Get the Right Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorneys for a Successful Slip and Fall Claim

Falls are the second leading cause of accidental death. Every year in the U.S., falls result in more than 25,000 deaths and millions of visits to the ER. Those over 65 are most at risk of falling. Whether you are at work, in a store, in a government building, walking down the street or on private property, you have the right to travel there safely, without fear of injury or death. Building owners, employers and municipal agencies are responsible for keeping their properties safe, and can be found legally liable when people become injured or die due to a fall on their property.

Common Causes of Slip and Fall Injuries

Slip and fall and trip and fall accidents can occur due to a number of unsafe conditions, including:

  • Ice, water, snow or other substance
  • Slippery floors that have no warning signs posted
  • Thresholds that are too high

Hazardous stairs are particularly dangerous. A person can fall on stairs due to:

  • Foreign objects on the stairs
  • Defective stair design
  • Loose or torn carpet
  • Missing or broken handrails, or only one handrail
  • Handrails at the wrong height
  • Each step is at the wrong height, or of varying heights
  • Steps are not deep enough to accommodate your foot
  • Middle edge of the step is worn
  • Polished wood or stone steps
  • Slippery carpet or painted wood steps

Our Philadelphia trip and fall accident attorneys have a strong track record in winning compensation for clients in all kinds of personal injury lawsuits.

What to Do After Suffering a Slip and Fall Injury

Medical Care and Reporting

After a fall, get medical help as soon as possible. Though calling an attorney is important, your health and well-being are far more important. Explain to the doctor that your injuries are due to a fall. Get this documented, so that you will be able to receive compensation for your medical costs, lost wages, and other losses or damages.

After receiving professional medical care, immediately report the accident to the person in charge of wherever you fell. This might be a landlord, homeowner, store manager, business manager, or building or venue manager. If you fell at a business or rental property, inform the manager or landlord that they must create a written report of the accident. If you are not able to do this on the day of your accident, phone the manager as soon as you are able and make sure that they created an accident report. Get a copy of any accident report that is created before you leave the scene, if possible. If you slip or trip and fall on private property, try not to talk to the property owner unless absolutely necessary. You can inform them you feel, but do not be drawn into an argument or make any accusations. Just pay attention to getting treatment for your injuries.

Details and Evidence

Note the date and time of the accident, any hazardous conditions, and who was present and/or witnessed the accident, if anyone. If possible, take photos of the exact location where you fell, and of any conditions that may have contributed to or caused your fall. If you cannot get these photos immediately, then ask a friend or family member to do it for you. These photos are very important to determine who is at fault and what condition caused your fall and injuries. If a business owner covers the area in front of their store with salt an hour after your slip and fall accident, and there are no photos proving that the sidewalk was untreated at the time of the fall, it will be harder to prove your claim.If you fell on a sidewalk close to a property line, it’s important to know exactly where you fell, and on whose property. Collect the names, addresses and phone numbers of any witnesses. Place the shoes and clothing you were wearing when the accident occurred in a plastic bag and store them safely.

The Insurance Company

Do not talk to an insurance company, sign any documents, or accept any compensation payment before you consult with Gay Chacker & Ginsburg’s Philadelphia legal team. Otherwise, you could lose the right to receive compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Many insurance companies offer to pay your medical bills if you will sign documents stating you will not file a claim against them. They may be referring only to the bills for your initial treatment. You may need surgery, future treatments or medication, or may suffer temporary or permanent disability, all while losing income and benefits. Do not sign anything before you get a skilled attorney’s advice!

As soon as possible, contact a reputable and well-established law firm. Gay Chacker & Ginsburg lawyers worked to protect the legal and financial interests of trip and fall accident victims in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and surrounding areas for the last five decades. Once we hear the details of your case, we will know exactly how to proceed and how to build the strongest possible claim for you, to get maximum compensation for your injuries.

Your Rights After a Fall

If you were injured in a fall due to the negligence or recklessness of another party, you have a right to compensation for lost wages and benefits, medical bills, rehab, therapy, pain and suffering, and other losses and personal damages you might have suffered. You will need skilled legal help because filing a claim for damages is complex process. The burden of proof is usually on the injured party. It is up to you or your attorney to prove that the owner or public agency responsible for the property was negligent, and that the accident was not your fault. If the victim is a child, elderly or disabled, the claim takes on a whole other level of seriousness.

