Slip and fall incidents are among the leading causes of severe injuries in Alabama. These incidents can cause permanent disability, affect a victim’s ability to return to work, and disrupt their life and plans for the future with significant medical bills. If you sustained injuries in a slip and fall accident, understanding your rights is crucial for maximizing your financial recovery.
Contact Collins Law, LLC, for a free consultation with an experienced Alabama slip and fall accident lawyer. During your initial consultation, we’ll review how your injury occurred, your options for seeking compensation, and what to expect from the rest of your legal case.
Common Types of Injuries from Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents can result in a wide range of severe injuries. However, some of the most common types of injuries we see in these cases include:
- Head Injuries and Concussions – If you hit your head on the ground or another hard surface during a slip and fall, it can cause a traumatic brain injury that may have long-term complications, like physical and cognitive disability.
- Back and Spinal Cord Injuries – Sustaining a back injury in a slip and fall may lead to chronic pain, and if you damage your spinal cord, you could be left with partial or complete paralysis.
- Broken Bones and Fractures – The act of slipping can cause ankles to break, and bracing yourself for the impact with the ground can break wrists, arms, and collar bones. Older adults are also at risk of hip fractures, which can lead to medical complications.
- Soft Tissue Injuries – Tendon sprains, ligament tears, and muscle damage are common in slip and fall accidents, particularly in and around the ankles and knees.
- Cuts, Bruises, and Facial Injuries – If you fall forward when slipping, you could strike your face on the ground or another object, potentially causing scarring and disfigurement.
Slip and Fall Injury Treatment: What Doctors Recommend
Receiving the right slip and fall injury treatment can make all the difference in your physical recovery. Types of treatment to seek for your injury after a slip and fall are:
- Immediate Medical Care – Always seek immediate treatment after a slip and fall so your healthcare provider can diagnose your injury early and begin a treatment plan right away. This will improve your recovery and demonstrate to the at-fault party’s insurance company that you have taken your injury seriously.
- Emergency Treatment – Severe injuries may require emergency treatment, including X-rays, MRIs, stitches, and surgery. This should always be your first priority after a serious slip and fall.
- Rehabilitation and Therapy – Many slip and fall injuries require physical therapy or chiropractic care for victims to make a full recovery. Failing to undergo proper therapy can cause complications during the healing process, such as damaged tendons and stiffening ligaments.
- Long-Term Recovery – Over the long term, you may have to take medication for pain management, use assistive devices to get around, and attend counseling sessions to come to terms with any permanent disability your injuries leave you with.
What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident in Alabama
Knowing what to do after a slip and fall accident can significantly strengthen your case and improve your chances of maximizing your compensation. These steps include seeking medical attention, reporting the incident, documenting the scene, preserving evidence, and consulting a lawyer.
- Seek Medical Attention Immediately
Always seek medical attention after a slip and fall, even if your injuries don’t appear to be that severe. You may have suffered underlying damage to soft tissues that will begin to show symptoms in the coming days and weeks. Getting ahead of it can improve your chances of making a full recovery.
- Report the Incident
Report your slip and fall to the property owner, manager, or your employer as soon as possible. They will need to file an official report and let their insurance company know about the incident. This reporting requirement is particularly important if you slipped and fell on the job, as you must report your injury within five days to be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
- Document the Scene
Write down the time, date, and location at which your slip and fall accident occurred. Take photographs or videos of the accident scene to show the hazard that caused you to fall. And collect the names and contact information of witnesses with whom your lawyer can follow up later to obtain their statements.
- Preserve Evidence
Keep track of any evidence you have relating to your case, including the shoes you were wearing when you slipped and your medical records detailing your physical condition before and after the fall. This evidence will be crucial for establishing liability in your case.
- Consult a Slip and Fall Lawyer in Alabama
Speaking to an Alabama slip and fall lawyer is the best way to protect your rights and maximize your compensation. Your lawyer will handle every aspect of your case, from the initial investigation into the incident to filing your lawsuit and negotiating with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
If the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, your lawyer will also take your case to court to seek the compensation you deserve.
Legal Considerations: Alabama Slip and Fall Laws
Slip and fall cases can be complex, and dealing with insurance companies and the legal system is stressful enough when you aren’t also recovering from injuries. This is why working with an experienced attorney who can handle your case from start to finish is essential.
Premises Liability Basics
In Alabama premises liability cases, property owners typically owe the highest duty of care to social guests (licensees) and individuals on their property for commercial reasons (invitees). However, identifying which one of these visitor types you fall under is crucial, as property owners typically owe invitees a higher duty of care than licensees.
Trespassers, those without the owner’s permission to be on the property, generally aren’t owed a duty of care beyond the property owner not intentionally harming them. However, Alabama Code Section 6-5-345 outlines some exceptions to this, including when the property owner is aware of regular trespassing on their property and fails to take action to prevent it, or when the trespasser is a minor, as they may not have understood the danger posed by the property.
