Slip and fall accidents can occur anywhere and at anytime, resulting in serious injuries that may not cause symptoms for days. These accidents are often caused by property owners who fail to maintain their property or warn of dangerous conditions.
If you or someone you care about has been injured in a slip and fall accident, you may be able to seek compensation for medical bills related to your injuries, lost wages, and pain and suffering, among other damages. In these situations, we recommend retaining the services of an experienced lawyer. Our Lafayette slip and fall lawyers are ready to discuss your possible legal options during a free consultation.
Galloway Jefcoat has been advocating for personal injury victims for more than two decades and has obtained millions in compensation on our clients’ behalf. While each case depends upon its own facts, members of the firm have routinely recovered in the six figures for slip and fall victims. Founder John Jefcoat is an active member of the Louisiana Association of Justice and a member of The National Trial Lawyers – Top 100, an organization comprised of the nation’s premier trial lawyers.
It costs nothing to speak with a member of our legal team. We do not charge any upfront fees for our services, and we do not get paid unless you do, which means there is no risk or legal obligation involved.
Free and Confidential Case Reviews. Ph: 337-984-8020
How Do I Know If I Have a Slip and Fall Case?
A number of factors will need to be considered to determine whether the property owner failed to provide a safe environment, such as the length of time the hazard was present. This is why it is best to consult with a lawyer. Our firm is ready to assess if you have a valid case at no cost to you.
While each case is unique, you generally need to prove a few things to have a valid case:
- The existence of a dangerous or hazardous condition on the property
- The property owner was aware or should have been aware of the dangerous condition
- He or she failed to prevent or fix the dangerous condition or failed to warn visitors about it
- The dangerous condition was the direct cause of you sustaining an injury on the property
Galloway Jefcoat. Licensed. Local. Lawyers. 337-984-8020
Compensation for Slip and Fall Victims
A slip and fall accident can cause a variety of injuries, depending on how the victim fell and landed. Serious injury to the back, neck and spine often requires extensive medical care and physical therapy. In severe cases, a slip and fall victim may become disabled, requiring around-the-clock care.
The compensation amount you may be eligible to receive will be based on your unique situation, from the type and extent of your injury to treatments you have undergone and your expected recovery time.
Our Lafayette slip and fall attorneys are prepared to pursue the maximum compensation possible for your injuries and damages. Past and future medical bills routinely make up a large portion of a personal injury settlement or verdict, including the cost of:
- Hospital stays
- Emergency services
- Surgical procedures
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Doctor’s visits
- Imaging and diagnostic tests
- Medications
If you have a valid claim, you may also be able to recover loss of income while being unable to work and loss of earning capacity if your injury has become permanent and you can no longer maintain employment.
In the event you are partially to blame for the slip and fall, you may still be compensated, but your compensation amount will be reduced based on your percentage of fault. This is in accordance with Louisiana’s comparative fault rule. Under this law, you can recover compensation regardless of your percentage of fault.
Why Should I Hire a Lawyer to Help Me?
When you hire an experienced slip and fall lawyer, you can rest assured that he or she will protect your rights and best interests. Victims who retain legal representation often receive more compensation than those who do not.
Our slip and fall lawyers in Lafayette are prepared to help build a strong case if we validate your claim. This process commonly involves:
- Performing a detailed accident investigation to determine the hazard that caused your injury
- Collecting photos, video footage, maintenance reports and other evidence to prove negligence
- Using a medical expert to assess how your injuries have affected your work and personal life
- Speaking with witnesses who may have seen the slip and fall and can provide valuable insight
- Reviewing the accident report and any previous incident reports filed about the property
- Negotiating for a full and fair settlement from the insurance company on your behalf
If it is absolutely necessary, we are also prepared to go to court. Our lawyers are well-versed in handling defenses often used by property owners in slip and fall cases:
- You were not allowed on the property or in the area you were injured
- The dangerous or hazardous condition should have been obvious to you
- You were not paying attention to where you were walking on the property
- You were not wearing the right footwear while on the property
Read what our clients have to say about our services.
Establishing Liability for Your Slip and Fall Injury
All property owners have a duty to protect their visitors from dangerous conditions. Under state law, when a property owner fails to exercise reasonable care, he or she may be held liable for any damages.
Your legal status at the time of the slip and fall accident may also impact your claim for compensation. Generally, visitors are considered one of the following:
Invitee
An invitee is someone who is invited by the owner to enter the property for business-related purposes. This includes retail, grocery, restaurant and retail customers. Invitees are owed the highest duty of care.
Merchants, for instance, must keep the aisles, passageways and floors of a store in a reasonably safe condition. A merchant could be held responsible for injuries to invitees if it can be proven that the dangerous condition presented an unreasonable risk of harm, he or she should have known that the condition existed and the merchant did not take the appropriate care to fix the issue.
Licensee
A licensee is someone who has the owner’s expressed permission to enter the property for non-business purposes. This includes friends, family members and neighbors. A property owner could be held responsible for injuries to licensees if he or she failed to warn them of any unreasonable risks.
Trespassers
A trespasser is someone who enters the property without the owner’s permission. Property owners do not owe a duty to trespassers – this includes keeping the property free from hazards – but they could be held liable if they intentionally cause a trespasser harm.
These cases can be complex and time-consuming, which is why we recommend consulting with our experienced legal team at Galloway Jefcoat. We know how to establish liability for a slip and fall.
Is There a Deadline to File a Case in Louisiana?
Louisiana has a one-year deadline for personal injury cases. In order to take legal action against a negligent property owner, you must do so within one year from the date of the injury. Otherwise, the case will likely be dismissed. Certain exceptions may also shorten or extended this deadline.
We encourage you to speak with our qualified slip and fall lawyers in Lafayette sooner rather than later. We want nothing more than to help you get the compensation you need after a slip and fall accident.
Need legal help? Call 337-984-8020 to get started.
Where Slip and Falls Commonly Happen
Slip and fall accidents can happen in different public and privately-owned properties, such as:
- Grocery stores
- Shopping centers
- Restaurants
- Construction areas
- Office buildings
- Hotels and resorts
- Nursing homes
- Parking lots and public garages
Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
When a property is not properly maintained by the owner, some dangerous conditions that may result in a slip and fall include, but are not limited to:
- Wet or slippery floors
- Cracked or damaged tiles
- Loose flooring or carpeting
- Damaged stair rails or treads
- Uneven surfaces and sidewalks
- Poorly-lit walkways
- Debris in aisles, hallways or walkways
- Parking lot potholes
Slip and fall accidents cause many types of injuries including:
- Broken bones
- Cuts and bruises
- Concussions
- Whiplash
- Sprained ankles or wrists
- Shoulder dislocations or muscle strains
- Spine and nerve damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
Our Lafayette Slip and Fall Attorneys Are Here to Help
If you have been involved in a slip and fall accident, our attorneys at Galloway Jefcoat are available to help discuss your available legal options. You may be eligible to pursue compensation for your injures and damages. We have recovered millions in compensation for our clients over more than 20 years.
Our initial consultations are completely free and confidential. You are not obligated to hire our firm even after we determine your claim has merit. We also work on a contingency fee basis, so there are no upfront fees for our services. We only get paid if we help you recover compensation.
Our office in Lafayette is located about 15 minutes from the Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center.
Contact us today for help. Ph: 337-984-8020
June 11, 2021
Lafayette Parish