Gay Chacker & Ginsburg, our Philadelphia-based fall injury attorneys have a strong track record in winning money damages for clients injured in all types of personal injury lawsuits. Our attorneys have assisted clients who have suffered many different kinds of falls, including a falls on ice, broken sidewalks, hazardous streets, in supermarkets, in department stores, restaurants, and in many other types of incidents.

We will work diligently to ensure that you get the financial compensation you are entitled to. Our team will gather all necessary evidence, including photographs, eyewitness accounts, and medical expert testimony, to build the strongest possible claim for you. We will guide you through each step of the legal process, returning your calls quickly and keeping you informed of all progress in your claim.

Experienced Slip and Fall Lawyers

Our dedicated trip and fall/slip and fall attorneys have decades of experience in handling a wide range of cases, including:

  • Slip and fall accidents caused by slippery floors, uncleared ice or snow
  • Trip and fall accidents caused by cluttered walkways or hallways
  • Trip and fall accidents over doorways
  • Falls on ramps or stairways
  • Falls from unguarded heights or windows
  • Accidents at dangerous job sites
  • Highway construction zone accidents
  • Injuries caused by poor building maintenance, from structural problems to poor lighting
  • Children’s falls at schools, playgrounds and recreational centers
  • Swimming pool and diving accidents
  • Neck or back injuries caused by tripping on uneven sidewalks
  • Falls on uneven work surfaces
  • Falls from ladders

If you or someone close to you was injured in a fall, you need a skilled and dedicated slip and fall or trip and fall injury lawyer to fight to ensure you receive fair and just compensation. We have won significant settlements for our slip or trip and fall injury clients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and surrounding areas, and will work hard to do the same for you and your family. Contact us to learn more about how we can help in a personal injury from a fall case. There is no risk or obligation. We charge you no legal fees unless we recover compensation for you. Call us today at 800-529-4030 for a free consultation.

Case Results

The attorneys at Gay Chacker & Ginsburg have represented many people who were injured in a fall. Below are a few of our case results.

Several of our clients were hurt after falling in a place of business. In one case, we obtained a $300,000 settlement for a woman who fell in a salon. She tripped over a tripod’s legs, fell, and suffered a broken wrist that required metal pin surgery. We also obtained $162,500 for a 29-year-old woman who slipped and fell on water overflowing from the toilet in a ladies room. After informing the defendant about this incident, no preventative measures were taken to block the ladies room. Another client slipped and fell on a wet floor and suffered a fractured right ankle. As this client was traveling on business, the incident prevented him from returning home for several days. Our firm was able to obtain a $75,000 settlement for him. We also represented a school teacher who slipped and fell on a hanger at a Kmart and suffered a fractured hip. The injury caused a loss not only to her family, but to her students as well. We obtained a $225,000 settlement for her.

Gay Chacker & Ginsburg has also represented numerous clients who fell as pedestrians. One client fell on ice in a sports complex parking lot. As a result of the fall, she suffered a broken leg and underwent surgery to insert a rod, plate, and screws to stabilize the fracture. We obtained a $375,000 on her behalf. Our firm also obtained a settlement for a man who tripped and fell on a hazardous sidewalk in Philadelphia. He sustained injuries to his back, wrist, hip, shoulder, and knee as well as nerve and head injuries. In addition to his physical pain, our client continues to suffer with traumatic anxiety, nervousness, and other psychological and emotional disorders. This trip and fall case settled for $165,000. Another client walking up steps when she tripped, fell and dislocated her right shoulder. We settled her case for $125,000.

Ed O’Hara was unfortunately injured when he fell into a manhole at a Valero refinery. He had to have his knee replaced twice and was in subsequent pain following his accident. Ed and his wife heard about Gay Chacker & Ginsburg from their daughter who had worked with the firm in the past and received a very favorable result. After meeting with the firm, Ed and his wife were impressed with the family-oriented atmosphere and attitude of the firm. They hired the firm and were very happy with the way they handled the case and the outcome they received. They found Gay Chacker & Ginsburg to be “spectacular” in the way they handled the case and described the firm as being “family-oriented”, “dedicated” and “awesome”. They have since recommended their friends and family to Gay Chacker & Ginsburg.

These are just a few of the many settlements we have obtained for slip, trip, and fall victims. If you fell and suffered injuries because of someone else’s negligence, we can help. Contact us today for a free consultation. There is no obligation when you speak with us.