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Unsafe property conditions are a common premises liability case when a slip, trip, and fall accident occurs. While the average slip and fall injury can result in minor injuries, bruises, or scrapes, other slip and fall accidents can lead to severe harm such as brain injury, spinal cord injury, herniated discs, broken bones, or even death.
If a person has suffered an injury from hazardous office conditions, it may be best to speak to the Long Island slip and fall lawyers at The Law Office of Carl Maltese.
Common Injuries from a Slip and Fall Personal Injury
Many injuries can occur from a slip and fall. Below is listed some of the injuries that can happen from this kind of personal injury:
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Shoulder injuries - May sometimes require surgery to fix an injury from a fall accident. A brachial plexus injury or shoulder dislocation can be harrowing and may need physical therapy to be corrected.
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Fractures and Sprains - Fractures, sprains, and strains are common after a slip and fall incident. It can be one of the more devastating accidents in older people due to their thinner and weaker bones. It's simple to easily sprain or fracture tendons and feelable bones when the entire body's weight falls on the ground.
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Spinal cord injuries - A slip and fall accident may cause the vertebrae to move out of place upon impact. This makes it more difficult to move throughout the day and is incredibly painful. Spinal cord injuries can lead to neurological issues and be painful or result in full-blown paralysis.
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Hip fractures - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that more than 95% of broken hips happen because of slip and fall injuries. An even more remarkable statistic shows that one out of five people who suffered from a hip break will perish.
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Head injuries - The top cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are slip and fall accidents. These symptoms can be paralyzing and debilitating, whether life-long seizures or a mild cranium trauma that heals itself.
It's essential to take care of a person's health after a slip and fall accident in Long Island, New York. The injured party should tell someone what happened, including describing their injuries, and they should file an official complaint with the property owner, store manager, or other parties. People should also take photos of the accident scene and any bruises, lacerations, or broken bones.
Then, the person should visit a hospital for immediate medical attention or request an ambulance. It is essential not to delay medical care as this could damage someone's chance to pursue compensation owed.
Prompt medical attention is best for a person's personal injury claim and excellent for their emotional health. Broken bones, such as fractures to the wrists and hips, are regularly seen in slip and fall accidents. An individual may have an injury and not feel any symptoms due to the overload of Epinephrine from the accident.
It is essential always to visit a hospital for a checkup even if the person does not feel like they are injured. Brain and head injuries may have delayed symptoms, but for the best outcome still require fast treatment.
Once the individual is on the mend, they can address what might have caused the slip and fall accident. They can start inspecting the area where they fell, get a copy of their incident report, and talk to eyewitnesses. Insurance company claim adjusters may contact the person and ask them for a statement, and it's important not to give them one.
Victims of slip and fall injuries should contact The Law Office of Carl Maltese for a free consultation to see how one of their experienced Long Island slip and fall lawyers can help bring the case to court. A slip and fall accident attorney and personal injury lawyer can help the person file a premises liability case in Long Island, assign liability, and investigate injured parties.
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Property Owners Can Be Liable for Slip and Fall Accidents
Long Island property owners have the responsibility to keep visitors and guests safe. The specific duty owed to persons visiting the premises depends on why the person is visiting.
Invitee
Someone is considered invited when they visit premises for business purposes, and they benefit the owner by being there. Invitees can include shoppers, restaurants patrons, and hotel guests.
Owners owe the more significant duty of care to invitees in New York. An owner must regularly warn guests of potential hazards, inspect the property for damages, and fix them upon discovery to avoid fall accidents, slip and trip incidents, plus severe injuries.
Licensee
An individual is considered a licensee when they visit a property for social purposes. The best example is when someone visits a family or friend's home and has not been invited there for the owner's financial or business benefit. Owners are not required to go through such great lengths to protect the person as a licensee. No statute says that they must inspect their place for hazards related to personal injury. However, the visitor must be forewarned if there is are known dangers.
Trespasser
Trespassers are people who enter a property without consent or permission. However, it is imperative to note that the landlord does have a duty to protect trespassers from a known dangerous condition if the owner shouldn't know or knew the intruder could enter the property.
