Lake Charles Slip and Fall Lawyer

Lake Charles Slip and Fall Attorney

While slip and fall accidents are common and often minor, some can have a sizable impact on your future. If a dangerous situation on someone else’s property significantly impacts your life, a Lake Charles slip and fall attorney can help.

At The Roach Law Firm, we’ve been advocating for our clients’ interests since 1959. We understand how a slip and fall accident can disrupt your life, and our lawyers can provide you with compassionate legal guidance. With our assistance, you’ll be equipped to secure everything you need to recover.

What Is Premises Liability?

Premises liability exists to hold property owners responsible for injuries visitors sustain on their property. These injuries typically arise due to hazardous conditions. The duty of care a property owner owes an individual depends on the type of visitor involved, such as:

• Invitees: People invited onto a property for a business purpose, such as store or restaurant patrons, have rights. Property owners owe the highest duty of care to these people and must take steps to maintain a safe environment for them. This safety can include inspecting the premises for hazards and warning invitees of known dangers.
• Licensees: Licensees are visitors with the owner’s permission to lawfully exist on the property but are not present for business purposes. These groups include people like social guests or individuals attending events on the property. While property owners owe a lesser duty of care to these people than invitees, they must warn them of known and hidden dangers.
• Trespassers: Individuals who are not lawfully on the property are trespassing. Property owners usually have no duty to protect people trespassing from any harm, but property owners cannot intentionally injure them if not acting in self-defense.

Premises Liability Lawyers Committed To Your Recovery

When you walk into a store, visit a friend’s home or dine at your favorite restaurant, you expect the property to be in safe condition. But what happens when that safety is compromised due to someone else’s negligence? That’s where premises liability comes into play. Simply put, it’s the responsibility of property owners to ensure that their premises are hazard-free for visitors. If they fail in this duty and you get hurt, you can pursue accountability through a legal claim.

At The Roach Law Firm in Lake Charles, we stand on a proud legacy of success in helping personal injury victims pursue recovery. Since our founding in 1959, we’ve become a trusted name in Southwest Louisiana for proven legal advocacy.

Common Slip and Fall Causes

While the victim of a slip and fall may sometimes be at fault, oftentimes, the full responsibility is on the property owner who failed to prevent or fix hazards. These accidents happen in various ways, but some common slip and fall causes include:

Flooring Hazards

Flooring hazards are a common cause of slip and fall accidents. Although many of these hazards are simple to clean up or control, some property owners avoid properly acknowledging the issue until it is too late. Examples of these dangers include:

• Wet or Slippery Surfaces: Floors can be wet from spills, leaks, and recent cleanings, but it is the property owner’s responsibility to fix the problem or put up warning signage. When property owners do not take the appropriate action to dry wet floors quickly, visitors can incur severe injuries.
• Uneven Flooring: Cracked tiles, warped floorboards, or unexpected flooring material transitions can cause tripping hazards. Property owners should repair these uneven surfaces before a visitor is hurt, but many do not.
• Loose Carpeting: Loose carpets or rugs can bunch up and cause someone to trip and fall. When property owners securely fasten their carpets and rugs to the floor, trips can decrease significantly.
• Debris on Floors: While it may seem minor, debris on floors can create serious safety issues. Scattered material like food particles, dropped merchandise, or randomly placed cleaning supplies can create difficult surfaces to maneuver on and increase fall risks.

Stairway and Escalator Hazards

Stairway and escalator hazards can increase the risk of someone tripping, falling, and possibly sustaining a severe injury. Missing or broken handrails can cause deadly falls, while poor-lit stairwells can cause people to miss steps, treads, or other hazards. Property owners have a responsibility to ensure that visitors are safe in all areas of their property, including stairwells.

Lighting Issues

Inadequate or unreliable lighting can prevent visitors from staying safe, especially if they already have difficulties seeing without assistance. Dim hallways, walkways, parking lots, or building entrances can make seeing uneven surfaces, obstacles, or holes nearly impossible. To ensure safety, property owners should maintain appropriate lighting.

Negligent Maintenance

Property owners must repair defects like cracked sidewalks, uneven pavements, and potholes. Additionally, areas with snowfalls need to be cleared promptly, as there is a high chance of ice solidifying. Snow should also be removed from walkways and parking lots to promote safe passageways.

While fixing these issues is important, property owners should conduct regular inspections instead of waiting on complaints. After discovering a hazard, they should see that it is fixed before allowing people to traverse the property.

When Dangerous Property Conditions Cause Harm

Premises liability can manifest in various forms, any of which can leave innocent visitors with life-altering injuries. Our attorneys handle premises liability cases involving scenarios such as:

• Slip-and-fall mishaps: Whether involving a slippery floor, a tripping hazard or an uneven sidewalk, these accidents can cause serious harm.
• Dog bites: We seek justice for those harmed by dangerous dogs, including children.
• Swimming pool accidents: Pools without proper fencing, security measures or supervision can lead to tragic drownings.
• Negligent security: If inadequate security measures – such as broken windows, malfunctioning locks or poor lighting – lead to an assault or violent crime, the property owner may be liable.
• Unsafe structures: Collapsing decks, railings and other maintenance hazards can result in severe injuries.

We understand the nuances of each case type and are ready to advocate for your rights.

Types of Slip and Fall Injuries

Our team is familiar with the intricacies of slip and fall accidents, and we know they can range from minor to life-altering events. Your injuries’ severity can depend on the cause, where the fall occurred, your landing surface, and your overall health. Some of the most common slip and fall injuries can be devastating.

