Financial Recoveries for Slip and Fall Injuries

Victims of slip and fall accidents often suffer serious, and in many cases life-changing, injuries. In addition, hundreds of people die from falls every year. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) even calls falls one of its “Fatal Four,” with falls being responsible for nearly 40 percent of all construction-related fatalities in 2014.

If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in a slip or fall accident, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. In this article, we provide an overview of what you need to know about seeking compensation for fall-related injuries.

Your Right to Compensation for Slip and Fall Injuries

Property owners owe certain duties to ensure that their premises are safe for visitors. Under Texas law, these duties vary depending on why a visitor is on the owner’s property:

• Invitees – Shoppers, workers and others who go on public or private premises for business purposes receive the highest level of legal protection. Property owners must exercise reasonable care to make sure their premises are safe, and must warn invitees of risks that can be identified with the exercise of reasonable care.
• Licensees – Party guests and others who visit someone else’s property for non-business purposes receive the next highest level of protection. They can sue property owners who are grossly negligent in allowing dangerous conditions to exist and who fail to warn of known hidden dangers.
• Trespassers – In Texas, even trespassers can sue for slip and fall injuries under certain circumstances. To have a claim, their injuries must result from willful or intentional conduct on the part of the property owner.

In any case, slip and fall victims can seek financial compensation for all of their accident-related injuries and losses. The damages available in premises liability cases typically include:

• Outstanding medical bills for diagnostics, treatment and surgery
• Future medical expenses for follow-up procedures, therapy and rehabilitation
• Prescription costs
• Lost wages for time missed from work
• Lost earning capacity for debilitating injuries
• Disfigurement
• Past and future pain and suffering
• Past and future mental anguish

In cases of gross negligence or willful or intentional conduct, you may be entitled to recover exemplary damages as well.

Slip and Fall Injuries at Work

While workers’ compensation laws prevent employees from suing their employers under most circumstances, they do nothing to curtail the rights of injured workers when it comes to asserting claims against other parties. In fact, there are many situations where workers can seek full compensation for their slip and fall injuries. Examples of parties that may be responsible for your work-related slip or fall include:

• Contractors and subcontractors that supply unsafe ladders or fail to provide adequate fall protection on construction sites
• Maintenance companies that leave smooth floors wet or waxy
• Management companies and building owners that fail to fix torn carpet or broken stairs
• Security companies that do not take adequate steps to prevent violent crimes

Have You Been Injured in a Fall on Someone Else’s Premises? Contact Morrow & Sheppard LLP Today

For more information and to find out if you may have a premises liability claim, we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible. Our Houston accident lawyers have helped numerous clients obtain maximum compensation for their injuries and we can make sure you receive the compensation you deserve. To get started, call our offices at (800) 489-2216 or request a free consultation today.