Marion Slip-and-Fall Lawyer

Injuries caused by a slip or fall accident can leave you out of work and facing financial and physical hardship. To ensure you have financial access to the best medical care and are compensated for your losses, consult with a slip-and-fall lawyer in Marion as soon as you are able. Your personal injury lawyer will work to secure a settlement to help you recover.

What to Do Following a Slip or Fall in Marion

Protecting your health is your first priority. If it is unsafe for you to move after you slip or fall, stay put until emergency services arrive. 

If you are with another person, or if movement will not cause further injury, begin collecting evidence from the scene of your fall. 

• Take photos and video of the area in which your fall occurred. If a carelessly placed object, icy walkway, wet floor, poorly lit staircase, raised sidewalk, or other obstacle caused your fall, be certain to focus on them. 
• If others witnessed your fall, ask for their contact information.
• Report your injury to the owner or manager of the property right away.

Seek Medical Attention and Legal Representation

If your injuries do not require immediate transport to a hospital, you must still seek medical attention promptly after your fall. Damage caused by some injuries, such as those to the head or back, do not always surface right away. Shock and adrenaline can also numb or dull your pain.

Delaying medical attention will hurt your health and your case. Prompt treatment can prevent injuries from worsening. Delayed treatment may exacerbate injuries and make it difficult for you to prove your damages were caused by the initial fall and not because you postponed treatment.

Once your immediate safety is secure, consult with a Marion slip-and-fall lawyer from Gatti, Keltner, Bienvenu, and Montesi PLC. Your lawyer will manage all aspects of your case and advocate for your best interests.

You Must Prove Negligence to Receive a Settlement from a Slip-and-Fall Claim

For another party to be held financially responsible for compensating you for your injuries, you must prove that party’s negligence is the reason for your fall.

Proving Duty of Care

For the defendant to be culpable, you must first show they owed you a duty of care. This duty is the defendant’s obligation to perform or refrain from actions to preserve your safety. For example, if a home or store or business owner invites you to their property and you must climb a set of steps that includes a weakened stair, the owner must at least provide a warning of that weakness so you can walk with care, or provide a safer point of entry. 

Proving Breach of Duty

The next step is to show the property owner breached, or failed to fulfill, their duty of care. If you are not warned of a weakened step, wet floor, or another obstacle, the property owner may be in breach of their duty.

Proving the Breach Caused Your Injuries and Damages

You need to prove the breach of duty is the reason for your fall and subsequent injuries. Then, you must show the injuries resulted in measurable damages.

Your Marion slip-and-fall attorney is best-equipped to collect and present evidence proving the at-fault party’s negligence. Gathering medical reports, requesting and accessing surveillance footage from the accident scene, and communicating with witnesses, property owners, and all other relevant parties is a stressful process for someone recovering from injuries and not experienced with the law or legal proceedings. Your lawyer will remove that stress and manage the process with expertise.

Your Slip-and-Fall Attorney in Marion Will Fight for a Settlement to Meet Your Needs

Slip, trip, or fall-related injuries can lead to muscle and nerve damage, bone breaks, head trauma, serious neck and spinal cord injuries, damage to the brain, internal bleeding, and chronic pain. 

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports over 800,000 patients per year are treated in hospitals for fall-related injuries. These injuries can prevent you from working and earning income, sometimes permanently. They also require medical interventions, sometimes for the long term. 

These outcomes bring financial costs and emotional stress to your life. A Marion slip-and-fall lawyer will work toward your financial recovery, and that recovery will also alleviate some of your emotional distress.

Damages You Can Recover

Your lawyer will examine your situation thoroughly and determine the amount of a settlement to cover your needs and hold the at-fault party responsible for their negligence. All cases are different, but your settlement will most likely:

• Recoup money spent on medical interventions and secure finances for your future fall-related medical needs. 
• Provide financial acknowledgment of and compensation for your emotional distress, physical pain, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Recover lost wages from missed work and account for lost potential income if your injuries prevent you from ever returning to work.

Negotiating a Settlement

At-fault parties will fight hard to avoid paying you compensation. Their agenda is to protect their assets, and they often go to great and even unethical lengths to avoid a payout. Sometimes, they act as if they are doing the victim a favor by offering a paltry amount. 

A person without knowledge of the law or how insurance companies operate and who is suffering through recovery can easily be taken in by these tactics. Your Marion slip-and-fall lawyer will not be taken in by these tactics and will not settle for less than what you rightly deserve. If the at-fault party refuses to make a fair offer, your lawyer will explain your options and give you sound advice. 

Should you choose to take your case to court, your lawyer will represent you in all legal proceedings.

Take the First Step Toward Financial Recovery Today

The first step toward a settlement is simple and comes at no risk to you. Visit the Gatti, Keltner, Bienvenu, and Montesi PLC contact page to call or send a message to set up your free consultation with a caring, expert Marion slip-and-fall lawyer. Your lawyer will take the next steps for you, moving your case through the legal process and toward financial relief, and will not take any payment until your settlement is secured.