Dallas Slip and Fall Lawyers
Slips and falls are common in every establishment, but how do you know yours couldn’t have been prevented? Property owners have a duty of care towards their visitors, and failing or neglecting this duty of care means you could be entitled to compensation. This is important if you have sustained serious injuries because of your incident. In that case, it can be worth your time to talk to a Dallas slip and fall lawyer.
At J. Alexander Law Firm, we have helped numerous clients receive the compensation they are entitled to after sustaining a serious injury due to a slip and fall incident. We believe that accident victims should have someone on their side to protect their rights, so we pride ourselves on providing staunch advocacy for each client’s best interests. We have recovered over $10 million on behalf of our clients, and we are members of the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum®. We also believe that you should be able to seek legal counsel without stressing about costs or fees. We offer free initial consultations and work on a contingency fee schedule, meaning we don’t collect a dime unless we recover money on your behalf.
Get your advocacy from an official sponsor of the Dallas Mavericks! Call J. Alexander Law Firm at (214) 206-3264 today to schedule your consultation.
Common Injuries from Slip and Fall Accidents
In the state of Texas, you may be eligible to file a slip and fall lawsuit if you fell down on someone else’s property and that fall resulted in injuries. Slip and fall is part of the “premises liability” doctrine, which requires property owners to maintain their property in a way that prevents visitors, both invited and uninvited, from becoming injured. However, proving that the fall was a direct result of negligence can be tricky, and that’s why we always recommend having a skilled attorney on your side for your case.
Here are a few of the common types of injuries that can come from slip and fall accidents.
Brain & Head Injuries
Head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, are common when you hit your head on a hard surface, such as the ground or a wall. This is not all that uncommon in a slip and fall case, especially when you fall backward or trip and are unable to stop yourself.
Unfortunately, head injuries aren’t always visible – and sometimes you won’t even show symptoms for a few hours or a few days. You should seek help from a medical professional immediately if you see any of the following within a few days of suffering a hard fall that included a head impact:
- Convulsions or seizures
- Dilation of one or both pupils
- Impaired hearing, smell, taste or vision
- Loss of consciousness
- Persistent headache
- Vomiting or nausea
Broken Bones
When you fall on a hard surface, it’s not uncommon for one of your bones to break under the force of the fall. There are several types of bone fractures, ranging from hairline cracks that you can only see through X-rays to severe fractures in which part of your bone sticks out from your skin. Broken bones take a long time to heal, and they can put you out of commission for weeks or months. Some severe breaks may even require surgery to fix, and some breaks never fully heal and allow you to live with the same quality of life you did before.
Organ Damage
Internal injuries can include damage to vital organs, including bruising, lacerations, and more. This kind of damage can be extremely dangerous and even fatal if not properly treated immediately. To make matters worse, these injuries can still happen even if your skin was never damaged or pierced. If you feel any kind of severe or unexplained pain after a fall, see a doctor for a physical exam immediately. These injuries usually must be diagnosed through scans like CT scans, MRI scans, or X-rays.
Spinal Injuries
Your spinal cord is fragile, and a jarring slip and fall can cause serious damage. A spinal cord injury can occur from direct trauma to your neck or back, when your spine stretches out as you fall, or from a severe cut. In some cases, spinal cord injuries cause permanent disability.
See a doctor immediately if you experience any of the following:
- Difficulty breathing
- Difficulty with balance or walking
- Poor coordination
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Numbness, tingling, or a loss of sensation in your hands, fingers, feet, or toes
- Pain or pressure in your neck, head, or back
- Weakness or paralysis
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall injuries are fairly common. Most of the time, they are not due to malicious conduct or willful disregard for the safety of others. However, the law requires property owners to take reasonable precautions to protect visitors. Should these precautions not be taken, property owners could be liable if this neglect of duty results in someone getting hurt.
Here are a few of the more common causes of slip and fall accidents:
- Failing to clean up spills in a timely manner, or failing to warn guests or visitors that a hazard exists with proper signage or warnings.
- Failing to mark dangerous areas that cannot be reasonably fixed or maintained while visitors are present, such as marking holes or securing extension cords during construction or repairs.
- Failing to properly light areas with known slip or trip hazards to make it easy for guests to see and avoid these hazards.
- Failing to remove ice from walkways or stairways during frigid conditions or failing to notify guests or visitors that these features could be slippery.
Common Places Where Slip and Fall Accidents Occur
Slip and fall accidents can happen in different locations, often due to hazardous conditions or a lack of proper maintenance. Some of the most common places where these accidents occur include:
- Retail Stores and Supermarkets: Slip and fall accidents often happen in stores due to spilled liquids, loose mats, or debris. Shoppers may slip if the floors are not promptly cleaned or if hazards are left unattended.
