Slip and fall accidents typically occur because of a property owner’s negligence in maintaining safe premises, and they can have catastrophic consequences. From broken bones to traumatic brain injuries, a slip and fall accident could impact the rest of your life. If you’ve suffered injuries in a fall, you may be entitled to compensation, and our team of Levittown slip and fall lawyers can help.
At Wapner Newman, our attorneys have over 40 years of experience representing clients who’ve suffered because of another party’s wrongful or negligent conduct. We can help you gather the necessary evidence to show you deserve compensation and negotiate with insurers to get you the assistance you need to cover lost wages, medical expenses, and other losses you’ve sustained.
Schedule a free consultation with one of our Pennsylvania slip and fall lawyers by calling us at (215) 569-0900.
Why Choose Us
Wapner Newman Offers Tenacious Representation
If you suffer an injury and want to file a personal injury claim, you need to rely on Levittown slip and fall lawyers who have decades of experience. That’s what we offer at Wapner Newman. Our team has helped clients recover millions of dollars in settlements and jury awards by negotiating aggressively with insurers and advocating for our clients in court.
With our team by your side, you can focus on what’s most important — recovering from your injuries. We’ll handle the details of your claim so that you have one less thing to worry about. Because we know just how much stress you’re under, you can always expect prompt communication and regular updates so that you never have to worry about getting the answers you need. You’re in safe hands with our team.
Understanding Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents occur when someone slips or trips and suffers an injury because of it. Our slip and fall attorneys offer an overview of what these claims involve.
How Negligence Plays a Role In Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents are premises liability accidents, so they usually revolve around proving that negligence occurred. Negligence requires you to prove that the property owner or manager didn’t live up to their responsibilities.
Property owners must ensure their premises are reasonably safe for visitors and guests. If they notice hazards, like wet floors or uneven pavement, it’s their responsibility to warn of the danger or resolve the problem. Owners and managers who don’t do so can be held liable if an injury occurs. In Pennsylvania, they don’t have the same duty of care toward trespassers, but they also can’t engage in willful or malicious actions that could put the trespasser in harm’s way.
What elements are necessary when proving negligence? There are four that must be present. They are:
- Duty of care
- Breach of duty of care
- Causation
- Damages.
If you are walking through a store, trip and fall as a result of cluttered aisles, and break a leg, you could file a claim against the store owner. They breached their duty of care by not clearing up the aisles when they could have reasonably expected someone to trip. Their negligence led directly to your injuries and resulted in compensable losses.
At Wapner Newman, our slip and fall lawyers know that it can be stressful to even think about proving negligence when you’re struggling with injuries. We will gather evidence to establish this for you.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents
These accidents can occur for many reasons, but the most common causes include:
- Wet floors
- Potholes
- Uneven pavement
- Loose floorboards
- Loose mats or rugs
- Other tripping hazards.
One of the locations where the most slip and fall accidents occur is in the workplace — especially in the construction industry. There may be wires and materials lying about that can cause workers to trip. When these occur at great heights, the accidents can be fatal.
Statute of Limitations for Slip and Fall Accidents
In Pennsylvania, you generally have two years to file a claim from the date you suffer a slip and fall accident. It’s essential to contact our Levittown slip and fall attorneys right after the accident, however, because there are several exceptions to this timeline. If you fall in a government-owned building, for example, you have a substantially smaller window of time to file a claim. Remember, if you miss the deadline, you can’t recover losses.
At Wapner Newman, our Levittown premises liability lawyers helped a client who slipped and fell in a coffee shop recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation.
Available Damages After a Slip and Fall Accident
Claiming Economic and Non-Economic Losses
When you file a claim with the help of our premises liability lawyers, you can recover economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages compensate you for financial losses you suffered, beginning with medical expenses. These cover everything from hospital stays to the purchase of mobility devices. If you need to receive ongoing medical care, economic damages can also include that.
Slip and fall accidents often result in injuries that make it impossible to go to work while you recover. That means losing out on salaries, commissions, and bonuses you would have otherwise received. You have a right to recover these, too. In the most serious of accidents, you may not be able to return to work in the same capacity or could suffer a disabling injury that doesn’t allow you to work at all. You could file for loss of earning potential, which accounts for the wages you would have made during your working life.
Not all of the losses you suffer are financial, however. Non-economic damages strive to compensate you for the distress you’ve suffered and how the injuries have impacted your life. These damages are more difficult to put a number on, so, usually, how much you receive will depend on the severity of the injuries.
When you schedule a free consultation, the team of premises liability attorneys at Wapner Newman can give you an idea of the damages you can claim.
Slip and Fall FAQs
You’re probably living through a very stressful period in your life. At Wapner Newman, our Pennsylvania slip and fall attorneys offer answers to the worries you may have about filing a claim.
When should I call a personal injury attorney?
It’s always a good idea to contact our team as soon as you can after a slip and fall accident. You may think that two years to file the claim is a long time, but the sooner we can get started, the better. We will have access to fresh evidence, including eyewitness statements that might not be so easy to access once months have passed.
How long will a slip and fall claim take?
Each claim is unique, so the timeline can depend on many factors, including whether the insurance company involved chooses to negotiate fairly. If they dispute the claim or don’t offer the kind of settlement you deserve, the process can take longer because it could be in your best interests to take the trial to court. Our Bucks County slip and fall lawyers will always do what we can to get the claim resolved rapidly so that you can receive the compensation you need.
How can a lawyer help me when filing a slip and fall claim?
When filing a slip and fall claim, we will begin by investigating the accident and gathering all of the pertinent evidence. This is something that can be tough to do if you’re injured. You may also not be certain of the type of evidence that can make a difference in these claims. Our team will also negotiate with insurers on your behalf. Often, insurers will try to keep you from getting the full compensation you’re entitled to, and they may try to bully you into accepting a low settlement. With us by your side, that’s not something you have to worry about. We can also take your case to court because we have decades of litigation experience.
Can I recover losses if the accident was partly my fault?
Yes. You can usually recover losses even if you played some role in the accident as long as the other party is still the one most at fault. We can help you with complex cases like these, too.
After suffering an accident that led to injuries, contact our team of personal injury lawyers to learn more about how we can assist you.
Contact Wapner Newman to Speak With a Premises Liability Attorney
You shouldn’t have to deal with the aftermath of a slip and fall accident on your own. At Wapner Newman, we offer the guidance you need to navigate the personal injury claims process. Our compassionate slip and fall lawyers will fight for fair compensation to cover the losses you experienced as a result of someone else’s negligent and wrongful conduct.
Schedule a free consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers by calling us at (215) 569-0900.