If you slipped and fell on someone’s property or a business, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. But what damages can your Columbus slip and fall lawyer demand in your lawsuit?
We’ll explore the losses you can seek reimbursement for in different types of damages that may be available to you in a slip and fall case. We’ll also discuss how an experienced personal injury attorney can prove your case and help you get the compensation you deserve.
Types of Damages in a Slip and Fall Case
If you are suing somebody for a slip and fall, you probably want to know what kind of compensation you’ll receive. This is usually one of the first questions our clients ask their Columbus personal injury attorney.
In most of slip and fall accident cases, our attorneys demand some or all of the following:
- Medical expenses (this can include future costs)
- Lost wages from missing work
- Future lost earnings (if you’re unable to perform the same job)
- Pain and suffering
In general, the more serious your injuries, the more money you’ll be entitled to. If, for example, the only injury you suffered was a sprained ankle, you shouldn’t expect to recover thousands of dollars in damages. If you needed surgery and were unable to work for months, the compensation amount would be higher.
Your Columbus Slip and Fall Lawyer Must Prove Fault
In order to win you money, your personal injury lawyer must prove negligence. In a slip and fall lawsuit, you’ll need to demonstrate that the property owner didn’t maintain their premises in a safe condition.
Your slip and fall attorney must prove that the defendant knew there was an unsafe condition on their property and didn’t fix it or properly warn visitors. It may be enough to demonstrate that the defendant should’ve known about a hazard on their property.
Your lawyer also needs to prove that you were injured because of the unsafe condition on the property.
Your Lawyer Must Provide Evidence for Your Damages
Your lawyer will need to submit evidence for the damages listed in your complaint. Since punitive damages are extremely rare in a slip and fall case, we’ll focus on economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are things that can be proven with a receipt, invoice, or outstanding bill. They include such things as medical bills and lost wages from missing work. Your lawyer will submit bills and other financial evidence for these damages.
Non-economic damages are things that can’t be proven with bills and invoices. This can include pain and suffering and reduced quality of life if you’re left with a disability. Your lawyer may use testimony from your doctors and other medical experts to prove you qualify for these damages.
What Influences the Settlement Amount?
It’s important to remember that most slip and fall cases settle long before trial. Your Columbus personal injury attorney will likely negotiate a settlement with the defendant’s insurance carrier at some point before you’re scheduled to appear in court.
There are many factors to consider when determining a settlement amount. Some of these factors include:
- The severity of your injuries: The more severe your injuries, the higher the settlement amount will be. This is because you will have more medical bills and may be unable to work while you recover.
- The liable party’s insurance coverage: If the liable party has insurance, their insurance company may be willing to pay a higher settlement amount than if they did not have insurance.
- Whether you contributed to your accident: If you were partially at fault for your accident (e.g., you were not paying attention and slipped on a wet floor), your damages may be reduced by your percentage of fault under Georgia law.
If you try to settle your case on your own, the insurance company will likely offer you much less than what your case is actually worth. An experienced personal injury attorney will know how to negotiate with the insurance company to get you the full amount of compensation you deserve.
Dealing with a slip and fall case can be long and complicated. If you try to handle everything on your own, you will likely spend a lot of time dealing with paperwork and phone calls. Hiring an attorney will allow you to focus on healing from your injuries while someone else handles all the legal details for you.
Reach Out to Our Columbus Slip and Fall Lawyers Today
If you or a loved one have been injured in a slip and fall accident, our Columbus personal injury lawyers can help you recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
To learn more about what your lawyer can do for you, contact our office at (229) 351-5320 and schedule your free, initial consultation.