Slip and fall accidents can occur almost anywhere — from a privately-owned business to government-owned property to your workplace. Unfortunately, these accidents can also transform your life in an instant.
In the aftermath of a slip and fall in Noblesville, Indiana, you may be even left with significant injuries and unexpected financial loss. After your accident, it may seem tough to know where to turn to find the support and justice you deserve.
You don’t have to seek legal justice and face these life changes on your own. Discover how a Noblesville slip and fall lawyer can help you to receive the compensation you may be owed.
- Why you should hire a lawyer after a slip and fall in Noblesville
- What you need to know about Indiana slip and fall accidents
- How Yosha Law can help
- Compensation you might seek after a Noblesville slip and fall accident
- Contact Yosha Law
Why you should hire a lawyer after a slip and fall in Noblesville
A slip-and-fall lawyer in Noblesville can help you strengthen your personal injury claim while guiding you through the legal process. Large insurance companies are often reluctant to settle claims and may lowball their settlement offers or even outright deny your claim.
Should you fail to reach an insurance settlement agreement, a lawyer with a thorough understanding of personal injury law can help you navigate the lawsuit process.
What you need to know about Indiana slip and fall accidents
Every year in the U.S., 6.8 million people are hurt in slip and fall accidents. According to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), slip and fall accidents are responsible for 5% of all female workplace fatalities and 11% of all male workplace fatalities. These accidents are also the leading cause of missed work.
In Indiana, unintentional falls are the leading cause of death for adults ages 65 and older. If you’ve been hurt in a slip and fall accident due to the negligence of another party, you may have legal recourse to recoup your losses.
The legal definition of a slip and fall
Legally, slip and fall personal injury cases are defined by where your accident occurred. If you’ve suffered emotional trauma or physical injury as a result of a fall on someone else’s property, you may have a claim to compensation.
You can pursue an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit on your own. However, a slip and fall attorney can help you with the complicated intricacies of your case. For example, a lawyer be better prepared to help you prove the premises liability or gross negligence that contributed to your fall.
What is premises liability?
In Noblesville and across the U.S., premises liability refers to a section of personal injury law for accidents that occur due to hazardous conditions on someone else’s property.
Even if your injury occurs on someone else’s property, the validity of your slip and fall claim stems from your ability to prove that the property owner’s failure to provide safe conditions led, whether directly or indirectly, to your pain and suffering. By proving negligence in your personal injury case, you may be awarded compensation.
Common causes of slip and falls in Noblesville
Every property owner in Indiana has the duty to protect any visitors. Property maintenance is a mandate for all business and residential property owners. A failure to maintain safe conditions can lead to legal liability after a fall.
Some of the common conditions that could lead to a slip and fall accident in Noblesville include the following:
- Broken furniture
- Broken stairs
- Cracks, potholes, or uneven walkways
- Exposed wiring
- Failure to adhere to building and safety codes
- Icy conditions
- Slick or wet floors
- Uneven or loose carpet or flooring
- Unlit areas on the property
Examples of injuries in a slip and fall
Although you could suffer a variety of injuries as a result of your accident, slip and fall lawyers in Noblesville see some common injuries in the claims they handle. Some of the most common injuries you might experience as a result of a slip and fall include:
- Bone fractures
- Catastrophic injury
- Emotional trauma
- Eye injury
- Facial injury
- Ligament or muscle tear
- Neck injury
- Paralysis
- Sprain
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
How Yosha Law can help
Proving liability or gross negligence after your slip and fall may feel like an insurmountable challenge. You need time to focus on your recovery without the added stress of handling a legal claim.
The slip and fall attorneys of Yosha Law understand how traumatic your accident may prove, and want to support you on the road to healing. Although just compensation won’t make up for your losses, it can help to alleviate some of your stress.
We know how to negotiate with insurance companies, and can help you strengthen your legal claim while pursuing the justice you deserve.
Our attorneys can do the following:
- Calculate your estimated compensatory damages:
We can help you calculate your damages to include a valid monetary amount of compensation and the types of damages you should seek in your slip and fall case.
