Slip and Fall

Slip and Fall Attorneys Seeking Recovery For Injury Victims in North Carolina

A slip-and-fall injury in North Carolina can significantly impact your life. Slip-and-falls or trip-and-falls can lead to medical expenses, pain and suffering, financial frustration, and reduced quality of life. In light of these potential consequences, contact an experienced slip-and-fall injury attorney to help you navigate the complex legal process, gather necessary evidence, negotiate with insurance companies, and ultimately seek appropriate compensation for your injuries and losses due to a slip-and-fall injury in North Carolina.

Slip-and-fall injuries can lead to serious medical conditions, such as fractures, traumatic brain injuries, or spinal cord damage. The costs of emergency care, surgeries, medication, and rehabilitation can quickly add up, often involving substantial medical bills.

Beyond the physical pain, victims may also experience significant emotional distress, potentially including anxiety or depression. Depending on the severity of your injury, you may have to miss work. In some cases, victims may even be unable to return to  previous employment. This can lead to lost wages and diminished future earning capacity.

Contact the experienced slip-and-fall injury attorneys at ER Law Trial Lawyers today to schedule a free consultation and begin strategizing your slip-and-fall injury case. We are here to shoulder the legal burden and pursue financial compensation so you can focus on your life and your recovery.

Common Types of Slip and Fall Cases in North Carolina

Slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accidents can occur in a variety of common locations:

• Parking Lots
• Sidewalks
• Private Residences
• Grocery Stores and Supermarkets
• Drugstores
• Retail Stores
• Public Restrooms
• Schools
• Churches
• Nursing Homes
• Hotels and Resorts
• Restaurants

The following are some common scenarios for slip-and-fall accidents:

• Wet and Uneven Surfaces: This is a common cause of slip-and-fall accidents, often involving spills, poor drainage, or uneven flooring.
• Obstructed Walkways: Any object that obstructs a walkway can cause a trip-and-fall incident. These obstructions are often low and difficult to see.
• Elevated Falls: These falls occur when someone falls from an elevated area, such as a ladder or stairs. These can lead to more serious injuries.
• Same-Level Falls: These falls happen on the same level, often due to slips or trips. They are usually less severe than elevated falls, but they are more common.
• Poor Lighting: Insufficient lighting can hide hazards, making it difficult for people to see where they are going and increasing the risk of falls.
• Outdoor Accidents: These can occur due to weather conditions or uneven outdoor surfaces, such as icy parking lots, cracks in sidewalks, or potholes.

A slip-and-fall accident can happen suddenly, with no warning for the injured victim. However, the property owner or the manager of the premises may have had knowledge or constructive knowledge of a dangerous condition, which would typically mean they would have had a duty to warn you and seek to mitigate the risk to visitors.

Common Injuries Suffered in a North Carolina Slip-and-Fall Accident

Slip-and-fall injury victims may have a premises liability case to seek damages from negligent property owners for a variety of injuries that can cause significant painful and debilitating effects for the rest of a person’s life:

• Back Injuries
• Neck Injuries
• Knee Injuries
• Hip Fractures
• Broken Bones
• Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)

Our experienced slip-and-fall attorneys at ER Law Trial Lawyers can investigate and assess the details in your unique slip-and-fall accident case and guide you regarding your next steps to pursue a personal injury case.

What To Do Following a Slip-and-Fall Injury in North Carolina

After a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall injury in North Carolina, it’s critical to take the following steps:

1. Seek Medical Attention: Your health is paramount. Visit a doctor or hospital immediately to be treated. This will also create a written record of your injuries, and this documentation can support your injury claim.
2. Report the Accident: Notify the property owner, store, or building manager about the accident. This will help to further document the incident.
3. Gather Evidence: Take pictures or videos of the scene, focusing on any conditions that may have caused the fall.
4. Witness Information: Collect contact information from any witnesses. They could provide valuable testimony later. Memories can fade or warp over time, so it is wise to follow up with them quickly in coordination with your attorney.
5. Preserve Evidence: Keep any relevant items or clothing that might serve as evidence.
6. Avoid Giving Detailed Statements: Be careful not to make statements that could be used against you later.
7. Contact an Attorney: Consult with a personal injury attorney to understand your rights and potential legal actions.

In North Carolina, the majority of personal injury claims must be filed within three years of the date of the injury. Promptly contact an experienced slip-and-fall attorney at ER Law Trial Lawyers so we can guide and manage your case, ensuring investigations are completed and filings are made well in advance of the statute of limitations.

Damages in a North Carolina Slip-and-Fall Claim

In a slip-and-fall accident in North Carolina, victims can seek two main types of compensatory damages: economic and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages

These are easily-quantifiable costs related to the injury. They often include medical expenses (such as hospital bills, prescription medications, and physical therapy), lost wages (if the victim had to miss work due to the injury), and diminished future earning capacity (if the injury affects the victim’s ability to work in the future).

