A sudden slip and fall can turn your reality upside down, especially if the slip makes you fall over entirely and you hit the ground hard. Spilled liquids and other wetness can cause such a slip and fall, even if you walk carefully. With the potential for wet floor accidents in Savannah to cause serious injuries, you should consider making a legal claim for those injuries after a fall. The dedicated slip and fall attorneys at Joseph J. Steffen, Jr., can help you understand your injuries, determine if you have a valid claim, and support you throughout the legal process.
A floor can become wet through a variety of causes, usually because of water collecting or other liquids ending up on the ground. A wet floor can easily cause a person to lose their footing by reducing friction between their foot and the ground.
Wet floors may not even be visible as a person walks across them, if the liquid is clear. Water that has pooled near the threshold of a building, for example, might be close to invisible, and cleaning liquids or solvents that spill might not be seen by a person before they place their foot and slip.
A slip on a wet floor can lead to serious injuries, particularly if a vulnerable part of the body hits the floor. For example, head and neck injuries can happen in a bad fall and can lead to traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord damage.
Superficial injuries may also result from a fall, including bone fractures and bruises. Injuries from a wet floor accident in Savannah often cause lasting harm, such as permanent disability and ongoing medical expenses. These consequences may support a claim for compensation.
A claim for compensation requires both proof of legal damages, the effects of injuries in compensable categories, and evidence that someone caused an accident and should be held responsible. Damages come from injuries, including medical costs, lost income (present and future), and pain and suffering, among others.
As for the responsibility for an accident, a claim must show a causal connection and a legal duty to prevent the accident. In most situations, the owner of a piece of property or the operator of a business has a duty to prevent hazardous conditions in the space they control, and wet floors may need warnings or clean-up to satisfy that duty.
With the aid of an attorney, a Savannah resident who suffers injuries in a wet floor accident can gather evidence to prove their claim, including documentation of their injuries and of how the accident occurred. A lawyer could interview witnesses and pull together a claim while a person focuses on their physical recovery.
After a fall on a wet floor, you might not realize that you are hurt, but you should make sure you receive medical attention and see if you should make a legal claim. Joseph J. Steffen, Jr., stands ready to support claims based on wet floor accidents in Savannah with a client-focused approach.
By working with an attorney from the start, you can develop your claim based on your injuries and on how you fell on a wet floor. To learn more about your possible claim, contact us to schedule your free consultation.