Slip-and-fall accidents happen every day in Manhattan. It only takes one small slip on a wet floor or tripping over a loose piece of carpet to put you in the hospital with broken bones, head injuries, cuts, and internal bleeding. If you take a tumble while browsing the grocery store or fall at work, a slip-and-fall lawyer in NYC can help.
Your first instinct might be to sue the neglectful property owner who contributed to your accident, but you’ll need to prove their negligence to win your fall accident case. Below, learn how a slip-and-fall attorney in Brooklyn can help.
How Our Slip-and-Fall Accident Lawyers Help After an Injury
A Manhattan slip-and-fall lawyer from Ross & Hill can help by:
- Reviewing the scene of the accident
- Collecting statements from witnesses
- Gathering evidence, such as emails, inspection logbooks, and security camera footage
- Determining who is liable for your accident
What Compensation Is Available for Victims After a Slip and Fall?
After a slip-and-fall accident, you might be eligible for economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages can include the cost of your medical bills (both current and future), lost wages, loss of future earnings, and damage to your property.
Non-economic damages include mental distress and pain and suffering. For instance, if you develop depression after your accident, that would count as non-economic damages.
Where Do Slip-and-Fall Accidents Occur in Manhattan?
Slip-and-fall accidents commonly occur at:
- Worksites, especially those involving construction
- Grocery stores
- Hotels
- Pools
- Casinos
- Someone’s home
What To Do After a Slip and Fall in Manhattan
If you’ve hurt yourself after a fall, knowing how to proceed is tough. Before doing anything else, you should notify the property owner of the accident and ask to make a formal report. If you skip this step, the owner won’t have any record of your accident.
Next, it’s a good idea to see a doctor even if you don’t think you’re badly hurt. It’s common for adrenaline to flood your body after a fall, which can make it difficult to feel pain. Without a doctor’s help, you might not realize the extent of your injuries until days after a fall.
Write down your account of how the accident happened as soon as you’re able. Did you slip on a wet floor or trip over a crumbling stair? Should the business have posted a warning sign but failed to do so? Did anyone else see you fall?
Include as many details as you can. Your report will help your slip-and-fall lawyer in NYC determine whether the property owner acted negligently.
How Common Are Slip-and-Fall Accidents in Manhattan?
Slip-and-fall cases are extremely common in Manhattan, and in fact, falls are the leading cause of injury hospitalization for people aged one to 65. From 2012 to 2014, nearly 30,000 people were hospitalized for a fall-related accident.
Slip-and-fall accidents were among the leading causes of death for ages 15-44 from 2017 to 2019.
Nationally, falls make up the majority of preventable accidents at 33%. That’s higher than car accident injuries, poisonings, struck-by incidents, drownings, and burns.
Common Slip-and-Fall Injuries
Slip-and-fall cases can leave you with serious injuries such as:
- Fractures
- Head injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Paralysis
- Mental distress
Manhattan Slip-and-Fall Resources
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website can be a good resource for learning more about how to prevent slips, trips, and falls. Its site features a checklist to help employers recognize and correct dangerous conditions for customers and employees.
In the checklist, you’ll find guidelines for ladders, elevators, aisles, parking lots, and walkways. These guidelines can help prevent accidents, such as a slip and fall on a slippery sidewalk.
The New York Workers’ Compensation Board website is a helpful resource for people who have fallen at work. Here, you can learn about workers’ comp benefits that you may qualify for if you’ve been injured on the job.
To learn more about how our NYC slip-and-fall lawyers can help you, contact Ross & Hill at (718) 855-2324 for a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the average slip-and-fall settlement worth in New York?
It’s difficult to provide a value for the average slip-and-fall settlement because no two cases are alike. How much your specific case may be worth depends on how bad your injuries are and how negligently the property owner acted, among other factors. For instance, your settlement might be larger if you fell and broke your back compared to an accident in which you merely bumped your head.
Why are slip-and-fall accident cases hard to win?
Slip-and-fall cases can be hard to win because there’s often a lack of evidence that points to property owner negligence. Without evidence, it’s the plaintiff’s word against theirs. In a trial, the court will have to rely on the testimony of the victim and any witnesses.
A good Manhattan slip-and-fall lawyer will thoroughly investigate the accident scene and look for evidence that could bolster your case, such as broken handrails, loose carpets, and a lack of signs warning customers away from dangerous areas.
How can you know whether trips and falls are serious?
You might be badly hurt if you feel sudden, sharp pain after a fall. Stomach pain is another sign to watch out for. It could indicate that you’re bleeding internally. And if you feel unusually stiff or have signs of a head injury, such as blurry vision or a loss of balance, go to a doctor right away.
How long should you wait to see a doctor for a slip and fall?
Doctors don’t put a time limit on how long you can seek help after a slip and fall, so you can make an appointment days, weeks, or even months after your accident. That said, it’s better to see a doctor sooner rather than later. Generally, the faster you seek care, the quicker your recovery will be. Plus, your slip-and-fall lawyer in NYC can use your records of medical care as evidence in your case.
