Connecticut Slip and Fall Lawyer

Slip and Fall Attorney in CT

Falls are the top leading cause of nonfatal injuries in the United States and the third leading cause of preventable injury-related deaths according to the National Safety Council.

Source: National Safety Council

We take thousands of steps each day, whether we are heading to work, at the grocery store, walking around a tag sale, etc. And, unfortunately, the injuries and losses that arise from unexpected slips, trips, and falls can have serious negative impacts on our lives. Such injuries and losses can be severe, painful, and expensive. A Connecticut slip-and-fall lawyer can help you recover some of the costs associated with your injury.

Here at Buckley Wynne & Parese, we are committed to providing you with exceptional legal service and protecting your legal rights and interests. Call us today to speak with an experienced Connecticut premises liability lawyer.

Very serious injuries can occur due to falls on snow and ice, for example, a hip fracture that requires hospitalization, rehab, or in-home care. The law requires property owners to be diligent in maintaining their property. If you have been injured on property you do not own due to a fall on snow and ice, especially as a tenant or a customer, it is important that you contact BWP immediately.

Do not call and give a statement to the insurance company first, as there are important legal and procedural obligations that must be met. The insurance companies are unlikely to help in meeting those legal requirements. The insurance company does not want to help, and there are technical issues in these cases that should be handled by an experienced attorney.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Important Facts About Falls

The following statistics were reported by the CDC recently:

• One out of five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury
• Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries
• About 1 million older people a year are hospitalized because of a fall injury.
• Each year, 3 million older people are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries

These facts provide alarming insight into the extent of the problem. Many people who sustain serious injuries due to falls may have actionable premises liability claims on their hands.

What Can Cause Slip, Trip and Fall Injuries?

Slip, trip, and fall injuries occur for all kinds of reasons. Some of the most common reasons include:

• Spilled/pooled food or liquids. This is a common problem in restaurants and grocery stores.
• Poor lighting. Property owners must provide adequate lighting as part of their obligation to visitors.
• Misplaced or unmarked objects. Customers at stores often trip over misplaced objects in aisles, but this can be an issue in almost any environment.
• Icy walkways. In the winter, property owners have an obligation to clean up their sidewalks and make sure they are free of ice within a reasonable time after storms. According to premises liability laws, poor weather is no excuse for negligence.
• Potholes or uneven surfaces. Potholes in parking lots or uneven sidewalks can cause people to trip and fall outside of stores and other public spaces.
• Loose carpet or floorboards. If you tripped on a piece of loose carpet or a floorboard that was uneven or coming loose, you could be eligible to receive compensation.
• Faulty or missing handrails. All staircases should have handrails, and those handrails should be well-secured and able to hold a person’s weight. If a damaged or missing handrail caused you to fall on the stairs, the property owner may be held liable.
• Unmarked curbs or slick surfaces. Curbs in parking lots and on sidewalks should be marked to avoid tripping hazards, and visitors should be warned of slick surfaces.
• Hazardous or defective stairways. Falls on stairs can lead to severe injuries and substantial medical bills. If the stairs were defective or were not up-to-code, you may be able to recover compensation for your damages.

No matter what caused your slip-and-fall accident, you can trust the team here at Buckley Wynne & Parese to help you determine who was responsible and hold that person accountable.

Who is Responsible for Your Injuries?

Injuries and losses that you or a loved one sustained as a result of a slip, trip, and fall can occur anywhere. Determining and proving the responsible party is often complicated. It is important to view, inspect, and retain information regarding the cause, footing, and multiple additional issues.

The owner of an establishment or property is required by law to maintain a safe environment. Furthermore, sufficient cautionary warnings should be visible to invited guests. Property owners should be aware of hazardous conditions that can arise for patrons, whether it be on walkways, in the home, on commercial property, at a park, etc. Potential hazards are expected to be addressed in a timely manner.

To find an establishment or property owner to be careless and/or negligent, we must determine whether the property owner or manager:

• Did the property owner fail to properly maintain and/or create a hazardous condition which caused your injuries?
• Was the property owner aware or should he/she been aware of the hazardous conditions yet failed to warn patrons, such as you or your loved one?
• Did the property owner, or its employees, create unsafe conditions after failing to perform routine maintenance?

What to Do if You’ve Been Injured in a Slip, Trip and Fall in CT

The action you take following a slip-and-fall accident can have a significant impact on your eventual legal claim. Whether you’ve suffered minor injuries or a catastrophic fall, you should take the following steps:

• STEP 1: Seek medical treatment. The first thing you should do following any kind of slip-and-fall accident is go to a local hospital to be evaluated. Seeking a full medical evaluation can rule out serious hidden injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries and internal bleeding. It can also prove that you sustained your injuries during the slip-and-fall accident and not some subsequent incident.
• STEP 2: Report the Accident. You should report the accident to the property owner or manager. Depending on where the accident took place, there may be specific steps you need to take to file an official report. If you’re not sure how to go about doing so, a lawyer can help you with this step.
• STEP 3: Contact Buckley Wynne & Parese. Our team can help you with everything from collecting evidence to filing an insurance claim and, if necessary, taking your case to court to get you the compensation you need to account for your losses and move on with your life.

Connecticut has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims, but you may have substantially less time to report the incident to the property owner’s insurance company and file a claim through them. Don’t put off contacting a lawyer following your accident, as it could leave you unable to pursue all potential avenues for recovering compensation.

