You went to the local grocery store for some eggs and milk. But you came home with an injured leg and several days of lost work due to slipping and falling on a wet floor at the store.
You’re not the only one in this situation. Research shows that nearly seven million people suffered injuries from falls that required emergency room treatment in 2019.
The question is, should you hire a premises liability attorney to seek compensation for your injuries? Here’s a rundown on five telltale signs you need to hire a liability lawyer following your accident.
Let’s jump in!
1. Significant Injuries and Other Losses
One of the top signs you need to hire a premises liability attorney is that your accident has left you with severe injuries.
Premises liability accidents can range from slip-and-falls to dog bites and accidents stemming from inadequate security. They also include injury-causing fires and even accidents in swimming pools.
Common injuries suffered in premises liability accidents include the following:
- Lacerations and bruises
- Internal bleeding
- Injuries to the soft tissue
- Broken bones
- Brain injuries
When you suffer these types of injuries, you will incur medical costs while receiving treatment. Therefore, with the help of an attorney, you can pursue reimbursement for your physician bills, medical equipment, and medications. You can also seek compensation for physical therapy as well as therapy for your emotional injuries resulting from the accident, such as mental anguish.
Additional Premises Liability Accident Losses
In addition to helping you to seek financial damages for your injuries, a premises liability attorney can assist you in pursuing damages for lost wages. You may need this to cover both future and past income that your injuries have cost you.
Likewise, an attorney may encourage you to seek damages for pain and suffering caused by the accident. In addition, if your premises liability injuries will prevent you from being intimate with your spouse moving forward, you can seek the loss of consortium.
Finally, let’s say that you were bitten by a dog due to the gross, malicious, or intentional actions of the dog owner. In this case, you can seek punitive damages for your injuries if you decide to take the dog owner to court (more on that later).
2. Claim Investigation Help Needed
Yet another sign that you need to hire a premises liability attorney is that you lack the time needed to navigate today’s legal process.
Dealing with premises liability claims can be stressful and time-consuming. So, if you don’t think you can carry the load by yourself, you may want to enlist an attorney’s help.
An attorney can start out by explaining to you the premises liability legal process. Then, they can study your accident to determine if you truly have a case. This will involve getting copies of the accident report store surveillance tapes, pay stubs, medical reports, and photographs, for example.
In some situations, attorneys even hire experts to view the scenes of their potential clients’ accidents and reconstruct the accidents.
Your prospective attorney might also choose to interview witnesses to obtain statements from them following your accident. Finally, they will work on identifying all parties responsible for your premises liability injuries. This will increase your chances of receiving the full settlement due to you.
3. Claim Dispute
Perhaps the store you slipped atand their insurerhave decided to dispute your claim. A reputable lawyer can assist you in gathering the necessary evidence for supporting your claim and building a firm case.
The attorney can help you to demonstrate that the other party leased or occupied the property at which your accident took place. In addition, the attorney can show that this party should have known about the property’s dangerous conditions.
In addition to demonstrating the above, a reliable attorney can help you determine how much your claim is likely worth. They will base this on the claim’s weaknesses and strengths, as well as their own industry experience.
4. Negotiation Help Needed
Yet another sign that hiring an attorney is necessary following a premises liability accident is that you aren’t a strong negotiator.
Experienced attorneys can achieve far more personally favorable outcomes when negotiating settlements than their clients can do by themselves.
Your attorney can anticipate the arguments that an insurance adjuster will make in an effort to reduce or deny your claim. Then, they can employ proven tactics to overcome such disputes.
Also, note that adjusters are more apt to act fairly during settlement negotiations when attorneys are present, as they know that attorneys know the law. This is especially the case if they are working with attorneys who are known to pursue trial when insurance settlement offers aren’t high enough.
5. Lawsuit Needs Filing
Finally, you should hire an attorney if you feel that you may have to go to trial due to dealing with a difficult insurance company.
If an attorney determines that this is the best route, they can complete the lawsuit filing for you. In addition, they can make sure that this is done before the established statute of limitations in your state for doing this expires. For instance, you’ll likely have only a couple of years from the date of your accident to file a premises liability suit.
After filing the suit on your behalf, your attorney can serve as your representative in court. They will strive to maximize the compensation amount you receive by more than adequately proving your case.
How We Can Help Those Seeking a Premises Liability Attorney
If you believe that you have been injured on someone else’s property due to their negligence, it is in your best interest to hire a premises liability attorney right away. An attorney can help you to determine if you have a valid claim. If so, they can assist you in the negotiation and lawsuit filing process.
At Cook & Tolley, LLP, we maintain a track record of success in helping numerous clients who have been injured due to property owner’s negligence in Georgia. Contact us to learn how we can help you get the compensation you’re entitled to.
Cook & Tolley, LLP
304 E Washington
St Athens, GA 30601
(706) 549-6111
https://www.cooktolley.com/
