11 Real Life Slip and Fall Case Results
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Each year, more than eight (8) million people receive emergency room treatment for injuries sustained from slip-and-fall accidents. For older adults, the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention confirm that slip-and-fall accidents are the #1 cause of unintentional deaths in the U.S.
Common injuries sustained from slip-and-fall injuries include traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and torn muscles. Regardless of the seriousness of the injuries, you as a victim have the right to be treated with respect and to be compensated for your injuries by the person at fault.
Leveraging the experience of a New England personal injury lawyer skilled in the process of negotiation and litigation is your best option for securing the compensation you deserve as you continue with your recovery process.
How much is my slip-and-fall accident worth?
Each case is different, and your personal injury lawyer will look at every aspect of your case to determine a fair compensation.
The main factors that will drive the settlement amount include:
- Your lost wages, reduced earning potential, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, mental anguish, etc.
- The extent of your injuries, including bills for past and anticipated medical treatment, ambulance costs, etc.
- Incidental expenses incurred because of the accident (for example, fuel for transportation to and from the doctor’s office and therapy).
- Liability of the person responsible for the accident.
- How the person responsible contributed to the accident.
Your pain and suffering lost wages and reduced earning potential will fall under the category of General Damages.
Special Damages refers to the direct costs caused by the injury, such as the medical expenses.
Punitive Damages may be included if the person responsible for the accident – and your injuries – was especially negligent.
What should I do if I have a slip-and-fall accident?
While it’s understandably easier said than done, it’s important that you keep your wits about you and establish a chain of evidence.
- Make sure someone knows.
Whether it’s a store supervisor, manager or property owner, make sure they are aware of the accident before you leave the premises. - Even if you feel fine, don’t say you’re ok.
It can take some time before injuries from falls begin to be felt or noticed. It can sometimes take days for serious damage to be felt. - See a doctor ASAP!
To establish a paper trail of your injuries, it’s vital that you see your doctor for an examination as soon as possible.
If you’ve experienced a slip-and-fall accident, call the Haymond Law Firm, New England’s most trusted personal injury lawyers.
The seemingly slightest of falls can often result in long-lasting injury and discomfort. That’s why you need a skilled personal injury lawyer in your corner.
With offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and Florida the Haymond Law Firm has the resources to aggressively fight for your interests.
For a free consultation, call us at 1-800-HAYMOND (1-800-429-6663).
Real-life case results
Case 1: Slip and fall victim recovers money after falling at a cookout
Slip and fall victim recovers money after falling at a cookout.
Case Facts
While hoping to enjoy the weather and grilled food, he instead took a step down from the building towards the parking lot, only to have the railing snap off on him, resulting in Frank falling to the cement ground underneath, breaking his ankle and dislocating his hip bone. Frank underwent three months of physical therapy and missed a lot of time from work.
Case Results
$250,000
Frank chose The Haymond Law Firm because of their excellent reputation. John Haymond met personally with Frank and his family in New London, CT and it was agreed that the employer needed to be held accountable for their actions and the gross neglect of their property.
The Haymond Law Firm conducted an intense and thorough investigation of the property, the Landlord, and all history associated with complaints and defects concerning the property. After completing all the necessary research Haymond discovered that the property owner had received multiple complaints about the handrail previously and also discovered that the city gave notice of the danger of this handrail during a previous safety inspection. However, no corrections were ever made to the dangerous handrail by the Landlord.
As a result of our aggressive approach, Frank received a settlement in order to help pay the remaining medical bills and make up for the lost pay from his work.
No amount of money can truly make up for an injury a client suffers. The Haymond Law Firm works tirelessly to ensure our clients are compensated fairly and do not have to worry about making ends meet after a traumatic incident.
