Trial Attorneys Texas attorneys have extensive experience obtaining settlements and verdicts for people who have fallen as a result of an unreasonably dangerous condition. Hospitals, apartments, rented homes, stores, businesses, nursing facilities, and employers are legally bound to keep the premises safe for any individual lawfully on the property. Storeowners must place a wet floor sign around spilled liquids, remove ice and snow on sidewalks, or place a barrier around any hazardous situation that could cause harm. If you or a loved one fell and were injured due to the negligence of others, you are likely entitled to receive compensation for your losses.
If you suffered an injury in a slip and fall, trip and fall, or other falling accident, or have been injured by a faulty piece of equipment or a dangerous condition, see your doctor first, then consult with a reputable slip and fall lawyer. Valid cases can be filed for compensation through a claim or lawsuit brought by the experienced attorneys at Trial Attorneys Texas.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, slips and falls are the leading cause of unexpected injury and death. The most dangerous conditions and hazardous areas include:
- Wet, oily, and slippery walkways
- Floor surfaces in disrepair
- Unanchored or loose rugs, maps, or carpeting
- Liquid or powder spills
- Snowy, rainy, or icy weather hazards
- Inappropriate footwear
- Lack of worker training
Almost all fall-related injuries are avoidable. However, many negligent property owners, nursing home operators, and store managers failed to maintain reasonably safe premises. Approximately 20% of all falling accidents lead to severe injuries.
The National Safety Council statistics reveal the percentages of injuries from slip and fall accidents include:
- Significant strains and sprains (9.4%)
- Traumatic brain injury (8%)
- Spinal cord injury (7.2%)
- Fractures and broken bones (5.1 %)
Many victims of slip and fall accidents never regain their previous level of function. Others spent years and rehabilitation, regaining balance from broken hips, normal brain function from a traumatic brain injury, or adapting to the limitations caused by spinal cord injury.
Catastrophic slips and falls usually lead to immediate medical attention in hospital emergency room visits. Others end in a painful death. Studies show that the older people get, they will likely experience injuries from a fall due to declining agility. Such persons or their loved ones can bring claims by hiring Trial Attorneys Texas.
Retain Trial Attorneys Texas to Help
Although generally, the facts are straightforward, making a claim arising from a dangerous condition that causes a slip, trip, fall, or other injury requires the help of a good attorney, like those at Trial Attorneys Texas. Liability cases are often based on common sense where the claims adjuster, juries, or judges determine if someone’s negligence harmed the plaintiff. The verdict is often based on specific circumstances, including:
- How long did those in charge know the hazard existed or should have known, and when did they take steps to fix the problem?
- Were the steps taken to remedy the problem reasonable and appropriate?
- Did the victim’s carelessness or reckless actions contribute to causing the accident?
- A jury might decide that the victim was partially responsible for their injuries, decreasing the amount of compensation they receive for their damages
Resolving a compensation case requires that the plaintiff (injured party) prove to a claims adjuster or trial jury that the:
- The people in charge knew or should have known of the dangerous condition and took no action to correct the problem
- Their negligence led to a hazardous situation
- The hazard because the plaintiff’s (injured party) injuries or damages
- The plaintiff’s injuries or damages are real
Insurance adjusters and property managers generally try to take statements and gather information favorable to their side almost immediately after an accident, in order to deny the claim at a later time. These people are not on your side, and you need to immediately retain legal assistance to prevent your claims from being denied based only on“the company’s” evidence. Potentially liable parties may retain experts to review the condition, without input from you. In order to be in a position to bring the best possible claim, you should obtain representation as soon as you believe another party may be legally responsible for your injury. Contact Trial Attorneys Texas about your claim today.
Slip and Fall Statistics and Facts
- Over 50% of all accidental deaths occurring in homes and apartments are caused by faulty and dangerous conditions
- Over 9 million adults and children visited the emergency room in 2019 for fall-related injuries (22.1% of all ER visits)
- Over 32,000 people died in slip and fall accidents in the UnitedStates in 2019
- Only a tiny percentage of falls occur on elevations like ladders and stairways
- Approximately 33% of people 65 years and older will experience a fall every year
- Up to 30% of people experience injuries after falling, including head trauma, hip fracture, or laceration
- The National Safety Council revealed that over 35,000 individuals died from slip and fall accidents in 2019.
- Hospital records indicate that over 8 million patients visit the emergency room every year for a slip, trip, and fall injury
- Slip and fall incidents account for more severe injuries in theUnited States than motor vehicle accidents
- Slip and fall accident injuries remain the leading cause of non-fatal medical treatment in the United States
- Slips and falls remain the leading cause of injury-related deaths in seniors over sixty-four years of age.
