You are most likely here because you suffered a nasty injury from a notorious slip and fall at your local supermarket, restaurant, or even your job. You now find yourself with two headaches: one from the fall, and the other due to those pesky medical bills caused by that same fall. The next step to follow of course, is receiving your due compensation. However, sometimes within the hassle of the injury, or in the chaos of the whole process without proper guidance, your compensation may be incomplete. Let’s see some useful information, provided by a capable South Florida Personal Attorney, so that you can collect the compensation you deserve!
First steps after accident: As soon as your accident occurs, your main focus should be receiving the medical attention necessary to assess and regain your physical health. From a legal standpoint though, you will need to follow the necessary steps to ensure your rights are protected, and are granted adequate compensation.
- Figure out what caused your slip and fall: You need to assess what caused your injury, ensuring a reason that you were affected by utter negligence.
- Converse with the witnesses at the moment of injury: This means that you should ask those who were present to kindly give a statement on the events in hopes of strengthening your case.
- Take photographs: By taking pictures of the accident area, as well as of your injuries will allow the facts to be more apparent. This physical proof is vital, since it is factual evidence.
- Complete procedures: This means that you as the individual that was affected by the property owner’s negligence, must make sure that you fill out an accident report detailing the occurrence. This entails also notifying the property owner of your claim and report. Finally, you must proceed to contact a personal injury attorney so that your case can be properly compiled.
Time frame of accident claims: The expression “time is money” really goes into effect here. Your health is the most important aspect to take care of, but keeping track of the time frame between your accident, and exactly when to file a claim for a slip and fall is equally as important. In the State of Florida this period is exactly four years. This is also categorized as a Statute of Limitations which defines the expiration date of your claim. Four years seems like a long time, but we strongly advise you to file a claim right away.
Length of case decisions: It is vital for clients to understand the length that case might take to become resolved. On average, when a claim goes to court, a serious injury tends to take twelve to eighteen months. On the other hand, the known “soft tissue injuries” (no broken bones) tend to be resolved quicker in a span of three to six months.
Settlement amounts: On average, compensation amounts for slip and falls range from $15,000 to $45,000. This of course, would depend on the severity of your injury, situation, and circumstance. Soft tissue injuries tend to sometimes fall below the average while severe accidents can go way above. The main takeaway here is that slip and falls are usually located in the middle of these two estimates.
Types of compensation: When represented by a south florida personal injury attorney, you’ll be eligible to receive these four types of compensation.
- Medical Bills
- Pain and Suffering
- Out of Pocket Expenses
- Lost Wages
Lastly, we believe it’s vital to mention that a personal injury is defined as an injury to the body, mind, or even emotions as opposed to property. Why is knowing that important? It’s because these accidents can unfortunately happen at the most unexpected and inopportune moments. These injuries can wreak havoc, both physically and financially if not properly guided. For that reason, do not hesitate to make South Florida Personal Attorney your first choice in any personal injury.
