Rhode Island Slip and Fall Lawyers
Sometimes fate deals us a bad hand, and we accidentally get hurt. But if you slip and fall on someone else’s property because of a dangerous condition like a slick surface, the property owner could be held liable for your injuries.
If you or a loved one has suffered a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property, you may be eligible for compensation. Slip and fall accidents can result in severe and debilitating injuries, such as sprains, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and head trauma. Many slip and fall victims accumulate mounting medical bills and may need to pursue legal action to access compensation for medical bills, as well as pain and suffering.
To maximize your compensation and ensure your case is handled as smoothly as possible, hire a skilled Rhode Island personal injury attorney from Crowe & Harris, LLP today.
Contact us at (617) 404-3417 to schedule your free, confidential case consultation.
Why Do I Need an Attorney?
Although relatively common, successful slip and fall cases require the assistance of a highly skilled attorney. The at-fault party in a slip and fall case will likely argue that you were partially or fully at fault for your accident, and thus they should not be required to pay for your damages. If the at-fault property owner is successful in their defense, you could receive significantly less compensation than you need to pay your medical bills, or you may receive no compensation at all. An experienced slip and fall personal injury attorney will have a nuanced understanding of the laws surrounding slip and fall cases and the necessary legal strategy to prove your side of the story.
You should not communicate with the other party without an attorney present. The other party, especially their attorney, may attempt to contact you and ask you confusing or misleading questions. You may accidentally answer a question in a way that damages your case. Although you will most likely have to answer questions from the other party at some point doing your case, your lawyer should be present to ensure all questions are proper and not misleading.
Similarly, you should never agree to a settlement or sign any legal documents without first consulting an attorney. Although many slip and fall cases end in settlements favorable to victims, an at-fault party may attempt to take advantage of a victim who lacks legal representation and offer a settlement far lower than what the victim is entitled to.
An attorney can tell you if a settlement offer is fair, negotiate for a higher amount of money, and advise you when to take your case to trial. Once you sign a legal document like a settlement, it is extremely difficult to undo.
Rhode Island Slip & Fall Statute of Limitations
Slip and fall cases in Rhode Island are subject to a statute of limitations, which is a time limit in which you must file your case. You have three years within the date of the accident to file your lawsuit. Lawsuits filed after the statute of limitations are almost always dismissed. You should hire a lawyer as soon as possible to ensure that you are ready to proceed with your case before the statute of limitations passes.
Why Should I Choose Crowe & Harris, LLP ?
Crowe & Harris, LLP is a team of highly experienced, dedicated slip and fall personal injury attorneys. We have seen the devastating impact a slip and fall accident can have on an individual’s life, and we are passionate about helping our clients access the compensation they need to get back on their feet.
At Crowe & Harris, LLP , we use a teamwork-oriented approach with all of our cases. That means that instead of having an individual attorney assigned to your case, like many other law firms, we assign our cases to a team of professionals. These teams include skilled attorneys, nurses, law clerks, paralegals, and legal secretaries. This collaborative approach means that your case gets the most comprehensive analysis possible.
Our hard work and dedication pay off. We have obtained more than half a billion dollars on behalf of our clients. And while every case is unique, our strong track record is a reliable indicator of our ability to successfully advocate for our clients.
We understand that many worry that paying for legal representation will be too expensive, especially for those already struggling to pay expensive medical bills. At Crowe & Harris, LLP , we work on a contingency-fee basis, which means that you only pay us if we win your case. At that point, we take a small percentage of your overall settlement or verdict. If we do not obtain a favorable verdict on your behalf, you don’t owe us any money.
We also offer a 100-percent free, confidential consultation. Call us today at (617) 404-3417 to schedule your consultation.
Slip and Fall Accidents
When you enter a restaurant, shop, hotel, or another person’s home, you have a reasonable expectation of safety. You shouldn’t have to worry about dangerous conditions such as slick floors, uneven surfaces, unstable stairs, or flooring. Property owners have a legal responsibility to provide safe conditions for all visitors. When they fail to properly maintain or warn you about dangerous areas, you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against them.
Many people hear the term “slip and fall” and don’t realize the serious nature of these accidents can cause. Statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that more than 2.5 million adults go to the emergency room every year with serious injuries caused by slip and falls, such as hip fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and broken bones. Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries, serious injuries that can require long-term disability.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents can occur anywhere, but certain locations present an increased risk of these types of accidents. Slip and falls are likely to occur at the following locations:
- Wet surfaces
- Uneven pavement
- Open manholes
- Unstable stairs
In most cases, property owners can prevent these accidents by properly maintaining their property or posting adequate warning signs of dangerous conditions that can’t be easily fixed.
Common Slip and Fall Accident Injuries
Slip and fall accidents can cause various injuries that range in severity from scrapes and bruises to broken bones to permanent disability. Some slip and fall accidents can even be fatal. Some of the most common injuries caused by slip and fall accidents include the following:
- Sprains
- Pulled muscles
- Fractures, especially hip fractures
- Lower back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head injuries, like concussions
These are serious injuries that often involve costly and extensive medical treatment. If you have suffered a slip and fall accident and are suffering from any injury, you may be eligible for compensation.
Contact Crowe & Harris, LLP by calling (617) 404-3417 today to learn more about your legal options.
Pure Comparative Fault in Rhode Island Slip & Fall Cases
You may have heard of a concept often relevant in slip and fall cases — comparative negligence. Comparative negligence is essentially when both parties are deemed to be somewhat at fault for causing an accident. Property owners often employ this as a defense strategy in slip and fall cases. The property owner may try to argue one of the following:
- Signs, ropes, or cones cordoned off the dangerous location
- You weren’t paying close enough attention to where you were walking
- The dangerous condition should have been obvious
- You were wearing inappropriate footwear
- You weren’t authorized to be in the dangerous location
Rhode Island follows a variation of comparative negligence known as “pure comparative fault.” Under pure comparative fault rules, you can still recover compensation for your injuries even if you were negligent in your own actions, regardless of your degree of negligence, though the amount of damages that an injured party is awarded will be reduced according to their percentage of fault.
For example, if a jury determines that you were 25 percent responsible for your slip and fall accident because you were texting while walking, your compensation would be reduced by 25 percent. This means that if your total compensation was determined to be $20,000, it would then be reduced to $15,000.
How Much Money Is My Case Worth?
In general, plaintiffs (a plaintiff is an injured party) who file personal injury lawsuits are eligible to ask for compensation for two types of damages: economic and non-economic.
- Economic damages are those for which money is a direct substitute. These are usually your medical bills and lost wages if your injuries have made you unable to work.
- Non-economic damages are otherwise known as pain and suffering. Since pain and suffering are subjective, assigning an exact dollar figure to these damages can be more difficult. We recommend that our clients start a journal where they document how their injuries prevent them from living life fully. Document when you experience pain or cannot perform daily tasks. This kind of record is helpful for the court to understand how your injuries impact you.
Contact a Rhode Island Slip and Fall Attorney
At Crowe & Harris, LLP , we are passionate about advocating for our injured clients to access the compensation they need to help them get their lives back on track. We fight hard for our clients and employ every legal tool available.
Contact us today at (617) 404-3417 to schedule your free, confidential consultation. We look forward to hearing from you.
