If you were injured as a result of a slip-and-fall accident on someone else’s property, you may be able to receive compensation for your injuries. A Charleston slip-and-fall lawyer from our expert team at Forbes Law Offices is here to help you through the often-confusing details of your case.
Our lawyers will determine whether or not the property owner knew about the hazard that caused your injury and if they could have taken steps in advance to remove the hazard.
Slip and fall accidents are one of the top 10 preventable injuries in the United States, and according to data from the National Safety Council (NSC), 44,686 people died from falls in 2021. There can be any number of causes for a slip and fall accident, which include but are not limited to:
While these types of accidents can happen to anyone at any time, falls are the main cause of death in elderly adults over the age of 65. This is why it’s so important for nursing homes or long-term care facilities to pay close attention to their residents and the conditions in their facilities.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than one in four elderly people fall each year in the United States, and falling once doubles your chances of falling again. Additionally, one out of five falls cause severe injuries like broken bones or head trauma.
Common slip and fall injuries are:
Every year, three million older people are treated in emergency rooms, and at least 300,000 are hospitalized for hip fractures due to fall injuries.
These statistics can make people afraid to even move around, which in turn is likely to cause more falls due to immobility, especially among the elderly. Most people don’t report fall injuries, and in 2020, approximately 117,435 elderly people fell in the state of West Virginia alone.
Every slip and fall case is different, and the amount of possible compensation varies depending on the details of each specific case. However, with an experienced slip-and-fall lawyer from Forbes Law Offices on your side, you’ll likely receive compensation in some or all of the following categories:
Although you can’t know your exact compensation amount at the start of your claim, you can count on your lawyer to take your case and your injuries seriously and to gather all the information necessary to help you through the entire process.
According to West Virginia law, property owners are legally obligated to maintain their properties and address any known hazards or foreseeable risks. However, the property owner’s duty of care varies depending on the type of property and the relationship between the owner and the visitor.
This is why it’s important to know what type of visitor you are and to collect as much evidence as possible after a slip and fall accident, so you may prove the property owner liable.
These are the different types of property visitors recognized by West Virginia law:
Property owners only have a duty to inform lawful visitors of known hazards by posting notices or properly marking areas that could cause an accident.
West Virginia also has an Open and Obvious rule, which means that as long as a hazard is clear to see, then the property owner isn’t responsible for any accident, even if nothing is marking the hazard.
Your lawyer will know all the details of these laws and rules and will help determine which of them apply to your case.
The last thing you need after a slip-and-fall accident is having to deal with confusing laws while also recovering from your injuries.
Here at Forbes Law Offices, our Charleston team of slip-and-fall lawyers will stand by your side and get you the compensation you deserve after your accident. We have decades of experience, and we’re ready to help!
If you or someone you know has been injured in a slip and fall accident, contact us today for a free consultation.
Call us or fill out the form below to tell us about your potential case and a
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