Tacoma Slip and Fall Injury Lawyer
If you slipped and fell on someone else’s property, contact Park Chenaur and Associates LLP immediately. Since 1999, we have built and maintained a reputation as lawyers you can trust. We can protect your rights and fight to recover maximum compensation for you.
Property owners must adequately maintain their properties to make them safe for visitors and prevent accidents. However, slippery floors, obstructed walkways, and other hazards can lead to injury. When that happens, the owner should be liable for their wrongdoing.
Call Park Chenaur and Associates LLP for a free consultation today to learn more about how we can help you after a slip and fall accident. Reach out to a Tacoma slip and fall injury lawyer.
Why Choose Park Chenaur and Associates LLP?
Park Chenaur and Associates LLP has a reputation for providing accident victims with dependable legal services and support. Our hard work and case results earned us an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible rating a law firm can receive.
Working with a Tacoma slip and fall injury lawyer from our firm means you’ll receive personalized attention. We work directly with our clients to ensure ongoing communication. You can visit us at our conveniently located office in Tacoma on the corner of North Union Avenue and Sixth Avenue. With our 24/7 availability, you can call us whenever you want to speak with a live person. We also offer virtual appointments so you can meet with us from the comfort of your home.
Getting hurt in an accident someone else could have prevented is upsetting and can interfere with every aspect of a person’s life. Park Chenaur and Associates LLP understands the challenges you face. Instead of worrying about handling an injury claim and gathering evidence, let us do the work for you. Your only responsibility should be to focus on recovering.
Common Types of Slip and Fall Accidents and Associated Injuries
Multiple circumstances can contribute to a slip and fall accident, which can occur on any type of property. Venues such as private residences, restaurants, shopping malls, or amusement parks are frequent sites of slip and fall accidents. They often result from the owner’s, an employee’s, or a third party’s negligence.
The most common types of slip and fall accidents include:
- Obstructed aisles and walkways. Guests must be able to walk around a property without encountering hazards. An aisle or walkway containing merchandise, cords, and other tripping hazards increases the risk of injury.
- Slippery floors. Property owners must promptly address slippery floors. They should immediately mop up a spill or place warning signs near it until someone can clear it. After mopping the spill, the owner should place a warning sign on the recently mopped floor.
- Escalator and elevator accidents. Elevators and escalators can malfunction without proper maintenance and repairs. The abrupt stopping motion can cause someone to lose their balance and fall.
- Potholes and ditches. After discovering trenches, potholes, or other openings in the ground outside, property owners should fill them in or use well-marked warning signs to alert guests to the potential danger.
- Poor lighting. Dark areas of the premises should have adequate lighting so guests can see where they walk. Blown-out bulbs, damaged light fixtures, and other issues might cause a visitor to stumble and fall.
- Snow and ice. Ice and snow can accumulate in parking lots and sidewalks. Taking certain precautions, such as salting exterior walkways to keep people safe, is necessary.
- Damaged sidewalks. Loose pavers, cracked concrete, and uneven surfaces create tripping hazards. Property owners should immediately repair the damage they find or post warning signs when necessary.
- Damaged floors and coverings. Loose carpeting, damaged tiles, and slippery rugs are dangerous. Anyone can slip or trip and twist an ankle or fall down the stairs.
- Defective landscaping. Loose gravel, mulch, and other landscaping materials scattered onto walkways and parking lots can make anyone unsteady on their feet. Landscapers and other workers must avoid leaving tools and materials on paths where guests walk.
Various types of injuries can result from a slip and fall accident. Some injuries are minor and heal with minimal medical attention. Others are severe or debilitating, requiring ongoing treatment to repair broken bones, internal bleeding, and other complications.
The most common injuries in slip and falls include:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Nerve damage
- Twisted or sprained ankle
- Concussion
- Dislocated joints
- Pulled muscles
- Broken bones
- Torn ligaments
- Back injuries
- Hip and pelvic injuries
- Lacerations
- Paralysis
Slip and Fall Compensation
Compensation is available in an injury claim or lawsuit against the property owner if they are liable for the slip and fall accident.
The money you receive might compensate you for your:
- Mental anguish
- Hospital visits, prescriptions, physical therapy, and other medical expenses
- Loss of earnings
- Lost earning capacity
- Disability or disfigurement
- Inconvenience
- Damage to personal property
There is no way to predict how much money you’ll receive in a slip and fall case. However, an experienced slip and fall attorney can accurately assess the value of your case. Your attorney will include all accident-related expenses and intangible losses in their calculations to determine the full and fair compensation you deserve.