Some of the Ways in Which BWP Can Help With the Investigation

A thorough investigation of the details of your slip, trip, and fall is absolutely critical. Some of the ways we can assist with the investigation include:

• Obtaining the name(s) of the property owner(s)
• Gathering the names and contact information of potential witnesses
• Obtaining the proper written documentation
• Taking photos and videos of the scene
• Determining liability for the accident
• Interviewing witnesses and expert witnesses
• Obtaining surveillance videos, if available
• Identifying all of your potential damages

Your attorney can also negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf. Insurance companies are known for making low settlement offers that don’t cover all of accident victims’ damages, and they have entire teams of lawyers on their side. Securing legal counsel gives you a better chance of success.

If the insurance company is unwilling to make a fair settlement offer, you may need to file a legal claim in court. Having a skilled Connecticut slip-and-fall attorney becomes even more vital when this is the case. Your attorney can utilize the available evidence to build a strong case and prove to the judge or jury that you deserve to be awarded sufficient compensation for any harm you have suffered.

Ways in Which You Can Help

Your lawyer can handle most of the details of your slip-and-fall case. However, there are also some steps that you can take to support the investigation. You can:

• Save and preserve the clothing and footwear you were wearing
• Avoid making any official statements
• Take photos of your injuries before you seek medical treatment
• Avoid posting any relevant information to social media

Do not call and give a statement to the insurance company first, as there are important legal and procedural obligations that must be met. Insurance companies are also known for taking seemingly innocent statements, such as responding with “I’m fine” to polite questions about how the person is doing, and using them against accident victims.

Why Hire a Slip-and-Fall Lawyer?

Hiring a slip-and-fall lawyer is the most effective way to negotiate with insurance companies and litigate your case successfully if it goes to court. Having an experienced attorney on your side improves the odds of your receiving just compensation for your damages.

Your attorney can handle the key details of your case so that you don’t have as much stress on your plate during this difficult time. Instead of focusing on trying to negotiate with insurance companies, collecting evidence, and building a strong case, you can trust your attorney to handle these and other details while you focus all of your attention on healing from your injuries.

For over 140 years, the attorneys at Buckley Wynne & Parese have been fully dedicated to assisting families who were injured in a slip, trip, and fall as a result of someone else’s wrongdoing, carelessness, and negligence.

Our team of dedicated attorneys at BWP can help you recover several types of compensation following a slip and fall. They include:

• Medical and financial costs and burdens
• Lost wages and impaired earnings
• Non-economic damages, which include pain and anguish and mental suffering
• Out-of-pocket or miscellaneous expenses

FAQs

Q: What Is the Negligence Rule in Connecticut?

A: The negligence rule in Connecticut is that accident victims can pursue compensation for their injuries if they are less than 51% at fault for the incident that caused them. Codified in Connecticut General Statute 52-572, this rule also stipulates that a plaintiff’s final settlement should be reduced by the percentage of fault that they are assigned for the accident.

Q: How Likely Are You to File a Successful Slip-and-Fall Claim?

A: How likely you are to file a successful slip-and-fall claim depends on the circumstances surrounding your case and how skilled your attorney is at negotiating with insurance companies and litigating personal injury cases. If the liability and the extent of your damages are clear and you did not contribute to causing the accident, it should be easier to file a successful claim than it would be in a more complex case involving shared liability.

Q: Does Physical Therapy Increase Your Settlement Amount?

A: Physical therapy can increase your settlement amount because your final settlement is intended to cover all of the damages associated with your injury, and physical therapy costs additional money. It also adds proof of your injuries and the extent to which they are impacting your life and provides a continuous timeline for your healing process.

Q: What Is the Average Payout for a Slip and Fall?

A: There is no average payout for a slip and fall because every case is different. Your final settlement amount could depend on factors such as the severity of your injuries, how long it takes you to heal, and whether you were assigned a portion of the fault for the accident. Your attorney’s skill at negotiating with insurance companies can also play a role in determining how much money you receive.

Contact Buckley Wynne Parese

The losses from injuries and damages sustained after a slip, trip and fall can traumatizing and catastrophic and the litigation is complex. It is imperative that you contact us as soon as possible.

• Some Areas in Which BWP will Help You Recover
• Medical and Financial Costs and Burdens
• Lost Wages and Impaired Earnings
• Non-Economic Damages which includes pain and anguish and mental suffering
• Out of Pocket or Miscellaneous Expenses

For over 140 years, the attorneys at Buckley Wynne Parese have been fully dedicated to assisting families who were injured in a slip, trip and fall as a result of someone else’s wrongdoing, carelessness, and negligence.

Slip-and-Falls & Trip-and-Falls

Not all slip and fall accidents are alike and you need a slip and fall attorney who can help you determine the responsible parties and protect your rights. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your slip and fall case.

Dog Bites

If you or a loved one was attacked by a dog of any kind in any manner, and the attack caused serious injury, call Buckley, Wynne & Parese Law Firm at 1-800-445-2278 today to talk with one of our dog bite lawyers.

Snow, Ice and Slippery Conditions

If you suffered injuries in a fall on someone else’s property and believe you may be eligible for compensation, the slip and fall attorneys at Buckley, Wynne & Parese, can help evaluate your case, gather evidence, and represent you in negotiations.

Available 24/71-800-445-2278

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