What to Know About Slip and Fall Accidents in Texas

Slip and Fall Accidents Attorney in Texas

Slip and fall accidents are a type of premises liability claim. Slip and fall accidents can occur on any type of property, but they are most common in places like grocery stores, restaurants, and office buildings. Slips and falls can also occur on public property, such as sidewalks and parks. Slip and fall accidents are often caused by dangerous or unsafe conditions on the premises, such as wet floors, loose carpeting, or icy walkways. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident in Texas, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. To learn more about your legal rights after a slip and fall accident, contact an experienced slip and fall accidents attorney from Scott M. Brown & Associates in Texas today.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a slip and fall accident, you need the help of an experienced personal injury attorney. The attorneys at Scott M. Brown & Associates have the experience and knowledge to get you the compensation you deserve. So, if you or someone you know has been injured in a slip and fall accident, call Scott M. Brown & Associates today for a case evaluation. We’re here to help.

Why Do I Need a Slip and Fall Accidents Attorney in Texas?

Slip and fall accidents can be serious, and they often occur when someone else is at fault. If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, you may be wondering if you need a slip and fall accident attorney in Texas. The answer is that it depends on the specific circumstances of your case. 

A competent slip and fall accident attorney will have experience handling personal injury case and will know how to get you the compensation you deserve. They will also be familiar with the laws governing slip and fall accidents in Texas and will fight to get you the best possible outcome. 

What Is a Slip and Fall Accident?

Slip and fall accidents are governed by a specific area of law known as premises liability. In Texas, premises liability is defined as “the legal responsibility of a landowner or occupier to prevent an unsafe condition or dangerous condition on their premise or property.” This means that landowners and occupiers have a duty to take reasonable steps to ensure that their property is safe for guests and invitees. 

Slip and fall accidents can occur on both public and private property, and can be caused by various factors, such as slippery floors, holes or defects in the flooring, or poorly-lit stairwells. 

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Contact a personal injury attorney to learn more about your legal rights and options.

Premises Liability

Slip and fall accidents are the most common type of premises liability claim. They can occur on any type of property, but they’re especially common in businesses, such as grocery stores and restaurants, where there is a lot of foot traffic. Slip and fall accidents can also occur on public property, such as sidewalks and park benches. 

In Texas, a property owner is only liable for a slip and fall accident if the owner was aware of the hazard and failed to take reasonable steps to fix it. For example, if there was a puddle of water on the floor and the owner knew about it but didn’t clean it up or warn customers, the owner could be held liable if someone slipped and fell in the puddle.

Texas law requires property owners to exercise reasonable care in maintaining their property for all visitors. The level of care required depends on the visitor’s status on the property. There are three categories of visitors: invitees, licensees, and trespassers.

Invitee

Property owners in Texas have a duty to keep their property safe for invitees. An invitee is someone who has been given express or implied permission to enter the property. If a property owner knows about a dangerous situation on their property and does nothing to fix it or warn people about it, they can be held responsible for any injuries that happen because of that condition.

Licensees

Licensees are people who have the landowner’s express or implicit authorization to enter for their own reasons. The landowner owes a licensee a lesser responsibility to warn of harmful situations that cause undue risk of injury if the landowner knows about the condition and the licensee is unlikely to discover it.

Trespassers

Trespassers are people who go onto someone else’s property without permission. Usually, landowners don’t have to take care of trespassers other than making sure they don’t get hurt on purpose.

Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents are a common type of premises liability accident that can occur on another person’s property. Slip and fall accidents can happen when there is ice or snow accumulation, wet or greasy floors, concealed extension cords, loose rugs or carpets, and loose or broken flooring, walkways, steps, or stairs.

Common Injury in Slip and Fall accident

Fractured Bones

In Texas, these accidents commonly occur on icy or wet surfaces, resulting in hip, wrist, and ankle fractures. Slip and fall accidents can be especially dangerous for elderly individuals, as age increases the risk of breaking a bone. 

However, it is important to note that age or health at the moment of the accident does not matter legally. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a slip-and-fall accident, you may be able to get money for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages.

Soft Tissue Injury

Soft tissue injuries are injuries to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They vary in severity, from ankle and wrist sprains to ligament ruptures. Slip and fall accidents can also cause chronic pain and discomfort. 

If you have been in a slip and fall accident, it is important to get medical assistance, even if you feel fine. This is because soft tissue injuries are often asymptomatic.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury can be caused by anything from small bumps, bruises, and concussions to skull fractures, hematomas, and bleeding under the brain. Severe Traumatic Brain Injury can impair brain function, produce seizures, and reduce body control.

Broken Hips

A broken hip is when the ball part of the hip joint cracks or breaks. The ball part of the hip may also be damaged. Slip and fall accidents are the most common cause of a broken hip. The CDC reports that falls cause 95% of broken hips.

Hip fractures usually require surgery to put the pieces back together. A metal rod is inserted through the thighbone to stabilize it. Screws and plates may also be used to hold the bone in place while it heals. 

The surgery usually takes place within a few days of the injury. You will likely spend a week in the hospital after surgery. Nursing home rehabilitation is often necessary for seniors who have had a hip fracture.

In some cases, an artificial hip may be implanted instead of repairing the existing one. This is more common in people over age 60 who have other health problems that make surgery riskier.

