Downey Slip and Fall Lawyer

Every year, eight million people receive treatment in an emergency room because of a fall injury. Some of these falls are the result of someone else’s carelessness. When you can show that their negligence caused your accidental fall and was responsible for your injury, you may be entitled to financial compensation. However, you have a tough legal road ahead of you. A Downey slip and fall lawyer at The JLF Firm will travel every single step of that path with you, fighting for your legal right to compensation. Call us today to discuss your case to begin the legal process.

Common Slip and Fall Accident Injuries

A fall is never “just a fall.” There is always the potential that you can and did suffer serious injuries, no matter what the insurance company says. You could fall at an awkward angle and suffer a severe soft tissue injury that affects your mobility. In a worst-case scenario, you may even hit your head in the fall.

Potential slip and fall accident injuries include:

• Fractures and broken bones
• Contusions and lacerations
• Soft tissue injuries
• Skull and neck vertebrae injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries

Any of these injuries can lead to significant disruptions in your life and prohibitive medical costs.

Causes of Slip and Fall Injuries

You can fall anytime that there are dangerous conditions in your path. The following may cause a slip and fall accident:

• Debris left in your path on the floor
• Slippery substances on the floor, such as a spill or wetness that has not been cleaned
• Uneven floorboards
• Loose strings in the carpet
• Broken concrete or flooring
• Poor lighting on your path

Some dangers may have been created by a customer or someone other than the owner. There is a different legal standard for your case, depending on who was responsible for the condition. The owner cannot create any dangerous conditions on their own property. If someone else created the hazard, the owner must fix it within a reasonable amount of time after they knew or should have known about it.

What Properties Do Slip and Fall Accidents Happen?

Here are some other commercial establishments and areas where you can suffer a slip and fall injury:

• Shopping malls
• Retail establishments (including grocery stores)
• Parking lots
• Restaurants and bars
• Amusement parks
• Gyms
• Apartment buildings

You can be injured in a slip and fall accident any time you leave your home. You do not have any control over the conditions and terrain where you travel on a daily basis. You could be hurt on the sidewalk (and can sue the government or property owner who was responsible for maintaining the sidewalk.

You would need to determine who had control of the property (whether it was an owner or lessee) in order to file a claim against their insurance or a lawsuit against them.

Defenses the Insurance Company May Use

The insurance companies try to use the fact that falls happen often to their advantage. They make it difficult for you to obtain the compensation that you deserve.

The first argument that they will make is to be very aggressive about denying your claim if you do not have the proof that shows that their insured was to blame for your injuries. They take a very skeptical approach to these cases because it suits their financial interests to do so.

Other defenses that the insurance company relies on include:

• You were responsible for your own injuries because you were the one who was careless
• It was not the owner (or their policyholder) who was the careless one responsible for your injuries
• Your injuries came from another condition and not from the fall
• The owner did not know of the defect, or they could not have known of it
• The danger was open and obvious, and you should have seen it

Then, the insurance company will try to minimize the severity of your injuries. They will say that falls are common, and you could not be as hurt as you claim. These are all claims that are intended to minimize their own liability and do not reflect your actual injuries. As you can see, you need to be prepared for a fight in any slip and fall case.

How The JLF Firm Can Help You

In any slip and fall case, you need someone who can beat the insurance company at their own game and remove the red tape that they try to put in the way of you getting the compensation that you deserve. Our Downey slip and fall lawyer could do the following in your slip and fall case:

• Determine who was responsible for the accident and learn their corporate structure, so you can file a lawsuit against the proper entity
• Investigate your accident and gather proof that can show that someone else was to blame
• Prepare your claim to file with the insurance company or a lawsuit in court
• Aggressively pursue evidence that is in the defendant’s possession that you may need to prove your case (such as maintenance logs and security camera video) through the lawsuit discovery process)
• Negotiate compensation with the insurance company in a settlement agreement
• Present your lawsuit to a jury if you cannot settle your case

It is very difficult to get compensation in a slip and fall case without a lawyer. Even if the insurance company makes you a settlement offer, it would only be for a fraction of what you deserve. They will respect you much more when you come to the table with a tough lawyer who has a track record of getting results.

Contact a Downey Slip and Fall Lawyer Today

The JLF Firm brings legal knowledge and a reputation for tenacity to every personal injury case involving a bad fall. Insurance companies fear us because they know us. The first step to getting our Downey slip and fall lawyer on your side is reaching out to us to schedule a free initial consultation. You can send us a message online or call us at 888-341-3071 to speak with one of our lawyers.