Property Owners Can Be Liable for Slip and Fall Accidents
Successful slip and fall accident lawyers in Long Island can assist someone gets the compensation they deserve. If the court rules that someone else's property was part of the reason the plaintiff was injured, the defendant would have to pay the injured party a settlement offer. The damages awarded could include payment for the following losses; these include but are not limited to:
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Funeral/burial expenses for the loss of a loved one
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Lost enjoyment of life due to a disability
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Property damages
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Lost wages and capacity to earn
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Physical pain and suffering
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Emotional distress
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Medical bills and expenses, past and future
There is no cap on damages in the state of New York. A person has the right to seek full recovery for all past and future slip and fall-related injuries, and they need to do this through the civil court system; the best way to do it is with the help of the correct Long Island slip and fall lawyers.
Dealing with the right slip and fall accident lawyers increases people's chances of recovering the maximum compensation for their slip and fall incidents and symptoms. The Law Office of Carl Maltese has used skill and litigation strategies to help its clients recover millions of dollars in the last decade.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
Hazards at premises are among the most common causes of slip, trip, and fall accidents in Long Island. Any hazards that can be unreasonably dangerous for property visitors to walk could lead to a slip and fall accident. Below are some of the most common reasons why slip and fall accidents occur:
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Cluttered aisles
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No available handrails
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Inadequate lighting
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Uneven curbs
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Ice-covered parking lot
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Loose carpeting
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Debris in the walkway
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Wet or slick floors
The property owner is responsible for preventing and investigating any potential slip and fall hazards. If the risks are discovered, a property owner must remedy these issues to avoid accidents.
Slip and fall injuries can happen anywhere - private property, public, outdoors, or indoors. Injuries suffered on someone else's property, whether in a commercial building or shop, at home, or on a sidewalk, are caused by the complete disregard for the safety of others or due to negligent maintenance routines.
If someone has been injured by a slip and fall or a trip and fall on a defective sidewalk, icy sidewalk, or a parking lot, those responsible may be liable for the person's injuries.
The Law Office of Carl Maltese Handles All Slip and Fall Accident Cases
A slip and fall accident can happen anywhere, and the lawyers at The Law Office of Carl Maltese understand this. These slip and fall lawyers can represent clients who have suffered injuries in this type of incident. Below is a list of locations that a slip and fall attorney can cover; these include but are not limited to:
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Hospitals
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Parking lots
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Office parks and buildings
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Hotels
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Apartment complexes
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Sports arenas, stadiums, and complexes
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Museums
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Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, Target, and other big-box stores
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Shopping malls
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Grocery stores
If someone has called and suffered injuries because of a negligent property owner, The Law Office of Carl Maltese is here to help them. Our lawyers offer an excellent attorney-client relationship, have a free legal consultation, and provide victims with detailed information about their potential liability claims.
Slip and Fall Accidents in Stores
Freshly mopped floors at the mall, spilled milk in a grocery store aisle, and incorrect carpet placement can cause slip and fall accidents. If a New Yorker suffers a slip and fall injury while in a store in Long Island, it's good to contact the store manager and explain what happened to them. Then, they should explore their legal rights at a free case review with a Long Island slip and fall lawyer. The individual or company that owns the store may be liable for the person's damages if a prudent and reasonable owner could have prevented the incident.
The Law Office of Carl Maltese in Long Island team isn't afraid to go up against the most well-known and most prominent corporations in Nassau County on behalf of their clients.
Slip and Fall on Government Property
There are many possibilities for a trip and fall or slip and fall accident involving municipal claims in Long Island between government property, government workers, public sidewalks, and public transit.
A person only has 15 months to file a claim (less than half the three years for other types of personal injury cases) when an accident happens on government property. They must notify the city within 90 days of the accident if they intend to file a claim. Many New York Towns have a "prior written notice" statute of limitations to make matters worse.
In these counties, an individual cannot apply the rule of constructive knowledge, meaning property owners should have known about the dangers and be liable for it, but only if there was a written notice.