Case 2: Young mother receives a large settlement after slipping and falling on icy sidewalk
The holiday shopping season was in full swing on that fateful day when Dana Williams was out looking for the last few items on her list. A young mother of two young children, she was walking along a street in West Hartford, Connecticut as she looked for that special gift for a few of her favorite family members. Due to a recent snowfall a few days prior, as well as the subsequent drop in temperatures from the night before, the sidewalk was icy and slippery
Case Facts
Dana suffered a devastating fall that resulted in numerous fractures as well as a concussion. Initially helped by some passersby who were also precariously picking their way across the frozen sidewalk, the manager of the store that she fell in front of rushed to the scene and called for emergency medical help. The first responders also had a difficult time administering care to Dana do to the atrocious conditions of the sidewalk.
Attorney Haymond went to the scene of the accident along with his private investigator. They discovered upon inspection that there was an overhang in front of the store without a gutter to control the runoff of snow and water. As a result, water and snow fell onto the sidewalk in front of the store and froze along the walkway. The theory of recovery was that the owner of the store either knew or should have known of this dangerous hazard created by the awning and failed to correct the condition.
After being seen by the emergency room doctor, it was evident that Dana needed extensive surgery. A week-long hospital stay was required in order for all of her injuries to be addressed and stabilized. During the first few days after her slip and fall accident, Dana remembers very little due to her head injury.
Case Results
$350,000
With her medical bills mounting, Dana’s family contacted Haymond Law Firm who visited her at the hospital at her invitation. She wanted to establish the details of her accident while they were still fresh in her mind. According to the inclement weather regulations for West Hartford, the store owner has a responsibility to ensure that the sidewalk in front of his store is either free of ice and snow or covered with non-slip material such as sand. In addition to Dana’s statement, the private investigator’s photos and report we also obtained statements from those who assisted her, including the first responders who arrived to give her medical assistance. Dana was awarded a settlement for her medical expenses, pain and suffering because the sidewalk was not properly maintained by the store owner.
Case 3: Snowy auto accident settlement
In late January a driver was driving a state of the company van. It was snowing and there was snow on the road. Our client was driving on a rural route in Granby, Connecticut. As he was coming to the crest of a hill, a town-owned pickup truck with snow plow attachment backed out of a private driveway into the van’s lane of travel and struck the passenger side front end of our client’s vehicle.
Case Facts
The client sustained injuries to his right shoulder and right wrist. Ultimately, he required surgery for a torn rotator cuff
of the right shoulder and surgery for a torn ligament in his right wrist. He was assigned a 35% permanent partial impairment of the right shoulder.
His medical bills were paid by the workers’ compensation insurance carrier for the employer. That carrier also paid several thousand dollars lost wage benefits and nearly $60,000 for the impairment of the right shoulder. For all benefits paid on behalf of the client, the workers’ compensation insurance carrier had a lien in excess of $139,000.
Case Results
$225,000
The liability carrier for the Town tried to claim that the client’s injuries were caused by prior instances of work-related injury sustained by the client in his capacity as a corrections officer, particularly a prior claim for a right shoulder injury several years earlier. However, there was no indication that the client was ever a surgical candidate prior to the motor vehicle accident in 2009.
The case was scheduled for trial in mid-February. The parties all consented to a mediation session with a judge from the Superior Court. The parties were the Plaintiff (client), the town and its driver and the employer seeking reimbursement of the worker’s compensation benefits paid.
After a two hour mediation, the case settled including our client’s impairment award and lost wage benefits received from the workers’ compensation carrier.
Case 4: Fall on poorly maintained property results in large settlement
Even if a piece of the property appears to be entirely safe, it may not be. Steve was excited when his family moved into a new rental property, a single-family home in Hartford CT with a big backyard. That is until Steve sustained injuries during a fall down the home’s back steps. Steve had thought the back steps seemed a little wobbly and had mentioned it to the landlord, but his concerns had never been addressed. Then on April 19, 2016, Steve was headed down into the backyard in the early morning to bring the family dog inside.
Case Facts
Although the light was poor and there was dew on the steps, they appeared to be as safe as always. But then Steve lost his balance and fell, fracturing both his wrist and ankle in the process. His wrist needed to be immobilized, and his ankle required surgery to insert several pins. He was unable to walk for several weeks, which severely impacted his job as a security guard. Throughout it all Steve couldn’t help but remember the wobbly stairs and wondered if that might have been the cause. He contacted the personal injury experts at The Haymond Law Firm and began investigating right away.
