Slip-and-Fall Attorney in Colorado Springs, CO
Slip-and-fall accidents occur frequently. If you’re lucky, you can walk away from a fall with a bit of embarrassment and a couple of bruises. But in far too many instances, slips, trips, and falls can result in severe and potentially life-altering injuries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 10.5 million emergency room visits were related to fall injuries across the country in a recent year.
The Colorado Springs slip-and-fall attorneys at Earl & Earl, PLLC, know the wide-ranging impact an accident could have on your life. Our highly experienced Slip and Fall Lawyers are here to answer your questions and help you seek justice if you’ve been hurt due to someone else’s negligence.
Our law firm prides itself on treating our clients like real people, not just a case file. You can trust us to be there for you during every stage of your slip-and-fall claim. Over the years, our slip and fall lawyer have recovered top-dollar compensation for their injuries stemming from a wide range of personal injury matters, including slip-and-fall accidents.
Time is of the essence if you’ve been hurt. Call or contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced Colorado slip-and-fall lawyer.
Visit a Slip-and-Fall Accident Attorney near you
Common Causes of Slip-and-Fall Accidents
Slip-and-fall accidents are often caused by:
- Slippery sidewalks, parking lots, and walkways, especially after rain, snow, or other precipitation
- Spilled liquids
- Objects left on the floor
- Tripping on uneven or poorly maintained sidewalks or other pathways
- Tripping over stray electrical cords
- Slipping on staircases with damaged or broken handrails
- Poor lighting
Some accidents are truly accidents. But when someone else’s negligence causes a slip-and-fall accident, you could have a valid legal claim against the responsible party.
Common Places Where Slip-and-Fall Accidents Occur
The only thing necessary for a slip-and-fall accident is a slippery or uneven surface, which means they can happen almost anywhere. Some of the most common sites of slip-and-fall accidents include:
- Private residences
- Work locations
- Restaurants and bars
- Grocery stores and other “big box” stores
- Movie theaters
- Public playgrounds and parks
- Sports stadiums
- Vacation rental properties (e.g., condos, townhomes, apartment complexes, etc.)
- Theme parks/amusement parks
- Swimming pools
- Construction sites
- Parking lots and garages
- Elevators and escalators
- Nursing homes and assisted living facilities
What Do You Have to Prove in a Slip-and-Fall Claim?
Like most personal injury claims in Colorado, slip-and-fall accident claims are based on the legal theory of negligence. To claim any compensation for your injuries, you have to show that the owner or manager of the property where the accident occurred owed you a duty of care and failed in their responsibility to prevent you from being harmed. You’ll also have to show that the other party’s negligence directly led to your injuries.
The first step in a slip-and-fall accident claim is to show that the property owner or manager owed you a duty of care. However, the level of care owed to you depends on where the accident occurred, whether you were on the property legally, and the relationship between you and the owner or manager of the property. It breaks down like this:
- Trespassers: If you are on someone else’s property illegally and are injured in a slip-and-fall accident, the property owner owes you a minimal duty of care, and you will be unlikely to recover any compensation. Property owners are only liable for willful or deliberate injuries to trespassers.
- Invitees: Guests who are legally on someone else’s property temporarily for some type of business purpose are known as invitees. Property owners owe invitees a higher level of care. They can be held liable if an invitee is injured from a known hazard on the property or one that the property owners reasonably should have known about.
- Licensees: A licensee is someone who enters a property for their own convenience or interests, such as a social guest. Licensees can hold property owners liable if known hazards created by property owners injure them or if they failed to warn them of dangers that would not normally be present on the property.
These distinctions are crucial, as the standard of proof required to be eligible for compensation and substantiate your case varies greatly depending on whether you’re a trespasser, an invitee, or a licensee. To seek the full value of your claim, you’ll need strong evidence and help from a knowledgeable slip-and-fall accident attorney.
How Can a Colorado Springs Slip-and-Fall Attorney Help?
If you’re hurt in a slip-and-fall accident on someone else’s property, the property owner may try to challenge any claim you make for compensation. These accidents can be extremely costly, and if the property owner is found liable for your injuries, they could be looking at a substantial financial loss.
To pursue full compensation for your injuries after a slip-and-fall accident, you’ll want help from a lawyer who knows what it takes to win these cases. Here are a few ways our Colorado Springs slip-and-fall attorneys can help you:
- Gathering evidence to support your claim: Without strong documentation to back up your claim, it will be difficult to show that the property owner is responsible for your injuries. You’ll also need evidence to show the extent of your losses. Our slip and fall lawyer can help you gather medical records, accident reports, witness testimony, surveillance footage, and other evidence to make the strongest possible claim for compensation.
- Filing your claim: Whether you file an insurance claim against the property owner or a personal injury lawsuit, there’s a lot of paperwork and bureaucracy involved in these cases. Unless the necessary forms are filled out correctly and the various parties in your claim get all the information they need, your case may drag on and your chances of recovering compensation will be reduced. We’ll take care of all these forms and make sure your claim is filed promptly.
- Handling settlement negotiations: Most slip-and-fall cases are settled out of court in negotiations with the property owner’s insurance company. While this avoids the stress and complications of a trial, you must be careful during these negotiations. At Earl & Earl, PLLC, we are skilled negotiators who know all the tricks and traps insurance companies use to minimize their payout or deny claims. We’ll fight for the compensation you deserve while you focus on healing from the accident.
- Bringing your case to court: In some cases, it may be necessary to file a lawsuit to seek fair compensation for your injuries. We’re not afraid to bring cases to trial, and we’ll fight vigorously on your behalf if a reasonable settlement cannot be reached.
Demanding Compensation for Your Slip-and-Fall Accident Injuries
Between your medical bills, lost wages, and the way these injuries can affect your quality of life, a slip-and-call accident can take a major toll. Fortunately, Colorado law allows slip-and-fall accident victims to recover compensation for their injuries and losses.
A successful slip-and-fall accident claim may include compensation for losses such as:
- Past, current, and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced capacity to work and earn a living, if your injuries have left you disabled
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional pain and suffering
How Long Do You Have to File a Slip-and-Fall Claim in Colorado Springs?
Colorado law gives accident victims two years from the date of their slip-and-fall injury to file a lawsuit, also known as a premises liability claim. Even though most premises liability claims are settled out of court, the threat of a slip-and-fall lawsuit may be necessary for property owners to make a full and fair settlement offer.
What to Do If You’ve Been Hurt in a Fall
If you’ve been in a slip-and-fall accident, here are simple steps you can take to protect your rights:
- File a written report about the accident with the property owner or local law enforcement agency.
- Save any evidence you can gather from the scene (e.g., photos of the area where the accident occurred, contact information for anyone who witnessed the accident, footage from nearby surveillance cameras, etc.).
- See a doctor right away. Waiting too long to start treatment could result in your claim being thrown out or having the value of your compensation reduced.
- Avoid talking about the accident on social media and don’t make any public statements about the accident or your injuries. The information you provide could potentially be used against you in your case.
- Talk to a slip-and-fall attorney as soon as possible so they can begin building your case.
Talk to a Slip-and-Fall Injury Lawyer in Colorado Springs, CO Now
The slip-and-fall injury lawyers in Colorado Springs, CO at Earl & Earl, PLLC, are ready to help you fight for what you deserve if someone else’s negligence has hurt you. Get a free case review by visiting our contact page, using our live chat service, or calling our Colorado Springs office.