Given the significant medical bills and ongoing therapy that may be required in relation to slip-and-fall accidents, your slip-and-fall lawyer will work closely with you and your doctors to estimate future treatments and their expenses. Slip-and-fall settlements with surgery in the equation may have added complexity, and it is essential that these be accounted for when pursuing recovery.

Non-economic Damages

These damages compensate for intangible losses that aren’t easily quantified. They can include pain and suffering, emotional distress (like anxiety, fear, or sleep disturbances), loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium.

Evaluating the Value of Your Slip-and-Fall Case in North Carolina

The evaluation of these damages is crucial in determining the value of a slip-and-fall injury case. The severity of the injury, the extent of the economic losses, the impact on the victim’s quality of life, and the degree of negligence on the part of the property owner all play a role in this evaluation.

Note that North Carolina follows the doctrine of contributory negligence, which means that if the victim is found to be even slightly at fault for the accident, they may be barred from recovering damages.

Proving Your Slip-and-Fall Claim in North Carolina

To establish a successful slip-and-fall case in North Carolina, you and your slip-and-fall legal team must prove the following elements:

1. Duty of Care: The property owner had a duty to maintain safe conditions.
2. Breach of Duty: The property owner breached this duty by allowing unsafe conditions to exist.
3. Causation: The unsafe condition directly caused the fall and subsequent injuries.
4. Damages: The fall led to actual damages, such as medical bills or lost wages.

Breach of a duty of care constitutes negligence, and causation links the negligence to the damages suffered by an injured person. Our experienced slip-and-fall lawyers at ER Law are adept at evaluating evidence to prove liability for serious injuries an injured person has suffered on someone else’s property. We can guide you to seek fair compensation from the at-fault party if you have suffered a fall injury due to someone else’s negligence in North Carolina.

Again, if the injured party is found to be even slightly at fault for the accident (for example, not paying attention to where they were going), they may be barred from recovering any damages by North Carolina’s contributory negligence rule. This rule applies even if the property owner was primarily at fault.

Statute of Limitations for a Slip-and-Fall Case in North Carolina

The statute of limitations for the majority of slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident cases is three years from the date of the injury in North Carolina. This means that injured parties have three years to initiate legal action against the property owner.

It’s crucial to note that if a claim isn’t filed within this timeframe, the opportunity to seek compensation may be lost. An attorney can guide you through the legal process from the outset of your injury, managing your case strategy, and helping to ensure that all relevant deadlines are met.

How a Slip-and-Fall Accident Attorney at ER Law Trial Lawyers Can Help

A slip-and-fall attorney in North Carolina can provide invaluable assistance to someone who has suffered a slip-and-fall injury. Here are some key ways we can help:

• Gathering Evidence: Your attorney can help you gather crucial evidence at the scene, such as photographs or videos of the conditions that caused the fall, as well as witness contact information.
• Medical Treatment: Your lawyer can guide you in seeking immediate medical treatment, which is not only important for your health, but also provides evidence of your injuries.
• Case Review: Your slip-and-fall lawyer at ER Law can evaluate the potential for a successful claim during a free case review.
• Determining Liability: It’s essential to determine who is liable for the accident. An experienced attorney can thoroughly review the incident to help in accurately establishing liability.
• Navigating Contributory Negligence: Given that North Carolina is a “contributory negligence state,” your attorney can help you navigate this complex doctrine and review the facts of the case to verify that this rule does not jeopardize your ability to seek compensation.
• Case Management: If you’re injured due to someone else’s negligence, your lawyer can manage your case, allowing you to focus on your life and your recovery instead of the burden of your injury claim.
• Seeking Compensation: Ultimately, a skilled attorney at our firm can help you seek appropriate financial compensation for your injuries and losses.

A slip-and-fall claim can involve many steps and processes, and there are many potential errors an injured person can make along the way. In order to protect your case, it is wise to seek the guidance of an experienced North Carolina slip-and-fall lawyer immediately after fall accidents occur. Our slip & fall attorneys begin the conversation with a free case evaluation. We invite you to contact us today so we can discuss the details of your case and help you move forward.

Schedule a Free Consultation with ER Law Trial Lawyers in Greensboro, North Carolina Regarding Your Slip-and-Fall Case

Protect your interests and move forward confidently by partnering with a skilled slip-and-fall injury lawyer right from the start of your case. With ER Law Trial Lawyers, you are in capable hands. We are ready to fiercely advocate on your behalf. We will listen carefully to comprehend your needs so we can find the right solutions for your future. Let’s examine the specifics that led to your injury during a complimentary call, and we will devise a tailored case strategy for you.

Contact us today by phone at (336) 904-9000 or complete our online form to schedule a free case evaluation so we can discuss your personal injury case. Our knowledgeable slip-and-fall attorneys can assist you in understanding the complete extent of your damages to ensure you will be seeking the full and appropriate compensation you need.

For your convenience, we are available to discuss your case via phone, over Zoom, or in-person at either our office in Greensboro, North Carolina — or at our second office in Reidsville. We proudly serve North Carolina residents in both Guilford County and Rockingham County.

Protecting Your Rights