Even though people like to joke about the old television commercial where an older person has fallen and can’t get up, a slip and fall is often no laughing matter. People of any age can suffer severe and even life-threatening injuries in falls. If you fell recently, you might need extensive medical care and therapy to address your physical and emotional injuries. When you cannot work because of what happened, you might find yourself in financial turmoil.
If your fall occurred on someone else’s property, you might be considering a legal claim. You probably have a lot of unanswered questions, including how much is a slip and fall case worth. A knowledgeable local attorney could offer you the guidance and answers you need.
There is no set value to a slip and fall case. The amount of damages that an injured claimant receives depends on a range of factors, including the severity of physical and emotional injuries and the possible long-term effects of those injuries, the cost of medical expenses, and the amount of lost income suffered. Most commonly, people pursue recovery of different types of damages in slip and fall cases.
People injured in falls can pursue recovery for the financial expenses caused by their fall. These expenses can include medical costs, such as expenses for hospitalization and surgeries, as well as for any future medical expenses, including physical therapy, rehabilitation, and over-the-counter and prescription medication. Economic damages also include lost wages when the injury temporarily prevents someone from working and future lost income should the injury permanently prevent someone from returning to their same line of work or any job.
An injured claimant can also seek recovery of non-economic damages, which are more subjective damages not directly related to their finances. Non-economic losses include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, psychological trauma, permanent disability, or disfigurement.
In limited circumstances, a court could also award punitive damages in a slip and fall case.
An experienced legal team could assess the facts of the tripping accident to help determine the possible value of a legal claim.
As with other states, Pennsylvania courts do not allow injured people unlimited time to file personal injury lawsuits. People must usually file suit within two years of the date of their accident. In a claim involving a fall, an injured person must generally bring a suit within two years against a homeowner, property owner, business owner, caretaker, or anyone else in charge of the property where the accident occurred.
Depending on the particular facts of a case, this time period can vary. For instance, when the fall occurred on public property, such as in a public park or on a sidewalk, different time limitations could apply because the suit would be against a public entity. In lawsuits against a town, city, or state government authority or agency, injured claimants must notify the public authority of their intent to sue within six months of their injury.
Consulting with an experienced attorney as soon as possible after a fall is always helpful in order to comply with the legal requirements and have the best chance of obtaining and preserving critical evidence.
No two slip and fall claims are exactly the same. The details of every accident are different, which means the potential value of each legal case can also vary widely. Settlements and jury awards involving slip and fall cases vary widely based on the individual facts of each case. While there is no way to answer with precision how much a slip and fall case is worth, a seasoned local lawyer who has experience handling these types of claims could give you a better understanding of what your case could be worth. Call an attorney today to discuss bringing a claim.
