What is a Slip and Fall Injury/Accident?

The term "slip and fall” is a legal term which generally refers to a situation when an individual slips and/or trips due to hazardous conditions on someone else's property. The slip and/or trip often results in a fall, consequentially inuring the victim,. These types of falls happen all too frequently and many victims do not realize that they can file slip and fall lawsuits against the negligent party. These cases fall under the branch of law known as premises liability. Premises liability law determines what one will be entitled to when a person is injured on property that is owned or maintained by someone else and the owner/possessor of that property is held liable for the injury. Slip and fall accidents can happen inside or outside and on public or private properties. These cases frequently involve dangerous conditions and can and, often do, result in serious personal injuries.

What precisely is a slip and fall injury? There is no precise answer to this question as you will see below that slip and fall injuries can come in many shapes and forms. When a person slips, trips, and falls down due to the negligence of another individual or business and there are resulting injuries, a slip and fall injury has taken place. A slip and fall accident can happen while slipping on the proverbial “banana peel”, spilled liquid, ice/snow and any other surface bedeviled by a slippery substance. An accident may occur due to tripping on a faulty sidewalk, traversing an awkward gradient change, becoming snagged on a guy-wire, falling over a negligently placed sign . . . the list goes on. The fall that occurs in a legitimate slip and fall accident case must be due to the negligence of someone else. New Jersey Premises Liability law is written so that a property owner or possessor who is legally responsible for a residence, business or governmental property is legally liable for any of injuries that arise on the property due to negligence or faulty construction. The attorneys at Riviere Cresci & Singer LLC handle slip and fall accidents in Monmouth County, Ocean County, Middlesex County and Mercer County, and they have personal injury experience and knowledge, which allows them to relentlessly fight for their clients’ rights. They use their aggressive tactics, while remaining companionate to their clients’ needs, to get you the compensation (monetary damages) you deserve! Call our personal injury hotline today (732) 64-NJLAW.

Common causes of slip and fall accidents

• Slippery, uneven and/or broken sidewalks, cobblestones, or pavement
• Potholes
• Failure to maintain and/or clear walkways in times of inclement weather
• Steeply sloping driveways
• Slippery floor surfaces or floor coverings
• Oil, grease, water, liquids, or food on the floor
• Uneven stairs or inadequate stair rails
• Hazardous store aisles
• Entrance/exit defects
• Carpet, rug, and mat placement or defect
• Walkway defects
• Construction area hazards, including falling debris
• Unsafe balconies and/or railings
• Poor lighting

Injuries you may have suffered from a Slip and Fall:

The aforementioned causes of slip and falls can result in serious injury and may be grounds for a slip and fall lawsuit. Injuries that may occur as a result of your fall include herniated disc(s); HNP; radiculopathy; disk bulge; disk protrusion; degenerative disc disease; DDD; ankylosis; rotator cuff tear; paralysis; spondylosis; spondylolisthesis; chondromalacia; traumatic brain injury (TBI); concussion; shoulder instability/dislocation; knee ligament injuries (ACL; PCL; MCL; LCL); knee dislocation; fractures and the a multitude of other injuries may that may result.

COMMON MEDICAL PROCEDURES that you may confront for your injuries include:

• Arthroscopic and minimally-invasive surgery of the shoulder, elbow, knee, hip and ankle
• Knee ligament reconstruction and meniscal transplantation
• Cartilage restoration, OATs, Autogenous Chondrocyte Implantation and Allografts Osteotomies
• Arthroscopic rotator cuff reconstruction
• Arthroscopic Bankart reconstruction (capsulolabral repair of the shoulder)
• Arthroscopy of the knee, shoulder, hip, elbow, wrist and ankle
• Hip, knee and shoulder replacement
• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction
• Ankle and mid-foot procedures
• Carpal tunnel surgery and wrist procedures
• Hand tendon repairs
• Open reduction, internal fixation of shoulder, elbow, wrist and ankle fractures
• Spinal procedures and joint injections

Damages in Slip and Fall Cases

The circumstances (facts) of your slip and fall case, the location (premises) of the accident, the severity of your injuries, the availability of insurance coverage, the policy limits of any available insurance coverage, the financial status of the defendant, the assets and insurance coverage of anyone else that may be at least partially responsible for the fall and the skillfulness of the lawyer all affect the amount of damages that can be recovered for a slip and fall injury. The character of the injured and sympathy of the jury also play a role in determining the amount and types of damages awarded.

Your injuries will be compensated to reflect the monetary and non-monetary damages that you have suffered. These can include medical expenses (hospital, surgical, ambulance bills, etc.), rehabilitation expenses, lost income, reduction in your earning capacity, and physical and mental pain and suffering which are due to any injuries suffered.