Even if you only fall a few feet, slipping and tripping can result in serious injuries. You may be eligible for financial compensation if you hit a hard surface awkwardly or landed head, neck, or back-first because of another’s carelessness However, holding a landowner legally responsible for an incident can be complex, whether you only suffered minor physical harm or your fall left you with lifelong damages.
Assistance from a knowledgeable Copperas Cove slip and fall lawyer can make all the difference in how effectively and efficiently you can pursue a claim. A seasoned personal injury attorney can provide guidance in and out of court from start to finish while seeking the best resolution for your case.
An accident resulting in an injury does not automatically make a property owner liable for losses. A landowner must have been legally negligent in some way for an injured person to hold them accountable for their injuries. The definition of “negligence” can vary depending on the specific property involved and what the injured visitor was doing on that property.
A person must have been legally on someone else’s property to sue over a slip and fall injury. That injury must have stemmed directly from an unreasonably hazardous condition that the owner should have remedied or warned the visitor. In some situations, property owners may be liable for injuries caused by hazards they were unaware of but reasonably should have been, although this can be a tricky argument to present effectively in court.
Finally, the slip and fall must have directly caused at least one injury requiring professional medical care, and all damages incorporated into a claim must stem directly from that harm. A trip and fall attorney in Copperas Cove can explain a lawsuit’s procedural elements in more detail during a confidential consultation.
Even if a property owner was negligent, they might try to minimize their legal responsibility by arguing that the injured person was partly to blame for causing their damages. If a court agrees with this argument, that court may assign a percentage of comparative fault to the plaintiff and reduce that person’s final damage award per Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §33.012.
A person found more at fault for their own injuries than all named defendants combined may be barred from recovery completely under TX Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §33.001. Given how substantial of an impact this can have on a claim, seeking help from a seasoned slip and fall lawyer in Copperas Cove can be crucial.
Falling suddenly on any surface could leave you injured, preventing you from working, leaving you with expensive medical care, or even causing permanent disability or disfigurement. Recovering for the short-term and long-term effects of injuries can be impossible without guidance from experienced legal counsel.
Fortunately, the help you need is available from a dedicated Copperas Cove slip and fall lawyer. Call today for an initial meeting.