Slip and Falls: A Major Cause of Personal Injuries
Every year in High Point, NC, and throughout the United States, slip and falls are a major cause of personal injury and related personal injury claims.
In fact, according to the non-profit National Floor Safety Institute, falls account for over 8 million hospital emergency room visits annually. This makes falls the leading cause of visits, representing 21.3% of all visitations to the ER. The older we get, the more prone we are to injuries from slip and falls and the more severe those injuries can be. For those 65-84 years old, slip and falls are the second-highest leading cause of death. But slip and falls can occur to anyone at any age at any time. When they do occur, they can often be traced back to a responsible party.
“Responsible Parties”
Responsible parties can be far-reaching when it comes to slip and fall incidents and injuries. An injury that occurs due to a slip and fall on a wet spot on a grocery store floor, for example, maybe due to a leaking refrigeration unit, a poorly repaired roof, inadequate signage warning of the wet spot or a store that was too slow in attending to drying the wet area. A trip on an uneven sidewalk may be due to poorly performed maintenance, poor installation work, or unmarked level changes. At the McAllister, Aldridge & Kreinbrink, PLLC in High Point, NC, a significant part of our research is in determining how a slip and fall occurred, and who the potentially responsible parties may be. In the case of a slip and fall on a property, it could be the property owner, manager, maintenance team, contractor, or vendor. Some of the strongest cases are those where it can be shown that a hazardous condition has existed, but it went unrepaired or ignored.
What You Should Do In a Slip and Fall
If you experience a slip and fall, you will quickly want to seek medical attention. While the immediate symptoms of a slip and fall may be just stiffness or soreness, more serious injuries may have occurred that may not fully manifest itself for days, weeks, or months later. You will also want to get photos of the scene and take note of the clothing and shoes you were wearing. Note any conditions in the area like lighting, flooring in disrepair, and other anomalies. If there were any witnesses, get their contact information. It is also important you not talk to an insurance company or legal representative of the store without getting your own lawyer. At McAllister, Aldridge & Kreinbrink, PLLC , we can help.
Contact us for a no-obligation, no-cost initial consultation. We will give you an upfront, honest appraisal of your case and your options for moving forward. It is critical you get professional legal assistance promptly if you have been injured in a slip and fall. Contact the McAllister Firm today.