Case Results
$250,000
Haymond Law sent a certified inspector out to the property, and he was able to determine that the stairs were not only not built to code, but dangerously so. Then our investigator went a step further and went to the local permitting office. There he discovered that there had been no permit filed to add the back entrance and stairs to the property. With an illegal addition not built to code, it was easy to prove negligence on behalf of the property owner. And even though Steve had only verbally questioned the landlord about his concerns with the stairs, he had a compelling case.
Haymond Law sought damages on Steve’s behalf for his injuries as well as a loss of work and was able to settle out of court for $250,000. Steve is now back to work, and the settlement enabled him to put a down payment on a new family home, with a big backyard for the family dog. Do not assume that any property has been built properly and to code. If you suspect that an injury you have sustained is due to negligence, contact the personal injury legal experts at Haymond Law.
Case 5: Man Awarded Settlement As A Result Of Slip And Fall
James Stevens, 68, was recently shopping in a local supermarket when he suffered a terrible slip and fall accident. Stevens was walking through the refreshments section of the supermarket when he slipped on a puddle of spilled water.
Case Facts
After a few minutes of writhing in pain on the ground, a store manager arrived at the scene. He helped Stevens to his feet and ordered one of the store’s employees to clean up the spilled water. Stevens was unable to walk more than a few short steps so the store manager contacted emergency personnel. Upon their arrival, Stevens was carried out of the supermarket on a stretcher and transported to a local hospital.
Stevens underwent subsequent surgery and his doctors believed that he would likely require a total hip replacement in the future. Stevens still can’t put his full weight on the injured hip, experiences chronic pain in both the hip and groin region and has not regained a full range of mobility. He also experiences stiffness and swelling in the hip area. He is undergoing physical therapy that will last for months.
Case Results
$235,000
In the days following Stevens’ slip and fall, he contacted the attorneys at the Haymond Law Firm. The firm filed a premises liability lawsuit against the supermarket as management and employees failed to clean up the spilled water that caused Stevens’ slip and fall and the consequential injuries. We retained a private investigator specializing in slip and fall cases. There is a great deal more difficulty proving fault due to falls in supermarkets. However, after managing to obtain statements from 3 employees we discovered that a bottle had broken about 15 minutes before the incident. We claimed that the store and its employees knew or should have known that there is a duty to inspect aisles on a regular basis. The Haymond Law Firm successfully proved that the supermarket failed to maintain their duty to their customers.
The Haymond Law Firm’s attorneys and investigators recruited witnesses and medical experts who testified that the supermarket’s poorly maintained floor had a direct causal relationship to Stevens’ fractured hip.
Stevens was awarded a large settlement for his medical expenses and pain and suffering. He attributes this generous award to the legal expertise of the Haymond Law Firm’s attorneys.
Case 6: HLF fights for client afterslip and fall at a local strip mall
A woman was headed to work out at the local gym when she tripped on an uneven walkway brick at a strip mall.
Case Facts
The woman fractured her kneecap, but the insurer for the strip mall refused to accept liability. We spared no expense in trying to prove notice against the strip mall owner.
Case Results
$130,000
We went out to the scene, took photos, and spoke with other pedestrians in the area who also fell and took their statements. We interviewed all of the businesses in the strip mall until we had many statements proving that the bricks in the walkway were uneven. We filed suit and recovered a fair sum of money after mediation.
Case 7: Trip on a dog’s leash results in financial recovery
Vivian L, a local senior citizen in Hartford, CT who is active in both mind and body, was enjoying a walk from her home in the downtown area to a town council meeting where she expected to make her voice heard regarding the various topics on that night’s agenda. A patron of business along her route left his dog tied to a bench, giving the pet lots of room on its leash to move around.
