Were you severely injured in a slip, trip, or fall at a business or on someone else’s property in Huntsville? Alabama law requires property managers, premises owners, landlords, and other responsible parties to take reasonable precautions to make sure their property is safe for authorized visitors and invitees. When they fail to do so, they may be held accountable for injuries that result.
If you or a loved one was injured due to the negligence of another party, it’s critical to contact an experienced slip and fall accident attorney who can help you seek the compensation you deserve. Since 1966, Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., has been helping people throughout North Alabama and Tennessee get results that matter after devastating accidents like slips and falls. We’ve helped victims obtain settlements and verdicts totaling millions of dollars.
As demonstrated by our client testimonials, our nationally-recognized slip and fall attorneys are dedicated to serving clients with knowledge, experience, dedication, compassion, and respect. Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., is on the prestigious Bar Registry of Preeminent Lawyers list, and two of our lawyers have received the “Lawyer of the Year” award from Best Lawyers in America®.
At Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., we have a passion for not only protecting our clients’ rights but also making our communities safer for everyone. If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, contact our Huntsville lawyers to get on the road to recovery right away. We have offices conveniently located in Huntsville and Florence to serve you, plus our staff is available by phone or online to serve you 24/7 in English or Spanish.
To set up your free case review, call us or fill out our quick online contact form.
What to Do Immediately After a Slip and Fall Accident
There are a few steps you can take immediately after a slip and fall accident to protect your health and your rights:
- Get help. If your injuries are serious, call 911. Emergency responders can help give you the immediate medical attention that you need, plus they can file an official report with details about the accident. If you don’t receive medical attention at the time of the accident, visit a medical professional as soon as possible and have them evaluate your injuries.
Some wounds from slip and fall accidents are obvious, but some much more difficult to detect at first. Your doctor can identify these hidden injuries and treat them before they cause other complications and long-term problems. They can also provide you with a copy of their medical report, which you will need if you decide to file a claim for your injuries.
- Collect evidence. Gather the names and contact information of the property owner or manager, along with contact information from anyone who witnessed the accident. If emergency responders came to the accident scene, request a copy of their official report. Collect medical reports, receipts, pay stubs, and any other proof of your losses from the accident.
Take pictures as soon as possible of the accident scene and your injuries. Much of the evidence in slip and fall accidents disappears quickly. For example, employees might clean up the liquid you slipped on, or the property manager might fix the loose floorboard that caused your fall.
- Call a skilled Huntsville slip and fall accident lawyer. An experienced lawyer can give you the advice and support you need after an accident to protect your rights and pursue the compensation you’re owed for your injuries.
They can also help you act quickly to collect evidence before it’s destroyed or tainted and to compile and file paperwork for your claim. Alabama’s statute of limitations law typically gives victims up to two years from the date of their accident to file a slip and injury claim.
Although this might seem like a long time, time can pass quickly when you’re trying to recover from an accident that causes serious injuries and other damages, plus confusing exceptions to the law might make your timeline even shorter. Unfortunately, if you wait too long, you will likely miss out on recovering any compensation for your injuries.
An experienced lawyer can handle all of the details of your case and help make sure your claim is filed on time, so you can focus on recovering from the accident.
Examples of Dangerous Conditions That Cause Slip and Fall Accidents
Some of the dangerous conditions that most frequently contribute to Alabama slip and fall accidents include:
- Spilled liquids, splashed grease, and recently waxed floors
- Trash, debris, and inventory in walkways
- Damaged sidewalks, torn carpet, and loose floorboards
- Uncleared snow and unsalted ice
- Staircases that don’t have handrails or aren’t up to building codes
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
- Water leaks
- Lack of safety devices like runner carpets and poor staff training on safety measures
- Curbs
- Poor lighting
- Lack of warning signs or barricades
- Stray wires and cords
Proving Negligence in a Slip and Fall Case in Huntsville
Unfortunately, victims don’t automatically have the right to compensation for any slip and fall injury. In order to get compensation for these injuries in Alabama, victims must prove that a negligent individual, company, or other party was responsible for their accident.
To prove negligence, you must demonstrate, for example:
- The premises owner, manager, or other responsible party knew about the dangerous condition that caused your accident, but they didn’t take reasonable actions to prevent or remedy it.
- An employee of the property or another responsible party caused the hazard and didn’t act quickly to fix it.
- Any reasonable property manager or owner should have known about this unsafe condition on their premises and taken steps to fix it or other actions to keep people safe.
It’s also critical to proving that you did nothing to contribute to your accident. Otherwise, you might not be able to recover any type of compensation for your accident. Alabama has one of the harshest laws in the nation in terms of fault for accidents. Under the state’s strict contributory negligence laws, the defendant can escape completely from paying a victim for their injuries if they can prove the victim was even the slightest bit responsible for the accident.
Handling Insurance Companies in a Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents often cause serious and sometimes life-threatening issues like serious brain injuries, broken bones, joint damage, spinal cord injuries, mental anguish, and chronic pain. However, it can be difficult for victims to get the full compensation they need to care for these injuries because insurance companies do all they can to pay victims as little as possible.
Insurers often contact victims while they’re still in shock from an accident to try to get them to accept a low offer, claiming that’s the most the victim will be able to get or that they might not get anything if they reject that offer. However, insurance companies’ initial offers are often much less than victims deserve, and they are typically willing to negotiate with well-informed people who push back.
This is often difficult for victims who try to negotiate on their own because they don’t know what their case is worth. On the other hand, if you work with a knowledgeable attorney, they can use their experience to estimate how much money your current and future damages from the accident will cost. They can also negotiate on your behalf to help you seek the maximum compensation you’re owed to cover damages, such as:
- Current medical bills
- Lost wages
- Future medical expenses
- Loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
- Disability or disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
- Other damages
Additionally, insurance companies often try to trick victims into saying things they can use against them, signing written statements, or disclosing their full medical documents. It’s vital to avoid speaking with the insurer without your lawyer because of Alabama’s contributory negligence laws.
Our skilled Huntsville slip and fall attorneys have a deep knowledge of Alabama’s law, and they can use this experience to help protect your rights. They can communicate with the insurer on your behalf and help you avoid mistakenly saying something that would jeopardize your right to compensation.
What Can a Slip and Fall Attorney Do for Me?
The skilled slip and fall accident lawyers at Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., can help protect your rights and help you fight for the full compensation you deserve. They can help shoulder the burden of your accident by handling all the details of your case while you focus on recovering from the accident.
Don’t wait to get on the road to recovery. To schedule your free case review, contact us at any time by phone or through our quick online contact form. We charge no fees unless we help you collect money for your injuries.
