Slip, Trip and Fall

Personal injury is a legal term that encompasses various damages done to one’s body, mind, or spirit and does not include damage done to property. It is considered a tort law, which is another legal term that separates this kind of law from criminal law which includes wrongdoings that involve breaking the laws protecting society as a whole, such as driving under the influence.

“Slip-trip-fall” accidents are placed under the umbrella of personal injury lawsuits if one seeks compensation for their injury. Some common personal injury cases include traffic accidents, accidents at work, accidents at home, assault claims, and slip-trip-fall accidents. There are also personal injury accidents that are caused by product defects, medical negligence and industrial diseases (such as chronic asthma and other disorders).

Slip-trip-fall accidents constitute the most common type of personal injury cases which require legal representation, with injury claims resulting from car accidents the next most common. Here in Minnesota we all know the dangers of attempting to safely navigate an icy sidewalk a home or business owner has neglected to shovel or clear of ice. People are forced to either take their chances and attempt to make it across the snow and ice packed walkway or walk in the street which puts them in jeopardy of further harm from sliding cars. According to the Partnership for a Walkable America, typically up to half of all sidewalks remain uncleared after a snowfall, and of those hospitalized in a typical northern city climate for pedestrian related injuries in one year, almost 30% were caused by icy surfaces. These wounds included broken bones, displaced hips, back injuries, and in the most extreme cases resulted in death.

In the United States, the laws that govern personal injury cases are quite complex. If you have suffered an injury that was a result of someone else’s negligence and has caused you great pain and suffering or loss of work, you may wish to consult a team of personal injury attorneys. They can help you decide if you have a worthy lawsuit and often will take such a case on a “contingency” basis.

A contingency case is one where your attorney will represent you for free, but will recoup their fee as a percentage of monetary damages awarded as compensation for your accident. A contingency case ensures that you are well represented and that your attorneys will do the best they can to win reimbursement. It also prevents “frivolous” lawsuits from clogging our judicial system as a good attorney will not wish to waste his or her precious time and expertise on a case for which they will not be paid unless they can successfully represent you. Taking a case upon contingency is a low risk situation for an injured client as they will not suffer the burden of attorney’s fees if the suit is lost. If it is won, they simply share an agreed upon amount with their attorney.

We all have the responsibility to take due care when out in the world riding our bikes, walking on public sidewalks, or driving our cars. But at times we are at risk of suffering from someone else’s poor choices or bad ideas. Many personal injuries happen at home as a result of poor product design or poorly executed manufacturing practices. Whatever it may be that causes an injury, if one has lost the ability to go to work to support themselves and/or their family, there may be some merit in trying to recover costs through an attorney who specializes in slip-trip-fall personal injury law.

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