Case Facts
Unfortunately, the pup was less than comfortable within the confines of the town with all the noise and busyness that occur there. When a car drove by, it startled the dog, making it jerk away from the bench. The dog leash popped off from the bench and flew into Vivian’s path, causing her to trip. She suffered a painful fracture of her wrist, her first such injury of that nature.
Case Results
$250,000
To a bystander, it might seem as though this is simply a freak accident. However, a dog owner is still responsible for the behavior of his pet, both on his own property and when the animal is taken out into the world at large. The dog’s owner tried to claim the town was responsible for the accident. , The Haymond Law Firm pursued a claim against the dog owner and we convinced his insurance carrier that it was responsible even though the dog didn’t bite or go after Vivian.
Vivian’s wrist was fractured badly. Though she was in excellent health overall, due to her age, Vivian had some challenges in healing from this injury. She required physical therapy in order to gain full use of that arm. With the settlement The Haymond Law Firm won for her, Vivian was able to recover from her injuries and get her life back together.
Case 8: Woman slips and falls during snowfall, HLF negotiates settlement
Case Facts
A resident at Hartford Hospital was on her way to work when the snow started to fall. Suddenly, she slipped on the sidewalk and felt severe pain in her ankle. Other doctors from the hospital came out to the sidewalk to assist her, and it was discovered that she had a serious ankle fracture. She was rushed into surgery.
Case Results
$75,000
After five months she returned to her duties. We investigated the accident and discovered that a layer of ice had accumulated on the sidewalk. As the light snow fell, it covered the ice that had formed during the previous few days, obstructing the doctor’s view of the slippery condition. We negotiated a large settlement.
Case 9: Mall Parking Lot Fall
The Haymond Law Firm represented a client who fell on ice in a mall parking lot. The lot had an owner, leaseholder agreements transferring power to shadow corporations, lessors, sublets, tenants, property managers, contractors, and subcontractors. We filed a suit against six defendants. After we filed suit, each attorney for the six defendants called trying to get out of the case. They wanted us to agree to one defendant who was solely in “control” of the property and let the rest out. However, they did not want to agree to who was at fault. They just wanted to agree on who was in control and whose responsibility it was to care for the ice.
Case Facts
We said no. They were going to admit who was in control and let the rest out and leave it to us to prove who was at fault. They tried many arguments, we said no.
Case Results
$260,000
In the end, the defendants testified against each other to avoid blame & we were able to settle.
Case 10: Not Waiting on Insurance
We had an adjuster on a slip and fall case claim that sent letters that purposefully did not identify his named insurance. At first, we thought he was hiding the name of the real at-fault party so we could not sue them. We sent a letter giving him a deadline of 60 days to identify his insured. He answered that the insurance company was investigating whether there was adequate coverage at the time of that accident and said that we should diary it for 6 months. We sent a letter giving the company 30 days to answer yes or no to coverage or we would file suit. He called to tell us to send me a copy of the suit and claimed that we may have to wait in line two more years to get a trial date and a verdict to decide if there is coverage for this company.
Case Facts
We filed something called a PJR. It is like a superpower that asks a court to freeze bank accounts or lien real estate of the at-fault party because their insurance company says it is going to take a long time to determine coverage or not. Within 24 hours of filing the PJR, the at-fault party hired his own attorney to make claims against the insurer for not giving a prompt coverage answer.
Case Results
$430,000
Within weeks of filing the PJR not only did I have written coverage confirmed, but we also had a defendant who hired an attorney to push his insurance carrier to pay our client.
Case 11: Ice in Parking Lot Slip & Fall
Attorney Sudnick represented a client who fell on ice walking through the parking lot to get to work. It turned out that his boss owned the company that rented the premise as well as the company that employed him.
Case Facts
Attorney Sudnick filed a “PJR.” Essentially when the insurance company said a coverage decision may not come until after a verdict two years later, Attorney Sudnick sought the attachment of the owner’s home and within days the insurance company agreed to provide coverage.
Case Results
$550,000
We recovered a six-figure amount for her client. She managed to put her client in a position to keep receiving workers’ compensation benefits, and she lowered the workers’ compensation lien significantly down from the mandated amount by statute.