Head Injuries

Falls can cause a variety of head injuries. From mild concussions to traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), they can all require medical attention. Symptoms of head injuries can include headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion, memory problems, speech issues, comas, permanent neurological impairments, and loss of sight.

Spinal Cord Injuries

A damaged spinal cord can result in partial or full paralysis. Some people are never able to walk again as a result of a slip and fall. Property owners who cause spinal cord injuries through their negligence can expect to be responsible for significant compensation to victims.

Back and Neck Injuries

Due to the nature of slip-and-fall accidents, the back and neck are extremely vulnerable to injury. Common injuries can include sprains, strains, herniated discs, and fractures. Our team can help you file a claim if you sustain back and neck injuries. The pain, stiffness, and limitations in movement can hold you back from work and a high quality of life.

Broken Bones

Common with older adults, broken bones happen frequently during slip-and-fall accidents. The bones in the hip, wrist, arm, ankle, and leg can fracture easily. Healing times for broken bones can vary widely, and ultimately, those with these types of injuries will likely be unable to perform personal or work tasks until they heal.

How a Lake Charles Slip and Fall Attorney Can Help You

While you sit in the hospital or at home recovering, we can fight for your interests. Your accident has likely changed your life, leaving you with physical injuries, lost wages, and medical bills. While you focus on recovery, our Lake Charles slip and fall attorney can handle the legal process. We can seek any compensation the insurance company owes you. The steps our attorneys may take in your case can include:

Initial Consultation

Your initial consultation includes reviewing your case details, answering your questions, and explaining your options. Our initial meeting will allow you to determine if our experience fits your case. Together, we can identify your optimal route forward.

Investigating the Incident

Our slip and fall attorney can conduct a thorough investigation into your accident. We can gather evidence from the fall scene, such as photographs, witness statements, and accident reports. The team can also obtain your medical records to assess the extent of your injuries and determine how they can affect your future.

Identifying Liability

Premises liability can be complex. However, your attorney can determine who is liable for your accident. We can examine the property owner’s duty of care, whether they breached their duty in your case, and the extent to which they are liable for your injuries.

Proving Negligence

We must prove that the property owner’s negligence caused your slip and fall accident to win your case. This can involve crafting a strong case to demonstrate elements like duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and damages. It can take time to properly piece together a convincing case.

Calculating Damages

We can work with medical and financial professionals to calculate the full extent of your damages now and in the future. These damages usually include medical expenses, pain and suffering, future medical needs, lost wages, and lost earning potential.

Negotiating With Insurance Companies

Most slip and fall claims involve negotiations between the property owner’s insurance company and the victim’s attorney. Our Lake Charles attorneys have the experience necessary to lead aggressive negotiations that advocate for maximum compensation. We seek the most fair settlement available, and if the insurance company refuses to adhere to our demands, we can pursue other options.

Taking the Case to Court

If we cannot reach a fair settlement, we are not afraid to take your case to court. We can represent you in the litigation process and present a convincing case to a judge or jury. Our lawyers can show evidence to support your story and persuade the court to grant your deserved compensation.

While some consider handling a slip and fall claim independently, this decision is unwise. There are significant advantages to working with an attorney with a thorough knowledge of the legal system and the complexity of premises liability law. An attorney who has skillfully and successfully acquired compensation for previous clients will understand what actions bring about ideal results.

Slip-and-fall accidents can be stressful, and legal proceedings can increase that stress. Let our attorney handle your burden so you can focus on your recovery.

Getting Up After A Serious Fall

Falling down may not seem like a serious accident, but the consequences of a fall can be life-changing. When someone else caused your fall through their negligence or recklessness, holding them accountable for your injuries can be difficult. Thankfully, with the help of a skilled personal injury team, you can pursue financial compensation to cover the cost of your recovery.

At The Roach Law Firm, we have more than 60 years of experience representing clients through their personal injury claims. We take the time to learn the unique details of our clients’ cases so we can craft a custom-tailored representation plan for their personal injury claim.

What Your Claim May Be Worth

Every personal injury claim is different, and so is the money that comes from them. Personal injury claims are meant to recover the current and future economic and noneconomic costs of an injury, such as:

• Lost income
• Loss of earning potential
• Medical expenses
• Relocation or renovation fees
• Loss of bodily function
• Loss of life enjoyment
• Pain and suffering

Insurance companies will likely act to minimize or eliminate the compensation they have to pay you for your injuries. When they try to either avoid liability or stick you with a lowball settlement offer, we can act on your behalf to seek compensation that accurately reflects the full cost of your injuries. Whether negotiation or litigation is necessary in your case, we will be by your side through every step of your case.

Holding Responsible Parties Accountable

Whether your all happened because of a loose walkway, unsecured handrails, rotted stairs or uneven sidewalk, your injuries are serious. Let us help you through your personal injury claim to secure the full and fair compensation you need. Call us at 337-433-8504 or email us here and set up your first appointment with us today.

Let Us Be Your Voice In Tough Times

Our lawyers understand unexpected and life-changing injuries. We work hard for people in your shoes, meticulously piecing together the details of each case and preparing for trial. This diligent approach often produces strong settlements.

We can be your staunch allies and fight to make you whole again. Call us today at 337-433-8504 or 337-433-8504 to discuss your situation.