When you visit a restaurant, stop by the store, or walk into any other business, you don’t expect your trip to end in a serious slip and fall accident. Unfortunately, many property owners fail to fulfill their responsibility to keep visitors safe, creating dangerous conditions with potentially fatal consequences.
If you were hurt after slipping and falling on someone’s property, you are likely considering building a personal injury claim against the negligent owner. However, as this is probably the first time you’ve had to take legal action against another party for such an incident, it’s hard to know exactly what to expect as you embark on this journey.
Let’s look at a few stages you will encounter along the way:
1. Discussing Your Slip and Fall Case with a Personal Injury Attorney
Your mind is likely running with countless questions about the incident, your injuries, and your eventual claim. Thankfully, a skilled personal injury lawyer can give you the answers you need to make informed decisions about your case.
He or she can also review any evidence you’ve gathered thus far, assess your losses, and start formulating strategies to help you recover compensation for your losses. If you choose to hire them, they will step in to oversee all the important steps necessary to building a solid case.
2. Investigating the Accident
With an attorney in your corner, he or she will usually conduct an in-depth investigation into the accident. They aim to find proof to demonstrate liability, causation, and damages. For instance, they might review surveillance camera footage from the property, speak to eyewitnesses who saw you fall, and even contact an accident reconstructionist to piece together the events that led to the accident.
3. Negotiating a Fair Settlement
Once you’ve prepared your case and filed your claim, the insurer may be willing to negotiate a settlement. However, the claims adjuster’s goal will be to protect their employer’s bottom line, so you should expect them to conduct their own investigation in a bid to unearth any evidence that could be used to dispute your version of events.
As such, they may offer you a lowball settlement in the hopes that you will accept this amount and move on with your life, but such offers will usually fall short of covering the full range of your accident-related expenses. Your attorney can review any offers and counter them if necessary.
4. Filing a Lawsuit
If you’re worried about going to court, knowing that very few cases go to trial might be comforting. However, if the insurance company is unwilling to agree to a reasonable settlement, taking legal action may be your best option.
Discuss Your Case with a Texas Premises Liability Attorney
Were you injured after slipping and falling on someone’s property? You might have grounds to seek a settlement for many of the losses stemming from this incident.
At Hilliard Law, our legal team can assist at every stage of proceedings. Whether it’s investigating the accident, gathering evidence, or approximating fair compensation for your losses, our Texas premises liability attorneys have the knowledge and experience to provide reliable guidance at each new step. Reach out to us at (361) 882-1612 or head over to our Contact Page to request a free case review today.