- Collect evidence:
We’ll visit the scene of your fall to gather forensic evidence, including photos, videos, and the building and safety code history of the property owner. We’ll also gather medical bills and diagnosis documentation, incident and police reports, and any other pertinent evidence to prove the liability of another party.
- Determine the strength of your case:
During an initial consultation, we’ll explore the merits of your claim, and with honesty and transparency, determine the strength of your case so that you can make an informed decision about what steps to take next.
- Handle all court filings and time-sensitive paperwork:
Your slip and fall case will involve a lot of time-sensitive documents and necessary court filings. We’ll manage this paperwork for you so that you can focus on your recovery.
- Interview eyewitnesses and forensic experts:
We’ll conduct recorded interviews with any eyewitnesses to your slip and fall, and any testimony from those who can credibly attest to the impact your fall has had on your life. We may also interview forensic experts such as building and safety experts who can testify to how property conditions contributed to your injuries.
- Represent you in negotiations:
Before your personal injury case goes to court, there will likely be multiple settlement and negotiation meetings with insurance companies and the named defendants in your case. We will represent you and your best interests in these meetings.
- Fight for you in court:
95% of personal injury lawsuits are able to be settled before they’re presented to a judge and jury. However, if we fail to reach a just settlement before trial, we will passionately fight for you in court.
Compensation you might seek after a Noblesville slip and fall accident
After a slip and fall accident in Noblesville, the compensation you might be owed is broken into categories known as damages. These categories include economic (or special), non-economic (or general), and punitive damages.
Let’s take a look at some of the damages you may receive after you file a claim.
Economic damages
Economic damages cover the losses you’ve incurred that have a set, or quantifiable, monetary value. For example, if your personal property was damaged in your slip and fall accident, you might be able to claim the loss under economic damages.
Some other examples of economic damages include:
- Lost wages:
If you’ve had to take time off of work or missed out on bonuses, paid time off, or tips (as a tipped employee), you might claim these verifiable expenses under economic damages.
- Medical bills:
Any documented medical expenses that you’ve incurred as a result of your fall — including doctor’s appointments, emergency room visits, hospital stays, prescriptions, rehabilitation services, surgeries, and other medical treatment — are considered economic damages.
- Transportation costs:
If you’re unable to drive as a result of your accident and have to pay for ride share or taxi services, these quantifiable costs count as economic damages.
Non-economic damages
Non-economic damages refer to the losses you’ve incurred that do not have a set monetary value. Legally, your non-economic pain and suffering is taken into consideration for settlement amounts and court judgments. Some common non-economic damages claimed include:
- Emotional trauma:
If you’ve had to seek psychiatric help or have been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, insomnia, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of your slip and fall, you can claim this trauma as a non-economic damage.
- Loss of enjoyment:
If your fall has caused you to temporarily or permanently cease to participate in the activities that brought you joy before your accident, you might claim this as a non-economic damage.
For example, if you regularly played a sport or enjoyed physical activities that your injuries prevent you from participating in, you may deserve compensation.
- Wrongful death:
If you’re filing a claim on behalf of a loved one who perished as a result of a slip and fall, you might include a wrongful death claim. No amount of money will ease the pain of your loss, but compensation may help to alleviate your financial burden.
Punitive damages
Punitive damages are only available in slip and fall cases where a defendant has demonstrated gross negligence. Although you may include punitive damages in your claim, this compensation is more often meted out as punishment by a judge or jury.
For example, if your slip and fall is the result of a property owner’s ignored and glaring safety issue, a jury may determine that the defendant in your case must pay punitive damages on top of your initial monetary claim.
Indiana law requires 75% of a punitive damage award to be allocated to the Indiana Violent Crimes Victim Compensation Fund, and the plaintiff receives the remaining 25% of the awarded damages.
Contact Yosha Law
At Yosha Law, we fight passionately for every client. We understand that every slip and fall accident can result in trauma and that each case is different. Our slip and fall attorneys in Noblesville will walk beside you and fight for your justice as you begin walking the path toward healing.
Our clients become an extended part of our family and represent far more than just another case.
Contact us today for a free case evaluation with a Noblesville slip and fall lawyer, and together, we can navigate the legal road to just compensation.
