notice. Constructive notice means that a hazardous condition was present for a long enough time for the negligent party to have known about the condition and to have had time to fix it.
• A party suspected of negligence created or caused the hazardous condition.
• A party suspected of negligence had actually been notified of the hazardous condition such as poor lighting or a wet floor.
As one may suspect these factors almost always require diligent investigation and legal expertise if one hopes to achieve a successful verdict or a favorable settlement. Only a qualified, compassionate and experienced slip and fall attorney is likely to possess these traits.
Act Quickly and Act Wisely
You should not be discouraged by your case’s potential complexity. Instead you should act quickly. In New York, the victim of a slip and fall accident has a maximum of 3 years from the date of an accident to file a claim. Should you wait until the last minute to file your claim you are doing yourself a great disservice. Preparing to seek a claim is often a time-consuming process. If you wait too long preparation will be rushed and your claim may not be as convincing as it could be. If a sense of urgency is not part of your claim you may not be able to convince a slip and fall attorney to take on your case and a judge or jury may be less likely to believe that your life was actually affected by a slip and fall accident.
You could file a claim yourself. If you are seeking damages, however, you will likely be better served to have a slip and fall attorney file the claim on your behalf.
