Maison Law represents slip-and-fall victims injured in Fresno accidents.
We help victims hold businesses and property owners fully accountable when their slippery floors and unsafe sidewalks cause customers to fall and get hurt.
To find out how to hold a business fully responsible for your medical bills, contact a skilled, local Slip-and-Fall Lawyer and schedule a free, no-obligation case consultation.
Fresno Slip-And-Fall Claims Process
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Slip-And-Fall Accident at a Fresno Store?
If you slip and fall while at a public place and your suffer very minor injuries, like scrapes and bruising, you may not need a lawyer to help you with your injury claim. But if your injuries are more serious and a business owner’s or operator’s actions led to your fall, your fair treatment may depend on having a skilled Fresno slip-and-fall lawyer on your side.
Unfortunately, when hospital bills rise, insurance adjusters and corporate lawyers are instructed to find ways to reject your claim. They may say your clumsiness caused your fall. They may try to convince you to sign off on a “lowball” settlement offer that doesn’t cover all of your recovery costs. Your Maison Law attorney is a safeguard against this treatment.
Your lawyer fully investigates what happened and uses the evidence collected to force a business to provide the maximum in compensation available.
Slip-And-Fall Dangers Around Fresno
A slip or trip can happen almost anywhere. If it happens at home, it’s often no one’s fault but your own. But if you fall and get injured while out at a supermarket, like Vons, a home improvement store, gas station, or some other public location, there’s usually someone who may be held liable.
Store proprietors and the corporations who many own the franchise are required to provide any visitor they invite in a safe journey from their vehicles all the way to the back aisle. Property owners owe this care to anyone who visits places like an apartment complex, a pool, or any other attraction.
A pothole in a parking lot that sends you tripping forward can result in a serious knee injury. A slip on a puddle in the produce section may send you sideways to fracture a hip. These are all cases that trigger “premises liability” and leave a property or store owner obligated to support victims as they recover.
Common Slip-And-Fall Injuries
An embarrassing stumble in the middle of Wal-Mart can seem like a minor thing, but falls can result in serious injuries with long-lasting consequences.
People sent to the ground in a slip-and-fall accident often fall sideways or backward.
These are some of the more serious outcomes for victims:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) involve a dangerous blow to the head. This strike can come from the corner of a shelf, a cement pylon around a gas pump, or just a hard smack to the back of the head on the floor. The symptoms can involve a minor concussion but lead to something as serious as memory loss and a loss of control in parts of the body.
- The back and spinal cord can be damaged. A nagging back injury can be with you for decades and at times keep you from attending work. Spine injuries can lead to paralysis and a permanent disability.
- Dislocations and fractures. A hard fall can dislocate a shoulder or fracture the skull. A broken hip can be a dangerous injury at any age. Hips can take a while to heal and all the while put you at risk of other health issues.
Trip-and-fall accidents usually send victims falling forward. These can be triggered by potholes in parking lots, rolled-up carpets, and boxes left in aisles. Broken flooring and stair surfaces are also common culprits.
The head is also vulnerable in a trip-and-fall. People break fingers, hands, and wrists when they try to catch themselves in a forward fall. People may also fall flat on their faces to damage noses, jawbones, and teeth.
What You Should Do After a Slip-And-Fall Injury In Fresno
Business owners and operators are liable for any injuries caused by a hazard their employees created. They are also liable for any hazard created by another visitor or customer. They must clean these obstacles up in a reasonable amount of time.
You may be well within your rights to expect help with your recovery, but owners, and particularly their insurance companies will do their best to shed liability for your injury.
That’s why it’s so important to build a case supported by strong evidence. The strongest evidence will be found on the scene of your fall in the moments after an accident. If you are strong enough, try to gather these details:
- See to your wounds – Call 911 if you need medical care. If you can’t stand or you’re sent to the emergency room, ask someone with you or a helpful bystander to take photos of the scene.
- Use your cellphone to get images – Take photos of the obstacle that caused your fall. This hazard will be gone shortly after you leave. Show the warning signs up around the hazard or show where the signs should have been. Take a picture of any visible injuries and damage to clothing.
- Tell a store manager about what happened – A manager will need to prepare a store incident report for his owner or corporate office. Your personal injury lawyer can use this report as evidence later. Don’t talk about how badly you are hurt or accept any blame for what happened. You likely won’t know the answer to these questions until you’ve had some time to get over the shock of the fall.
- Chat with witnesses – Get their contact information. Employees who saw the accident may also be willing to help.
- Keep evidence – Retain any personal items damaged in your fall. Don’t throw out the shoes you were wearing when you fell. Insurance agents sometimes like to lay blame on old shoes with worn soles. You can show them visual proof that they are wrong.
- Visit your physician – Make an appointment with your doctor. Get all pain and injuries detailed on a medical report. Add any injuries that suddenly appear in the days after a fall.
What Our Clients Say
What Kind of Compensation Can I Receive After a Slip-And-Fall Accident?
Once you turn your accident case over to Maison Law, your attorney goes to work investigating your case to recover more strong evidence to add to your own.
Once your claim is ready to file against a business owner’s commercial liability insurance provider, you’ll also be submitting a list of every injury hardship you’ve faced. This list includes economic and non-economic damages you and your family have suffered.
These are just a few of the things that will factor into the amount you’ll see in a slip-and-fall settlement check:
- Totals on current medical bills and those expected in the future.
- Any expenses associated with a permanent disability. The cost of support over a lifetime.
- Wrongful death benefits. For the families left behind who have lost a loved one due to a property owner’s negligence. This includes assistance with funeral and medical costs. A wrongful death claim also seeks money to replace the weekly income the deceased can no longer provide to close relatives.
- The toll of physical pain and emotional trauma.
- Loss of enjoyment of life due to an injury
- Travel costs of making doctor’s appointments while unable to drive.
- All income and benefits lost while in recovery as victims are unable to perform job duties.
Contact a Fresno Slip-And-Fall Lawyer
After a slip-and-fall accident, be sure to discuss your case with an experienced slip-and-fall attorney serving Fresno. You should be able to focus on your recovery without worrying over the hospital bills piling up and the rent and a car payment coming due while you’re out of work.
Allow Maison Law to go to work on your case to secure the most compensation possible for your recovery. Contact us today for a free case evaluation to find out how we can help you.