Alabama’s Contributory Negligence Rule
Alabama uses a pure contributory negligence rule for personal injury cases, including slips and falls. Under pure contributory negligence, if you are found to be even slightly at fault for the incident that caused your injuries, you cannot recover compensation through a lawsuit.
This also means insurance companies are unlikely to settle your case if they believe you were partly to blame for your injuries. And for this reason, it’s in your best interest to work with a highly qualified slip and fall lawyer who can protect your rights.
Statute of Limitations
Under Alabama Code Section 6-2-38(l), slip and fall victims have two years to file personal injury lawsuits against the parties responsible for their injuries. This is a strict deadline, and missing it will result in the courts barring you from recovering the compensation you need.
The best way to make sure your lawsuit is filed on time is to have a skilled slip and fall injury lawyer handle your case and file it on your behalf.
The Importance of Proving Negligence
Proving negligence is critical for any successful personal injury lawsuit. You must demonstrate that the property owner owed you a duty of care, breached that duty, and that the breach caused compensable harm.
To do this, your lawyer will gather various types of evidence, including:
- Accident scene photographs
- Security camera footage
- Property maintenance records
- Eyewitness statements
- Expert witness testimony
- Medical records
Real-Life Scenarios: Common “Slipped and Fell” Situations
If you slipped and fell in Alabama, understanding the cause of your slip and fall is critical to identifying the at-fault party or parties and holding them financially accountable. Several parties could be liable for your injuries depending on how a slip and fall occurs.
One common cause of slip and fall injuries is slipping on wet floors in grocery stores. Puddles, particularly in freezer aisles, are a common and expected hazard that store owners should proactively have employees look out for to keep customers safe.
Customers aren’t the only ones at risk of slip and fall incidents, though. Employees, such as kitchen staff, may fall due to slippery workplace floors, making it essential for employers to enforce safety rules, including wearing non-slip shoes and promptly cleaning up spills.
While many slips and falls occur indoors, outdoor falls can also lead to property owner liability. For example, if you fell because of an uneven sidewalk, the owner of the adjacent property could be at fault for leaving it in disrepair.
In the winter, customers may also slip and fall in icy parking lots, leaving store owners or the companies they hire to remove snow and ice liable for the resulting injuries. In cases like these, liability disputes may arise between the property owner and the company hired to clear the parking lot, requiring the assistance of an experienced attorney.
Preventing Slip and Fall Injuries in Alabama
Preventing slip and fall incidents from occurring in the first place is always preferable to dealing with the aftermath of an injury. When property owners, individuals, and employers all do their part, the chances of a slip and fall incident occurring can drop dramatically.
Property Owner Duties
Property owners are responsible for remedying known hazards or warning visitors about them if they will take time to fix. Commercial property owners must also take proactive steps, such as inspecting their properties for hazards.
Personal Precautions
Property visitors should always be aware of their surroundings and watch where they’re going. Looking at your phone while walking could cause you to miss a warning sign and may impact liability in your case.
Workplace Safety Practices
Employers must maintain safe working environments for their employees and require all workers to follow posted safety rules to reduce the risk of slips and falls, as well as other types of accidents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below, we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions about slip and fall accidents in Alabama.
What are the most common injuries from a slip and fall?
The most common injuries caused by slips and falls include:
- Bone fractures
- Dislocations
- Soft tissue sprains and strains
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Back and spinal cord injuries
- Facial and dental injuries
How long does it take to recover from a slip and fall injury?
The time it takes to recover from a slip and fall injury depends on the severity of the injury and the effectiveness of the treatment you receive. Injuries that don’t result in permanent disability may take a few months to a year or two to fully recover.
Can I sue if I slipped and fell in Alabama?
Suppose you slipped and fell in Alabama, and it wasn’t your fault. In that case, you can sue the property owner, manager, or other party responsible for maintaining the property and keeping it free from hazards like the one that caused your injuries.
A lawyer can collect the evidence needed to hold the at-fault party liable while you focus on recovering.
What is the first thing to do after a slip and fall accident?
The first thing to do after a slip and fall accident is always to seek medical treatment if your injuries are severe. Your well-being should be your highest priority, and you can worry about your legal case after that.
Protecting Your Health and Rights
After you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident in Alabama, it’s essential that you seek prompt treatment for your injuries and contact a lawyer who can begin working on your case. Quick action can significantly improve your recovery and strengthen your legal case against those responsible.
Contact Collins Law, LLC, for a free consultation if you’ve suffered injuries from a slip and fall in Alabama. Our team is prepared to fight for the compensation you need for your injuries and will treat you with compassion and respect. We are experienced, caring, and determined to assist you and your family.
