Slippery Slope: What You Should Do When You Fall Hard

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), slips and falls are one of the leading causes of unintentional injuries in the United States, accounting for approximately 8.9 million visits to the emergency room annually. Just like it sounds, when someone slips on a surface, the slip typically results in a fall. Children and adults 55 and older are more prone to being victims of slips and falls.

Common locations where slips and falls occur include:

• Wet walkways;
• Uneven floors;
• Areas with heavy traffic;
• Pools;
• Stairs;
• Ladders; and
• Unstable work surfaces

Maintaining the area where you fell and were injured may be the responsibility of the property owner. In the event you were injured after a fall and you were not at fault, you may have a claim for personal injury. Be sure to contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your options.

Filing for a Slip & Fall Claim in Georgia

When filing a slip and fall claim in the State of Georgia, you must be ready to prove the owner of the property knew or should have known about the hazardous condition that caused you to fall. You must also prove the property owner had “greater knowledge” about the hazardous condition than you did. For instance, if you saw the hazard and knowingly walked through it, you may be charged with having “equal knowledge” as the owner. To recover monetary damages, you must prove you suffered physical harm as a result of your fall.

Cases like these also look at whether the victim shares the blame. If you were at all careless and contributed to the accident, you may be held responsible for your injury and could walk away with less money or no money at all.

Be aware that there are time limits (Georgia Statutes of Limitations) to file a slip and fall claim in Georgia. In most cases, you have two years from the date of your slip and fall accident to file in court. However, some cases have more strict time limitations, which may be as short as six months from the date of your injury. If you miss the deadline to file your claim, your case may be lost forever.

Contact Your Macon Slip and Fall Attorneys Today

A slip and fall can greatly affect your ability to work and function normally. If you’ve suffered from a fall at no fault of your own, contact the Macon personal injury attorneys at Buzzell, Welsh & Hill for assistance with your slip and fall claim. Our team of attorneys will aggressively pursue your case and ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. Call us at (478) 217-2072 or complete our contact form.