- More traumatic brain injuries are caused by falling than any other contributing factor
- The National Safety Council ranks falling with the highest odds of dying (one and 127), ranking sixth in the leading causes of death in the United States
- More hip fractures, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries are caused by slip and fall incidents than motor vehicle accidents
- Approximately48,000 individuals required days off from work in 2019 due to severe injuries from falling
- Slip and fall accidents account for 12% of all falls (1 million visits to emergency rooms) annually
- Injuries from slip and fall accidents remain the primary cause of missing work
- More worker’s compensation claims are filed for slip and fall accidents on the job than any other factor in individuals fifty-five years and older
- The Consumer Product Safety Commission recognizes that damaged or slippery floors and flooring material contribute to over 2 million fall-related injuries every year
- Hip fractures from falling continue to be the most severe health problem related to preventable deaths among the elderly in the US
- CDC records show that over 15,000 males and females sixty-five years and older died from falling in 2015, a statistic that nearly doubled from a decade earlier
- The CDC reports that approximately 1.75 million people 65 years and older were transported to the emergency room for treatment due to a fall in 2015
- The incident rate of falling rises with every decade of life
- Approximately 87% of all bone fractures occur in people 65 years and older, often resulting in traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord damage
- Approximately 50% of seniors sixty-five years and older hospitalized for a broken hip will not return home or continue living an independent life after the fracture
- More than 40% of nursing home patients were admitted to the facility for around-the-clock medical care and hygiene assistance due to a fall-related injury
- Nearly 60% of all nursing home patients fall every year
- The National Institute on Aging reports that 30% of seniors sixty-five years and older will sustain an injury in a fall, and approximately 10% of those will suffer a severe injury
- Elderly males and females 86 years and older are up to fifteen times more likely to fracture their hip than those 60 to 65 years old
- Approximately 2000 Americans visit the emergency room every day for a slip and fall injury
- OSHA revealed nearly 230,000 reports of non-fatal accidents involving a slip and fall in 2019
- In 2019, nearly 900 fatal work-related slips, trips, and falls were reported in all occupational sectors
- More than 60% of all slip and fall accidents occurred in the retail trade, wholesale, and services industries
- Slip and fall accidents accounted for 25% of reported work injuries in 2019
- Fall-related accidents are the primary cause of losing time at work due to injuries
- Nearly 25% of all employee slip and fall injuries on the job required over 31 days of recovery before returning to work
- The Industrial Safety & Occupational Health Markets revealed that over 85% of workers’ compensation claims involve employees falling on slippery surfaces
- The National Safety Council reports that more than $70 billion are spent annually on medical costs in financial compensation involving on the job slip and fall accidents
- Temporary or permanent disabling occupational injuries cost approximately $300,000 every year
- Nearly every service and manufacturing sector deals with workplace falls. However, fatalities are most likely to occur in mining, construction, and maintenance industries
- Insurance statistics show that 16% of all workers’ compensation benefits are associated with slip and fall accidents on the job and represent over 25% of costs, compared to 33% of costs for a strain or sprain injury
- American Trucking Association statistics show that slip and falls are the leading cause of compensable injuries throughout the trucking industry
- Approximately 40% of all severe falling injury cases occurring on the job involved falling from an elevation
- OSHA reports that more than 10,000 workers are seriously injured on the job from falling from elevated heights each year. Approximately 300 construction workers are killed every year from falling from heights.
Other statistics released by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reveals that:
- Roof, ladders, and scaffolding falls are the leading cause of fall-related on-the-job accidents
- Approximately 57% of all work-related fatalities in the construction industry involved falling from ladders
- The construction industry accounts for nearly 43% of fatalities from slip and fall accidents in a workplace
- Trips cause more than 20% of falls on ground level, and slips cause 13%
- Falling from the existing opening or higher surface accounts for approximately 11% of falls in the workplace
- The National Flooring Safety Institute (NFSI) reports that the lack of fall protection is the most common violation of US safety standards set by OSHA
- OSHA anticipates that seven people will die from falling every hour in the workplace by 2030, rising significantly from today’snumbers
The Fatal Four: Slip and Fall Accidents
According to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), 20% of all work-related deaths in all age groups occurred on construction sites in 2019. Approximately 60% of these fatalities involved the Fatal Four, including:
- Slip and fall accidents (39%)
- Hitting an object or struck by an object (8%)
- Electrocution (7%)
- Caught between equipment or in equipment (5%)
Our lawyers have more than 50 combined years of experience in personal injury. Our lead attorney, Jay English, has been certified in personal injury law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1998, and has tried more than fifty cases to a jury verdict with excellent results. Call our experienced legal professionals at Trial Attorneys Texas for a case evaluation today.