What Should You Do After a Slip and Fall Accident in Myrtle Beach?
To have a claim for damages after a slip and fall, you must be able to prove that a hazard caused your fall, the property owner knew or should have known about the
hazard, and you suffered serious injuries as a result. If you suffered a slip and fall injury that was not your fault, be sure to take the following steps:
- Call for help. If someone is walking by, you can ask them for help, or if you have a phone, call 911 for an ambulance to evaluate you for any injuries. Obtain medical treatment as soon as possible for your safety.
- Secure an Incident Report. Request an Incident Report to document your fall and what happened.
- Collect evidence at the scene. Take photographs of the scene and the conditions that caused you to slip and fall. Photographs are important to prove what caused you to slip and fall.
- Collect witness contact information. Write down the names of any witnesses and obtain their phone numbers. Find out the owner of the premises, the management company for the premises, and the name of the person who is the general manager for the premises, and report your incident to all of those in writing with a letter sent by certified mail. Certified mail is important to prove they received your letter. In your letter, you should instruct them to preserve evidence, including photographs and video surveillance, and request their liability and medical payments insurance information. A request to preserve evidence is also sometimes known as a “spoliation” letter.
- Contact a slip and fall injury attorney. You should consider talking to an experienced slip and fall injury attorney immediately. Do not give a recorded or written statement to any insurance company or person investigating the accident without first talking to an experienced injury attorney. Unfortunately, an insurance company or person investigating the accident for the property owner may try to use anything you say against you later to help them avoid responsibility for causing your accident.
Contact a Dedicated Personal Injury Attorney
In Myrtle Beach, stores and restaurants see a lot of traffic daily—particularly in busy tourist seasons—but that's no excuse for business owners to fail to keep floors clean, dry, and free of obstacles. Attorney Brooke Eaves Wright wants to hear from you if you were hurt in a slip and fall. She has secured excellent results for her slip and fall clients in Myrtle Beach, and she would be honored to hear your story and evaluate your case. If you were injured in a slip and fall accident that was not your fault, it's worth your time to talk to an experienced Myrtle Beach personal injury attorney as soon as possible after the accident.
Common Questions:
What is the legal term for slip and fall? The legal term for a slip and fall case is generally known as a "premises liability" case filed in Civil Court. An owner, manager, or other person and/or entity in control of a premises where a fall occurs can be held liable if the fall was caused by a hazardous or unreasonable condition that the owner, manager, or other person and/or entity in control created or knew about previously and failed to correct or warn customers and/or invitees of the condition.
How to make a claim after a fall? The easiest way to make a claim after a fall is to hire an attorney to assist and handle the entire claim process for you. However, you can attempt to file a claim yourself by sending a certified letter to the registered agent or manager of the business or location where the incident occurred stating that you are making a claim for your injuries and request they forward your letter to their insurance carrier. You can also send a certified letter directly to the insurance company for the premises if you can determine which insurance company provided insurance coverage on the date of the fall. If you do not receive a response in writing with a claim number, then you can call the premises and/or their insurance company and request a claim number for your injury claim. It is not recommended to answer any questions from a person, insurer, or company you are filing a claim against without consulting an attorney first or having your own attorney present.
How much compensation is a trip and fall? In general, there is no specific or standard amount of compensation to be given to a person injured by a trip, slip, or fall incident. Instead, the value of an injury claim caused by a fall is determined by assessing several factors including the amount of medical bills received, the cost of medical expenses in the future related to the injury, lost wages from work, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. In general the higher the amount of the medical bills, the larger the amount of the award or settlement will be. The amount awarded for pain and suffering is to compensate the injured person for the physical pain and suffering they have endured and will endure in the future as a result of the injury. The amount awarded for loss of enjoyment of life is to compensate the injured person for any activities they can no longer do or any limitations in their activities as a result of the injury including hobbies and activities of daily living. The amount awarded to an injured person is usually determined by a jury at trial; therefore, an experience slip and fall injury attorney can evaluate your case and give guidance to their client about the amount that may be expected from a jury. Hiring an experienced injury lawyer who has actually had several trials determined by a jury in Civil personal injury cases would be a great way to help an injured person understand the true potential value of their case and/or injury claim.
Below is a list of some of the Largest Slip, Trip and/or Fall Lawsuit Settlements that Attorney Brooke Eaves Wright has helped injured people win or receive:
$1,900,000.00* settlement after a worker fell and sustained permanent paralyzing injuries as a result;
$1,800,000.00* settlement after a security guard slipped and fell on ice at work resulting in a significant permanent head injury;
$877,781.42* judgment awarded after a woman tripped and fell on a cracked concrete sidewalk at a baseball field while on vacation;
$850,000.00* settlement after a trip and fall involving a hazardous stair with no handrail at a restaurant resulting in multiple surgeries; and
$625,000.00* judgment awarded after a woman tripped and fell over a curb at a local shopping mall resulting in injuries.
Disclaimers*:
- Past results do not guarantee results in the future. However, Brooke can guarantee you she will provide you with the compassion you deserve and her finest efforts.
- Every case is unique and different, and the results Attorney Brooke Eaves Wright and/or Wright Injury Law may have achieved on behalf of these clients do not necessarily mean that similar results can be achieved for others.
Attorney Brooke Eaves Wright has experience with many types of fall cases including but not limited to the following examples:
- Slip and fall on ice at a hotel in the pool area
- Trip and fall over defective transition strip in the walking area at a mall
- Trip and fall over a curb at a mall
- Trip and fall over cracked sidewalk
- Trip and fall over cracked and defective parking lot pavement
- Slip and fall over wet paint striping in parking lots of shopping centers
- Slip and fall due to wet tile floors from rain inside a shopping store
- Trip and fall due to defective handrails at stairs at an outdoor beach facility
- Slip and fall due to wet floors near swimming pools without adequate warning signs
- Fall down open elevator shaft with no warnings
- Trip and fall over electrical and lighting equipment at a hotel resort
- Trip and fall due to inadequate lighting at a concert; and
- Trip and fall involving hazardous stairs