Taunton, MA Slip and Fall Lawyer
Injuries from slips, falls, and trips are often serious, requiring victims to seek compensatory damages from at-fault parties via lawsuits in Taunton.
Immediately after a falling or slipping accident, report it. Inform the property owner and involve law enforcement and paramedics if your injuries are severe. Attempt to preserve the scene through photographs depicting the general area, your injuries, and the specific hazard that made you trip. Do not delay initiating your case; you could miss the filing deadline or struggle to preserve evidence. When preparing injury claims for victims, we will carefully calculate their losses from hospital expenses, missed wages, and emotional distress. Knowing your claim’s value before filing is important so you are prepared to identify low-ball settlement offers and act in your best interest.
For a free case discussion with our slip and fall lawyers, call the Law Office of John J. Sheehan now at (617) 925-6407.
Post-Slip and Fall Procedures in Taunton, MA
Right after an accident on someone else’s property, your first priority should be reporting it. Do your best to preserve the scene by taking pictures, and then go to the hospital so you can confirm your injuries. Once you do that, our lawyers can initiate your case and file it before the statute of limitations ends.
Report the Accident
The way victims report accidents may vary depending on the circumstances and the severity of their injuries. For example, some victims may call 911 and inform law enforcement and emergency medical services, who can help document an incident. Otherwise, victims may report accidents to liable parties directly, likely the property owners. Our attorneys can help victims make written reports to property owners, even if they verbally inform them about the incident at the scene.
Preserve the Scene
Preserving the scene to the best of your ability is paramount, as right after an accident might be your only time to access it. Soon afterward, the property owner might address the hazard that made you slip, trip, or fall. Use your phone to take pictures of the entire area and your injuries if you can. Regarding what our slip and fall lawyers will do to preserve evidence, we can promptly subpoena security camera footage from the liable property owner. Especially if the accident happened in a commercial establishment, footage might show you tripping over a hazard and falling, helping us establish liability. Ask witnesses for their contact information at the scene so our attorneys can quickly schedule interviews. The sooner we interview witnesses, the better, as they might only retain specific details about the accident or its aftermath for a short time.
Document Your Immediate Injuries
Proving causation is essential for any successful personal injury lawsuit, so do not delay medical attention after a slip and fall accident. If you do, your medical records might not align with the incident’s date, making it harder to prove your current injuries were due to the property owner’s negligence. If you need transportation to the emergency room, do not hesitate to call 911 and request assistance from paramedics. This can underscore the immediate severity of your injuries if your case goes to trial. Do not wait until a few hours later or the next day for medical attention; go to the hospital immediately.
While documenting your immediate injuries is crucial, so is monitoring your physical recovery. Stopping treatment could cause gaps in your hospital records that the defendant tries to use against you, whether during settlement negotiations or a trial.
Initiate Your Case
Several things could happen when you wait to initiate your case too long after a trip and fall incident. First, you could risk missing the filing deadline, which is three years after the accident. Victims who wait too long to start preparing their claims might be forced to rush the final stages to file on time, reducing their chances of a successful financial recovery. We can begin investigating the accident and gathering relevant evidence immediately so you can file much sooner than the three-year deadline and get compensation faster. If you were to miss the filing deadline, you would be barred from recovering compensatory damages from a liable property owner.
Available Compensation for Slip and Fall Injuries in Taunton, MA
When hurt by negligent property maintenance, victims may seek compensation for all damages, including hospital bills, missed income, and emotional distress. Underestimating your total losses could make you accept an unfair settlement offer, and our lawyers will carefully track your damages so we know your claim’s true value.
Hospital and Medical Bills
Liable property owners can be made to pay all of your hospital bills and expenses related to your injuries. For example, while you can get compensation for surgeries, hospital visits, and prescription medications, you can also get compensation for wheelchairs and transportation to and from doctor visits. We can keep copies of medical bills organized to offer them as proof of damages in your lawsuit.
Missed Income
If you cannot return to work after an accident or must operate at a lower earning capacity, our lawyers can seek compensation for lost wages. Future lost wages are also recoverable, and we can have medical experts testify if you cannot go back to work. Do not attempt to return to work too soon and against doctors’ advice, as that could negatively affect your claim.
Pain and Suffering
Non-economic losses are also recoverable, and our attorneys can work with mental health experts and victims to fully understand and quantify their intangible damages. Underestimating pain and suffering could convince victims to accept unfair settlement offers, and our lawyers can evaluate every proposal with your non-economic damages and lower quality of life since the accident in mind.
Call Our Injury Lawyers for Help in Taunton, MA Today
For a free case assessment from the Law Office of John J. Sheehan’s slip and fall lawyers, call (617) 925-6407 today.
