You might not believe how often slip and fall accidents happen. They can hurt you badly, make you miss work, cost you a lot of money in medical bills, and even leave you with long-term disabilities. If you fell and hurt yourself in Eagle Pass, Texas, you need a good personal injury lawyer to help you get the money you deserve. Joe I. Zaid & Associates is a group of Houston personal injury lawyers who are committed to your case. They will help you understand the law and fight for your rights.
Getting to Know Accidents That Happen When You Slip and Fall
People often slip, trip, or stumble on a dangerous surface and fall as a result of these kinds of accidents. These things happen a lot in homes, businesses, and public places. Most of the time, they happen because the floors are wet or slippery, the surfaces are uneven, the lighting is bad, or the stairs are broken.
People could slip on a store’s freshly mopped floor without any warning. You could trip over a broken step at an apartment building. people could fall if the property owner didn’t fix a loose handrail. In each of these situations, a danger that could have been avoided caused a risk.
People who slip and fall often hurt their heads, backs, and necks, as well as breaking bones and spraining them. These injuries can change your life in a big way. They often lead to medical bills that cost a lot of money, lost wages, and pain that lasts for a long time, both physically and emotionally. You may need surgery, rehab, or ongoing physical therapy in some cases just to get back to your normal activities.
Local news has also shown how serious falls can be in the Eagle Pass area. In one incident reported by the Eagle Pass Business Journal, a woman fell from the Eagle Pass International Bridge No. 1 and suffered severe injuries, including broken bones that required emergency medical care. Your situation may involve a store, restaurant, or parking lot instead of a bridge, but a sudden fall can still lead to life-changing injuries and a long road to recovery.
Where People Often Fall and Slip in Eagle Pass
In Eagle Pass, there are many places where people slip and fall. Here are some of the most common ones:
- Slips and falls at HEB
- Walmart’s falls and slips
- People who fall and slip at McDonald’s
- People slipping and falling at Dairy Queen
These businesses let people onto their property every day. So they have to do everything they can to keep the bathrooms, parking lots, walkways, and aisles safe. You have to pay for their mistakes when they don’t clean up spills, messes, or broken floors.
Eagle Pass’s Law for Slip and Fall Cases
Premises liability law covers slip and fall cases in Eagle Pass and all over Texas. This area of law says that property owners and tenants are responsible when visitors get hurt because of dangerous conditions on their property.
To win a slip and fall claim, you and your lawyer must show that:
- You had a responsibility to take care of the property owner or tenant: The person or business in charge of keeping the property up to date had to do what was reasonable to keep you safe while you were there.
- The person who owned or rented the property did not take care of it: The person in charge didn’t make sure the property was safe enough. Because of what they did, a dangerous situation could happen and stay on the property.
- The breach caused your injuries: You need to show that the owner’s or occupant’s careless actions or lack of action directly caused your slip and fall accident and the injuries you got.
- You suffered real losses: You were hurt in the accident, and you need to show proof of your injuries, medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and any other losses that were caused by the accident.
There are a number of steps that must be followed in Eagle Pass for a slip and fall case. Getting proof, making a claim, and talking to insurance companies are all things that usually happen. If you and your lawyer can’t agree on a fair settlement, you may have to go to court. During this time, your lawyer will keep you informed, answer your questions, and help you understand all of your options.
What to Do If You Fall in Eagle Pass
What you do in the hours and days after you slip and fall can have a big effect on your claim. You ought to:
- Get help from a doctor right away. Even if you feel fine, some injuries don’t show up right away. A doctor’s visit keeps you healthy and keeps track of your health.
- Let someone know about the accident. If you can, tell a manager, landlord, or property owner what happened and ask for a written report.
- Get proof from the scene. Take pictures of the area around the danger, the injuries, and the danger itself. Get the names and phone numbers of the people who saw what happened.
- Keep important documents. Keep all of your medical bills, receipts, pay stubs, and any letters or emails you get from your insurance company.
- Don’t make statements that are recorded. People who work for insurance companies might try to use what you say against you. Before you say anything, talk to a lawyer.
By doing these things, you can protect your health and make your claim stronger.
Laws and Deadlines in Texas
In Texas, you have a limited amount of time to file a slip and fall lawsuit. In most cases of personal injury, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a claim in court. If you miss this deadline, you probably won’t be able to get any money.
There is also a rule in Texas called “modified comparative negligence.” You can still get money for damages even if you were partly to blame for the accident, as long as you weren’t more than 50% to blame. But the more at fault you are, the less you get paid. If an insurance company tries to unfairly blame you, a lawyer with experience can help you fight back.
Why You Should Hire a Slip and Fall Lawyer Who Has Worked With These Cases Before
When you’re hurt and in pain, it can be hard to deal with the legal process for a slip and fall claim. You should hire an experienced slip and fall lawyer in Eagle Pass, like the ones at Joe I. Zaid & Associates. This will make it much more likely that you will get fair compensation.
Here are some reasons why you should hire a slip and fall lawyer who has been practicing for a while:
- Knowledge of premises liability law: A Texas lawyer who knows a lot about premises liability law will know the laws and how to handle your claim quickly and correctly.
- Gathering and looking over evidence: Your lawyer gets and looks over important evidence to support your claim, such as photos, witness statements, medical records, and video from security cameras.
- Talking to insurance companies: To save money, insurance companies often try to pay less or not at all on claims. Your lawyer talks to insurance companies to get you a fair settlement and looks out for your best interests.
- Trial experience: If your case goes to court, a slip and fall lawyer with a lot of experience makes a strong case to the judge or jury and fights for the money you deserve.
You can focus on getting better while your lawyer takes care of the paperwork, deadlines, and negotiations.
You Might Be Able to Get Money For
If your slip and fall claim is successful, you may be able to get a number of different types of compensation, such as:
- Medical costs: This includes emergency care, hospital stays, surgery, rehabilitation, and any other medical care you need because of your injuries.
- Lost wages: If your injuries made it impossible for you to work or made it harder for you to work, you can get paid for the money you lost and any future loss of income.
- Pain and suffering: This payment is for the physical and emotional pain you are going through because of the accident and your injuries.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: If your injuries stop you from doing things you used to love, you might be able to get money for how they affect your quality of life.
- Punitive damages: In very rare cases, the court can give punitive damages to the property owner or tenant if they are especially careless. This is meant to punish the person who did it and make sure they don’t do it again.
The amount you get will depend on the details of your case, how bad your injuries are, and how strong the evidence your lawyer presents.
Contact Our Experienced Eagle Pass Car Accident Lawyers Today
You can have a big change in your life after an accident where you slip and fall. They can hurt you a lot in many ways, including your body, mind, and wallet. If you hurt yourself in a slip and fall accident in Eagle Pass, don’t wait to get help. Contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Joe I. Zaid & Associates for help.
They know a lot about premises liability law and are very dedicated to protecting your rights. They will help you navigate the legal system and get the money you deserve.