- Restaurants: Restaurants are common locations for slip and fall accidents, typically caused by wet or greasy floors and poor lighting. High foot traffic combined with quick cleaning routines can create dangerous conditions for patrons and staff.
- Parking Lots and Garages: Uneven surfaces, potholes, and poor lighting in parking lots or garages can lead to accidents. Ice and snow further increase the risk, especially in colder climates.
- Sidewalks: Cracks, uneven pavement, or snow and ice can make sidewalks hazardous for pedestrians. These accidents frequently occur when sidewalks are poorly maintained or not properly cleared.
- Workplaces: Slip and fall accidents are common in workplaces due to wet floors, clutter, and inadequate safety measures. Both office environments and industrial settings can present risks if hazards aren't properly managed.
- Hotels: Guests in hotels are at risk of slipping on wet floors in lobbies, around pools, or in bathrooms. Hotels need to ensure that these high-traffic areas are kept safe and dry.
- Public Buildings: Public buildings like libraries or government offices see many visitors, and slip and fall incidents are often caused by wet floors, loose rugs, or poor maintenance. High foot traffic increases the likelihood of these accidents.
- Residential Properties: Slip and fall accidents in residential areas often occur due to poor lighting, icy sidewalks, or cluttered walkways. Homeowners may be held responsible if they fail to address hazards on their property.
- Gyms and Fitness Centers: Gyms and fitness centers are common locations for slip and falls, especially in locker rooms or around pool areas. Wet surfaces and slippery floors make these areas dangerous if not properly maintained.
- Construction Sites: Construction sites pose a high risk of slip and fall accidents due to loose materials, debris, and uneven ground. Workers are especially vulnerable to these hazards if safety protocols are not followed.
- Stairways: Stairways are a frequent site for falls, often due to broken steps, loose railings, or inadequate lighting. These accidents can lead to serious injuries, particularly if safety features are in disrepair.
Proving Fault in a Slip and Fall Incident
In order to prove fault in one of these incidents, an injured party must definitively prove three things:
- That the property owner knew about the dangerous conditions at the time of the incident but failed to take action to rectify or repair the situation
- That the slip and fall incident could have been avoided if proper precautions were taken
- That the injuries sustained were a direct result of the incident
Proving these three things can be difficult, and that’s why we strongly recommend having a skilled and experienced attorney on your side when filing your claim. An attorney can review the evidence in your case and help you provide the court with a compelling argument that supports your position.
Evidence for Slip and Fall Accidents
To be successful in a slip and fall claim, you need as much evidence as possible to prove that a property owner or manager failed to take all feasible precautions to keep you safe. If you have just suffered a slip and fall accident, now is the time to be gathering that evidence.
Evidence can consist of:
- Names and phone numbers of witnesses
- Medical records relating to your slip and fall injuries (both at the time and later)
- Pictures of your injuries and the scene of the accident
- Witness information
- Clothing and footwear from the accident
It’s also crucial to avoid giving recorded statements to both your own insurance company and that of the other party. Remember, insurance adjusters on both sides of the fence are in the business of saving money, and they’ll do whatever they can to reduce their financial burden that stems from your incident. As a result, they may look for a reason to avoid providing you with the compensation you deserve.
If an insurance company reaches out to you to request a statement, you are not compelled to give them one. Simply inform them you are working with an attorney and that you will not give any statement without first consulting with them and having them present.
Have you suffered a slip, trip, or fall? Now might be the time to contact a Dallas slip and fall lawyer at J. Alexander Law Firm to seek assistance with your injury claim.
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Who is liable for a slip and fall accident?
There might be several different entities that are liable for damages in your case. A business, the business owner, the owner of the property in question, a government entity responsible for a certain feature on a property, and plenty of others could all be implicated depending on the details of your case.
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Are trespassers eligible to collect compensation?Yes, they are. While property owners have less of an obligation or duty to protect trespassers (visitors who are not expressly or implicitly invited and who do not have permission to be on a property), any features designed to harm a trespasser could make a property owner liable for damages. However, as another example, if a property owner has a large hole in their enclosed yard, and a trespasser climbs the fence, falls into the hole, and is injured in the process, the trespasser likely would not have a claim. The property owner made a reasonable attempt to secure the hazard (it was in a secured area), and they did not give the trespasser permission to be there.
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How long do I have to file a slip and fall accident claim?Texas law generally gives a two-year window from the date of your accident to file a claim. However, there are a few exceptions to this. First, if the responsible party is a government employee or entity, then your time to file a claim is reduced to six months. Second, if the impact of your injury is not obvious immediately and symptoms do not emerge for some time, your two-year period begins on the day you become aware of your condition. This is important, as the long-term effects of a traumatic brain injury or some other conditions may not become obvious for weeks, months, or even years.
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