Ankles/Wrists Sprained

These injuries, while not severe, can nonetheless greatly affect your quality of life. You may not be able to type, cook, or button your shirt. An ankle sprain may prevent you from walking. Slip and fall accidents can damage victims’ quality of life in a very real way.

Cuts/Abrasions

Head wounds, arm wounds, and leg wounds are common in slip and fall accidents. These injuries usually just need minor treatment and sutures. However, cuts and abrasions may be accompanied by concussions and fractured bones if the fall is severe enough. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible to ensure that your injuries are properly treated.

Spinal Cord/Back Injury

Slip-and-fall accidents are a leading cause of back and spinal cord injuries. These accidents can fracture vertebrae or result in slipped or herniated discs, causing significant discomfort and mobility issues. In some cases, spinal cord injuries can even cause paralysis, neurologic and sensory deficits, or death. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, falls are responsible for a fifth of all spinal cord injuries overall and are the most common cause of such injuries in elderly people. Given the potentially devastating consequences of these accidents, it is crucial that employers do everything possible to prevent slips and falls from happening in their workplaces.

Neck/Shoulder Injury

Slip and fall accidents are the leading cause of shoulder dislocation, and can also result in collarbone fractures, spinal cord injuries, and paralysis. In Texas, slip and fall accidents account for more than 25% of all emergency room visits each year.

Knee Damage

When you slip and fall, you might twist your knee, which can damage the ligaments. The most common knee injuries from a slip and fall are to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). These injuries can take a long time to heal and might require surgery. In some cases, you might need knee reconstruction if you damage ligaments and dislocate your patella. 

Making a Slip and Fall Accident Claim

Inform the property owner of the accident.

Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere, to anyone. If you are injured on commercial property, you must report the accident to the highest-ranking employee. If the accident happened on public property and there is no need for emergency responders, you must report the accident that day, if possible. 

While not reporting an injury immediately will not prevent you from suing, it is always best to report the accident as soon as possible, especially if there were no witnesses.  Insurance companies and juries tend to question claims without witnesses that are not reported the next day. So if you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, don’t delay- report it today.

Obtain the witnesses’ names.

If you have been the victim of a slip-and-fall accident, it is important to obtain the witnesses’ names and contact information if possible. Slip-and-fall witnesses are important because they can help to establish liability in a slip-and-fall accident case. 

In Texas, for example, a landowner can only be held liable for a slip-and-fall accident if the landowner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition that caused the accident. A witness who saw the dangerous condition and reported it to the landowner prior to the accident can help to establish that the landowner knew or should have known about the condition. 

So, if you have been in a slip-and-fall accident, be sure to get the details of the witnesses so that your injury lawyer can talk to them and see if they can help prove who was at fault in your case.

Quickly take photographs.

If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, it’s important to take quick action in order to ensure that you have the best possible chance of winning your case. Whenever possible, snap photos of the accident scene. 

If you’re mobile and have a camera, take as many photos as possible before leaving the scene. If you don’t have a camera or can’t take images after your injury, have a friend or relative take them as soon as possible.

Time is of the essence when it comes to slip and fall accidents, so it’s important to act quickly in order to preserve evidence.

Get needed medical care.

Whether you’re walking through a store or working in an office, a slip and fall accident can occur in the blink of an eye. And if you’re not careful, these accidents can quickly turn serious. As such, it’s important to seek medical care immediately after a slip and fall accident. 

Insurance companies often presume that you weren’t hurt in a slip and fall accident if you didn’t seek medical assistance right away. As a result, you could end up footing the bill for your own medical expenses. So if you’ve been hurt in a slip and fall accident, don’t wait to see a doctor-get the care you need right away.

Tell your doctors how you got hurt.

Slip and fall accidents can be serious, and it’s important to tell your doctor how the accident happened. Medical records are a crucial piece of evidence in slip and fall cases, so it’s important to be consistent about how you were injured.

Complete accident report forms accurately.

In Texas, property owners are not required by law to file an accident report, but many choose to do so in order to document the incident and protect themselves from liability. 

When filing an accident report, it is important to be accurate in your description of the events leading up to the accident, as well as the injuries you sustained.

Never provide an insurer with a taped statement.

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, it is important that you seek legal counsel before providing any statements to the insurance company. The insurance adjuster may call or visit you after you have reported the accident and try to get a recorded statement from you about the accident and your injuries. Slip-and-fall cases don’t require this. 

If you don’t have a lawyer, such a statement won’t help. Without a lawyer, do not provide an insurer a taped statement. Your best course of action is to seek legal counsel so that you can fully understand your rights before giving any type of statement to the insurance company.

Don’t miss medical appointments.

Slip and fall accidents can result in serious injuries that may have a long-term impact on your health. If you miss medical appointments after a slip and fall accident, the insurance company (and the jury) may conclude that your injuries are not severe or that you have recovered. 

Slip and fall accidents are common but often go unnoticed until it’s too late. Seeking medical attention immediately is essential to ensure you get the care and compensation you deserve.

Call Our Competent Slip and Fall Accident Attorney Now!

Slip and fall accidents can be very serious, often leading to broken bones or other injuries. If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, it’s important to seek experienced legal representation as soon as possible. 

At Scott M. Brown & Associates, our experienced slip and fall accident attorneys in Texas have years of experience in these personal injury cases. We know how to investigate and build a strong injury case on your behalf. 

Contact our law firm today to schedule a case evaluation. We’ll review your case and help you understand your legal options.