If the prior written notice statute is in place, and the owner had previously received written notices about a dangerous condition yet failed to remedy it before the accident occurred, only then is the town liable.
Property Owner Liability
Someone who owns a property is responsible for keeping their land or buildings reasonably safe. The owner may be liable for the person's injuries if they should have known that the dangerous conditions existed at the time of the accident.
Older adults who have weakened bones, are in unstable conditions, and are often less stable on their feet are the ones who can be affected by hazardous property conditions the most. An older person is more likely to experience serious injury for a Long Island slip and fall incident.
Most people think that a slip and fall accident is their own fault in many cases. However, this is not always the case. If someone holds the property owner or appropriate party responsible, they can prevent others from experiencing similar misfortune. Dangerous property conditions should not be taken lightly because a slip or trip and fall can result in a life-threatening situation.
Falls on Uneven Pavements or Stairs
ripping and falling on uneven stairs or pavements is another common type of accident. Everyone has seen raised sidewalks or loose railings and thought, "Wow, that is an accident just waiting to happen!" These are typically accidents that have happened there, or future ones are about to occur.
Some accidents are 100% preventable with common courtesy and proper maintenance, which is excellent news for property owners. However, the responsibility to keep agents and customers safe is often overlooked by many businesses across Long Island. When this happens, these companies can be held liable for any injuries people sustain on their property.
Whether someone fell on a slippery floor or tripped down a crumbling staircase, they should be aware that they have legal options and the potential to recover significant compensation.
Slip and Fall Accident Statistics
One of the most common reasons for premises liability lawsuits is slip, trip, and fall accidents. According to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), more than 8 million emergency room visits in the United States come from fall accidents every year. Approximately 1 million people visit hospitals due to slips and falls in particular. Slip and fall accidents are prevalent for older people, at higher risk of suffering serious injuries. About six percent of slip and fall victims experience bone fractures, of which hip damage is the most serious.
In elderly folk (those 55 and older), slip and falls are the leading cause of compensations claims. Statistics reveal that one in three people over 65 will suffer a fall each year. With each decade of life, the risk of falling increases. Right at home, many older adults suffer from slip and fall accidents. However, it happens in restaurants, stores, or nursing homes in some cases. Slips and falls occur much too often for them to be preventable. It's the job of Long Island slip and fall attorneys or a fall accident lawyer to hold the property owner responsible for causing these personal injuries.
Collecting Evidence After Fall Injuries
Collecting the evidence needed to show that someone else's negligent acts caused the person's injury is the first step towards resolving a successful claim. The Law Office of Carl Maltese has years of experience assisting people in gathering the correct proof and getting the maximum compensation they deserve.
Wherever someone experienced their accident or fall, the legal team at Maltese Law Firm suggest taking the following steps:
Take Pictures
Everybody knows the saying; a picture is worth a thousand words. Taking photos of the area where the person fell can show the dangerous conditions that caused their injuries. They should be sure to include pictures of their injuries too. Fresh photos can best show the accident severity as the wound can heal quickly.
Get an Accident Report
If someone's accident happens in a public place such as a gas station, public building, or grocery store, they should be sure to file an accident report. A person can do this by contacting the store manager or owner, who must have a recorded statement. The injured party must get a copy of the report too!
Collect Evidence
It's important to note that preserving evidence for the courts is crucial. This includes any items that may have caused the person to fall, plus shoes or clothing that they were wearing at the time.
Finding the Right Long Island Slip and Fall Lawyer for the Case
Finally, people want to find the best lawyer in Long Island for their case. The legal team of slip and fall attorneys at The Law Office of Carl Maltese has resolved thousands of slip and fall cases in New York, and each lawyer has been meticulously trained to help victims receive the maximum settlement.
Dealing with a Long Island slip and fall injury lawyer is the best way to get medical bills or lost wages covered. Personal injury and fall accident lawyers take severe injuries seriously and offer an initial free consultation.
Medical treatment after a fall injury case is often a tedious process; that is why it is best to search for one of the best Long Island injury lawyers. People need to let a passionate personal injury lawyer help them with workers' compensation claims or off-site cases through a free case review.