If you slipped and fell on a wet, uneven or dimly lit surface, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the person or facility responsible for maintaining the area. Not every slip and fall accident will be grounds for a lawsuit, however, and only an experienced attorney can determine whether you may have a case.
At Morgan & Morgan, our slip and fall attorneys have been handling personal injury lawsuits for more than two decades and can help you determine whether a negligent property owner is legally responsible for your injuries.
If you were injured after you slipped or tripped and fell, get in touch with our Philadelphia office for a free case evaluation to find out if you have a case. You may be entitled to compensation for lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering and other damages.
What Will My Lawyer Do?
Collect Evidence: First, our attorneys must determine whether you have a case. To have a valid case, you must have been injured by another’s negligence. Landlords, homeowners and business owners are considered negligent when they fail to act as any other reasonable property owner would have acted in the same situation. A property owner could be considered negligent if he or she knew about or created a hazardous condition, such as a broken stairwell, but did not address the problem.
An Example of Negligence
Assume a landlord is showing a new tenant an apartment in Philadelphia. Although the previous tenant told the landlord that one of the steps in the stairwell was starting to break and posed a safety hazard, the landlord did not fix the step or warn the new tenant about it. As a result, the new tenant tripped and fell on the broken step and sustained serious back injuries that had to be treated with a hospital visit, chiropractic care, and pain medication.
In this example, a lawyer at Morgan & Morgan could file a lawsuit against the landlord alleging that he was negligent because he was told about the unsafe stairway, but did not fix the problem, which directly caused the new tenant’s accident and injuries. Other examples of negligence may include failure to:
- Properly light walkways and parking lots
- Fix uneven surfaces
- Warn customers about unexpected steps
- Salt icy sidewalks
- Install required building safety features, such as railings
- Clean up or warn customers about wet floors
In handling your case, our attorneys may collect evidence including medical records, witness statements, and, if available, security footage and Philadelphia police reports to help support your claim that another person or entity was negligent in causing your accident.
File a Lawsuit: If we believe another person or entity was negligent in causing your slip and fall accident, our lawyers may draft a complaint, which is a legal document outlining the details of your case and the damages you are seeking. When your complaint is filed in court, your lawsuit has officially begun. In drafting your complaint, our attorneys may work with medical experts who can explain how the property owner’s negligence led to your injuries and the type of medical care you may need in the future.
Evaluate Settlement Offers/Go to Trial: At any point, the person or entity you are suing may attempt to settle your case rather than fight it in court. In these situations, our lawyers will review and negotiate any proposed settlement offers. While most slip and fall cases settle, Morgan & Morgan is a trial law firm and our attorneys will not hesitate to court to get their clients the compensation they deserve.
How Much Does a Lawyer Cost?
The lawyers at Morgan & Morgan will only charge you if they successfully resolve your case. If so, they will collect a percentage of the final settlement or jury verdict.
How Much Can I Collect in a Lawsuit?
The amount of compensation you can recover in a slip and fall lawsuit will vary depending on a number of details specific to your case, including the extent of your injuries and whether you have any dependents. Furthermore, your own carelessness will be taken into consideration when determining how much you can receive.
In Pennsylvania, slip and fall victims may be entitled to compensation as long as they weren’t more than 50 percent at fault for the accident. The attorneys at Morgan & Morgan have recovered millions on behalf of their clients. While each case is different, our firm previously recovered $6 million on behalf of a client who suffered severe brain damage after slipping and falling.
If you or a loved one was injured in a slip and fall accident, get in touch with our attorneys today. You may be entitled to compensation for future and past medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost wages.