Fort Worth Slip and Fall Lawyers

Brad Parker, the founder and slip and fall accident lawyer, Parker Law Firm. Speaks about what you should look for when hiring an personal injury attorney.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury. The CDC also reports that more than 800,000 patients a year are hospitalized because of a slip and fall injury, with falls being the most common cause of traumatic brain injury.

Certain conditions make it more probable that someone may experience a slip and fall. These risk factors include:

• Lower body weakness
• Vitamin D deficiency (that is, not enough vitamin D in your system)
• Difficulties with walking and balance
• Use of medicines, such as tranquilizers, sedatives, or antidepressants. Even some over-the-counter medicines can affect balance and how steady you are on your feet.
• Vision problems
• Foot pain or poor footwear

While there are risk factors that may lead to a slip and fall accident, most of these occurrences are totally preventable. If you are involved in a slip and fall accident due to someone else’s negligence, contact the Fort Worth slip and fall lawyers at Parker Law Firm.

Our positive outcome wouldn’t have been possible without the guidance we got from Parker Law Firm.

–CN., Parker Law Firm client

Losses and Compensation in Tripping and Falling Cases

The compensation that is available in a slip-and-fall case is typically limited to your losses. The goal is to compensate you, not to make you better off than you were before. However, the extent of those losses is not confined to your medical expenses. Compensation is meant to cover your:

• Medical bills
• Costs of anticipated future medical care
• Lost income and wages
• Reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium
• Other expenses stemming from the accident, such as a wheelchair, crutches or home modifications related to accessibility needs

Tips for Avoiding Workplace Slip and Fall Accidents

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is in place to help ensure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance. Even though employers are responsible for the safety of all of their workers, these are some tips to keep employees from suffering a slip and fall accident:

• If you see something you might slip or trip on, tell your supervisor right away.
• Clean up spills and anything slippery. Check with your supervisor about how to use cleaning products. Don’t use cleaners that could make the floor slippery.
• Clear walkways, stairs, and lobbies of anything that might be a tripping hazard, such as cords, wires, empty boxes, and clutter.
• Make sure that floor mats lay flat rather than wrinkled or bunched.
• Use handrails when you walk up and down steps.
• Before using any ladder or stepladder, make sure it opens fully.
• Check that ladder extensions are fully locked and that the ladder legs are stable on a flat, non-slippery surface.
• Clean off any slippery material on the rungs, steps, or feet of a ladder before you use it.
• Don’t go over the load limit noted on the ladder.

What to Do After Your Slip and Fall Accident

A slip and fall accident can occur when you least expect it – such as while you are at work or shopping at a store. Fall accidents often occur due to negligence, such as a property owner ignoring a known slip and fall hazard. In this scenario, you may be able to collect compensation for your injuries. Protect your right to file by taking the right actions after a bad fall in Fort Worth.

1. Don’t Move and Check for Injuries

Try not to make any sudden movements after you fall, such as jumping back on your feet right away. This could exacerbate an injury – something that can be especially dangerous if you hurt your back or spine. Instead, take a moment to check for any sharp pains, aching or other sensations.

2. Tell Someone about Your Slip and Fall Accident

Inform a supervisor or manager if you fell down at a business, your employer if you fell at work, or the property owner if you fell on private property. Be sure to report the fall accident to someone before you leave the premises.

3. Take Photographs and Gather Evidence

Take pictures with your cellphone or a camera of the dangerous property element that made you fall, such as a puddle of water or exposed cord. Write down who you spoke to at the store or business. Include the names of anyone who saw you fall, along with their contact information. They could serve as eyewitnesses for your claim later. I

4. Seek Medical Attention

Always go to a doctor’s office or hospital after a slip and fall accident in Fort Worth. Going to the hospital can diagnose an injury and put you on the road to a full recovery. It can also show an insurance company that you did what you could to mitigate your losses, rather than exacerbating your injuries by not seeing a doctor.

5. File an Insurance Claim

Once you have tended to your medical needs, call the correct insurance company to file your injury claim.

6. Contact a Slip and Fall Lawyer

A lawyer can help you file a premises liability claim before the state’s two-year deadline. 

Call Parker Law Firm Slip and Fall Attorneys in Fort Worth

When you are involved in a personal injury case in Texas, it can be an adversarial process. The responsible party, insurance companies, and even medical providers may try to minimize your injuries to protect their own interests. You need information and advice from someone who has been there before. The slip and fall lawyers at Parker Law Firm will work with you to ease the burden.