Houston Slip And Fall Accident Lawyer
Every year, thousands of Americans suffer falls, many times leading to serious or even life-changing injuries. Whether these happen in a healthcare institution, a business property, at a neighbor or friend’s house, or somewhere else, the results can be quite catastrophic. This is especially true for elderly and frail individuals who may have chronic health problems making them more susceptible to injury.
Our Houston slip and fall accident lawyers at The Seerden Law Firm, PLLC, we know that a slip and fall or trip and fall injury can cause serious medical, financial, and emotional problems for victims. Medical bills can quickly get out of control, leaving you and your family in desperate need of help. Rather than worrying alone, call a lawyer who has the experience and decades of experience to help.
Contact our premises liability lawyers by phone or online now for a free claim review and advice about your best legal options for pursuing compensation after a slip and fall accident on someone else’s property.
How Our Houston Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help After a Slip and Fall
When you hire our firm, we immediately go to work protecting your rights. You should not be forced to recover from your injuries while also dealing with aggressive and pushy insurance adjusters and medical collection companies. Instead, let our team handle all the legal matters for you.
Here’s just some of what we’re prepared to do for you:
- Rapid Investigation of Your Case. Our first step is always to carefully listen to your explanation of the facts. Often there are crucial points hidden in the details of your case. Perhaps you remember seeing something or hearing someone say something that may not seem important at first. But once an experienced attorney has had a chance to review your case, these may be the very details that make all the difference.
- We Contact the Defendant and the Insurance Company. Next, attorney Andrew Seerden will notify the potential defendant or their insurance company that we are involved in your case. This starts by sending a representation letter. This puts the property owner or other negligent party – and their insurance company – on notice that you have an attorney and they must stop attempting to contact you about your injuries. This should take a big weight off your shoulders and ensure that you will not be coerced into signing something or saying something that could hurt you later.
- Coordinating Medical Care. Our firm will thoroughly review your medical treatment and track your care from start to finish until you are back on your feet. If your injuries are catastrophic and permanent, our team will work to build your case so that the insurance company is aware of the potential for a large jury award. In this way, we leverage years of trial experience to help you get the compensation you deserve.
- Settlement Discussions. With an experienced and board certified trial lawyer on your side, you could be in a great position to strike a deal that allows you to settle your case for full and fair compensation. Of course, not every case can settle out of court. Sometimes a jury is needed to get justice. But the majority of cases do settle because a skilled attorney has presented the facts in a way that the insurance company can understand.
- Skilled Litigation. In those rare cases where nothing else is going to get the job done, our experienced litigation attorney is prepared to fight all the way through trial to seek the justice you deserve. It may not be something you want to do, but if it’s the only way, then you can at least enjoy the peace of mind that comes from having an attorney who holds full board certification as a trial lawyer, a distinction shared by less than 2 percent of all attorneys in Texas.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
In general, most slip and fall injuries happen in public at businesses, shopping centers, restaurants, and other locations around town. Common examples of causes include:
- Wet floors
- Fruit and other items left on the floor
- Trip hazards
- Wrinkled floor mats
- Broken sidewalks and pavement
- Broken or loose steps
- Defective or poorly maintained railings
- Holes or similar hazards
- Inadequate lighting
When slip and fall accidents happen, it’s important to let someone know. Many businesses maintain video surveillance in order to mitigate losses, including theft. Getting this evidence can be very difficult. But if you do not report the accident to management or ownership, there’s a good chance that critical evidence will be destroyed.
Time is of the essence after a slip and fall injury. You need to speak with an attorney right away in order to ensure that your rights are protected. At The Seerden Law Firm, PLLC, we take action very quickly, working to protect evidence, find witnesses, and preserve video and other forms of evidence.
Types of Compensation Available for Slip and Fall Injuries
Texas law gives injured people a number of options for compensation, including money to cover losses like:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Future medical expenses
- Future lost income or diminished earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement
- Disability
- Adaptive equipment or similar medical devices
Wrongful Death Damages
In some situations, injuries from a slip and fall accident can prove fatal. If you recently lost a close relative due to a fracture caused by a slip and fall injury, you may have additional rights to compensation, such as:
- Compensation for loss of emotional and financial support
- Loss of affection
- Loss of financial assistance
- Loss of assistance with household duties
- Final medical expenses
- Final burial and funeral costs
How Long Do You Have to File a Slip and Fall Claim in Texas?