These factors can affect the value of your case:
- Emotional effects of the incident
- The total cost of medical care
- Duration of the recovery period
- Daily disruptions to routine, such as missing work or canceling vacations
- Type and severity of the injury
- Available insurance coverage
- The estimated cost of medical treatment needed in the future
- Evidence proving someone else is at fault for the accident
You should hire a Tacoma slip and fall injury lawyer from Park Chenaur and Associates LLP to represent you. Without an experienced legal team, recovering the maximum possible monetary award is less likely. We know how to maximize the value of a slip and fall case and aggressively pursue the compensation our clients deserve.
When you hire us, we will thoroughly investigate the incident to establish liability and obtain the available evidence to support your claim.
The evidence we need will depend on the circumstances but might include:
- Copies of your medical records and bills
- Security camera footage of the fall
- Pictures from the accident scene
- Statements from eyewitnesses
- Maintenance and repair records from the property owner
- A copy of the incident report
- Photos of your visible injuries
Fighting the Insurance Company
Negotiating an insurance settlement is often challenging for accident victims. If you don’t hire a lawyer, the insurance company might try to take advantage of you. They might trick you into providing information they can use to show that their policyholder isn’t at fault. They can also obtain evidence to reduce the value of your claim and justify offering an inadequate settlement or denying the claim entirely.
Although you might think the insurance carrier is on your side, their primary goal is to save money. The insurance adjuster might contact you to discuss the accident. Despite their friendly nature, they are not your friend and want to avoid paying your claim. That means they’ll use various tactics to minimize their policyholder’s liability and create obstacles to complicate or delay the process.
You should let Park Chenaur and Associates LLP take over. We can communicate with the insurer on your behalf and negotiate a fair settlement for you. We know how to deal with insurance adjusters and overcome the roadblocks accident victims often face while handling their claims. You can count on us to work hard to resolve the claim in your favor. We are ready to file a lawsuit and take the insurance company to court if necessary.
What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident
Report the incident to the property owner or a manager. Request a written report with the date, time, address, and other relevant details. Obtaining documentation of the slip and fall is crucial. Without it, you might not have physical evidence showing the date of your injury. Before leaving the accident scene, ask for a copy of the report for your records.
You can also ask the property owner for their name, contact information, and insurance details. Business owners often carry general liability insurance coverage to cover accident-related expenses. You need the insurance information to know who to file the claim with and the available coverage amount.
You probably already went to the hospital or doctor after the slip and fall. At this point, you should follow the physician’s recommendations regarding any necessary treatment. Follow the treatment plan and attend every appointment regularly. Missing an appointment every once in a while shouldn’t cause problems. However, if you make a habit of skipping appointments, it can negatively affect your case.
Insurance carriers want to avoid significant settlements. If they notice gaps in treatment while reviewing your medical records, they will have evidence to argue the validity or severity of your injury. They might claim the records show your injury isn’t that serious and doesn’t require a high settlement to cover your expenses. To avoid this complication, continue with the recommended treatment until you recover or your medical providers release you from their care.
You should also maintain every document related to the accident. Keep a copy of your billing statements, physical therapy notes, imaging test results, hospital reports, and anything else you receive during your ongoing claim.
Hire Park Chenaur and Associates LLP soon after the accident. We should start working on your case immediately to gather the available evidence before it goes missing or gets destroyed. We must also work diligently to meet critical deadlines. If you gathered documentation yourself, give it to our legal team. We can review everything to determine whether we can use it as evidence.
Don’t worry if you haven’t obtained evidence, documented the accident scene, or talked to eyewitnesses. Getting hurt in a slip and fall is overwhelming enough. Adding other responsibilities creates unnecessary stress. We can investigate, acquire evidence, and complete other necessary tasks for you.
A common mistake people make after a slip and fall is utilizing social media to discuss what happened. You might want to update your family and friends about your recovery and other information regarding the incident. However, insurance companies and defense attorneys can use your posts against you.
Your best option is to avoid your social media accounts while your case is pending. A seemingly innocent photo might be the evidence that the insurance adjuster needs to disprove your injury or establish your frequent online activity, which they could take to mean you’re not prioritizing treatment.
Seek Justice With a Tacoma Slip and Fall Injury Lawyer
A slip and fall accident can lead to severe injuries requiring medical care and daily assistance. You may find returning to work, caring for family, and completing basic tasks impossible. It can also create financial strain if the medical bills are too expensive.
At Park Chenaur and Associates LLP, we believe in fighting for injured clients in Tacoma. We will protect your rights and seek the justice you deserve. You can depend on our legal team to guide you during this devastating time in your life.
If a negligent property owner or another party caused your injuries in a slip and fall accident, call Park Chenaur and Associates LLP at (253) 345-2555 or complete our online contact form for a free consultation. Reach out to a Tacoma personal injury lawyer.
Tacoma Office Location:
3517 6th Ave, Tacoma,
WA 98406,
Phone: (253) 345-2555