In Texas, the general statute of limitations for a personal injury claim is just two years. This means that you only get two years to file a lawsuit against a negligent property owner or other party who may be responsible for your injuries. If a relative has died due to negligence, then you have just two years to bring a lawsuit for wrongful death.
Statutes of limitations are not very flexible. While there are a few narrow exceptions that can buy additional time, you should never count on getting an extension. Instead, it’s best to talk to a board certified trial lawyer right away to get the facts and understand your rights.
There are also a number of scenarios where you may have far less time to take action than what is allowed by the standard statute of limitations for a slip and fall case in Texas.
These unique situations may include:
- Injuries that involve negligence on the part of the U.S. Government
- Injuries caused by a state or local government employee
- Injuries caused by municipal governments or their agents
- Injuries caused by private contractors operating under federal, state, or local government authority
If you think there is even a small chance that your injuries could be caused by a government entity, you could have just a few months to take action, so do not wait to get legal representation.
What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident
After a slip and fall injury, there are several key steps you can take to protect your rights. These are as follows:
- Get Medical Attention Immediately
You do not want to wait and try to tough it out. Instead, call for help right away. If the injuries are severe, you should go straight to the emergency room. You will want to get examined so that any injuries are documented and all appropriate diagnostic work is done. Insurance companies love to tell injured people that their injuries are “pre-existing” or “not related.” By getting seen at the hospital immediately, you could largely eliminate this defense. More importantly, if you do have serious injuries, you can begin getting the care you need sooner and catch any major problems right away. - Report Your Injuries to the Property Owner
If the fall occurs at a business or retail shop, you’ll want to make sure you notify the management or ownership as soon as possible. This ensures that the incident is recorded, and it also helps to document the accident. You should provide your name, the date, your contact information, and a very brief description of the accident. Do not give a statement to anyone, do not allow yourself to be recorded, and do not sign anything without speaking with a lawyer. - Follow Your Doctor’s Recommendations
One of the biggest mistakes many people make after a slip and fall injury is ignoring medical advice or trying to do too much too soon. If you work at a physical job for a living, talk to your attorney and your treating physician first before trying to lift heavy objects or take on difficult tasks. It can be tough to say no, but a re-injury can be worse than the original injury. - Keep Records
One thing that helps a lot of injury victims is keeping records. By keeping a working list of treatments, medical providers, and bills, you can regain a sense of control in your life. Plus it will make your lawyer’s job much easier. - Talk to a Board Certified Trial Lawyer in Houston
Throughout the whole state of Texas, less than 2 percent of all lawyers hold board certification as personal injury trial lawyers. In order to obtain board certification, an attorney must be in practice more than 5 years, prove their ability to try cases before a jury, pass an examination, and maintain competence through ongoing education and testing. It’s rigorous and it sets apart lawyers who devote a significant portion of their practice to personal injury litigation. Andrew Seerden is board certified as a personal injury trial lawyer in Texas.
At The Seerden Law Firm, PLLC, we focus our entire practice on helping injury victims recover compensation. We’ve been doing it for a long time, and we know exactly what it takes to win.
Don’t Wait to Call for Legal Help after a Slip and Fall Injury
Because the statute of limitations is just two years in most cases, you really can’t afford to take your time getting around to dealing with the legal side of an injury. It may be easy to focus on your medical care and try to put off dealing with the insurance company or negligent property owner. But after a slip and fall injury in Houston, you should at least make an appointment to sit down with an experienced lawyer.
At The Seerden Law Firm, PLLC, we don’t charge for consultations, and we don’t get paid unless you decide to hire us and we successfully recover money for you. There is absolutely no obligation and no risk in giving us a call.
We serve communities throughout the Houston region and beyond. Whether you suffered a fall at a business, a healthcare facility, someone’s home, or somewhere else, we want to help. Even if you just aren’t sure if you have a case, we still want to hear from you. Call us or contact us online now.
