Slip & Fall Accident Attorneys in Washington
Most all of us have had a momentary lapse when our inattention leads to a slip or trip and fall. In most cases, the slip and fall is little more than an embarrassing incident which might leave only bumps and bruises. Other times, a fall in a public place, due to negligence, or a fall at work due to negligence can be a more serious issue. A workplace slip and fall can leave you injured and unable to work in the same way a slip and fall in a public place can do the same. According to the National Floor Safety Institute, the following facts apply to slip and fall accidents:
- Falls account for more than 8 million ER visits annually, with slip and falls accounting for more than a million of those.
- Falls from a height and slip and falls account for 11 percent of job-related fatalities for men, and 5 percent of job-related fatalities for women.
- Fractures are the most serious consequence of falls—about 5 percent of those who experience a slip and fall will experience one or more fractures.
- Slip and falls represent the primary cause of lost days from work.
- Slip and falls are the leading cause of worker’s compensation claims—and the leading cause of occupational injury for those over the age of 55.
- Floors and flooring materials are responsible for a significant number of slip and falls.
- Falls can occur anywhere there is a dangerous or hazardous condition, and occur in virtually every industry, however fatal falls occur more often in the construction, mining, and certain maintenance industries.
- The health care industry also has a high rate of slip and falls.
The primary situations in which a slip or trip and fall may occur in the workplace—or on public or private property—include the following:
- Sloping walking surfaces;
- Uneven tiles or bricks, or missing tiles or bricks;
- Loose or frayed carpeting;
- Loose mats or other types of flooring;
- Freshly waxed or highly polished wood or linoleum floors;
- Uneven walking surfaces;
- Greasy, wet, or slippery flooring surfaces;
- Unexpected transitions from one type of flooring to another;
- Taller-than-normal thresholds with no warning signs;
- Stairs which are uneven, irregular or damaged;
- Lack of handrails on stairways;
- Items extending out into walk paths;
- Electrical cords and cables stretched across the walkway;
- Ladder steps which are broken or damaged;
- Ramps without skid-resistant surfaces;
- Desk drawers or file cabinet doors left open, and
- Weather issues such as frost, ice, snow, hail, sleet or rain which make walkways slippery.
Workers’ Compensation Claims from a Washington Slip and Fall Accident
In the majority of cases, injuries from a workplace slip or trip and fall will fall under a workers’ compensation claim. You may be entitled to payment for all medical expenses related to your workplace accident as well as lost wages if your injuries prevent you from working for any significant length of time. Under workers’ compensation benefits, you may also be eligible for expenses related to vocational rehabilitation, depending on the circumstances of your accident.
While you may not require an attorney to file a workers’ compensation claim, if your claim is denied, or your employer is refusing to do his or her part in the workers’ compensation claim process, an attorney from Palace Law can ensure your rights are fully protected, and that you receive the workers’ compensation benefits you are entitled to. In certain work-related slip and fall accidents, the negligence or inattention of a general contractor or subcontractor could have been a contributing factor. If this is true in your case, you may also be able to bring a third-party claim against the negligent party in order to collect damages.
Personal Injury Claims from a Washington Slip and Fall Accident
If you were injured in a slip and fall accident in a public place, such as a grocery store, a restaurant, a mall, a parking lot or other similar places, you may be entitled to file a personal injury claim against the owner of the business. While a slip and fall accident can occur anywhere, at any time, some of the more common public areas where slip and falls occur include:
- Restaurants;
- Public restrooms;
- Malls;
- Grocery stores;
- Bars;
- Nightclubs;
- Curbs;
- Moving sidewalks or escalators;
- Stationary sidewalks and stairs;
- Construction areas, and
- Slippery, wet areas around swimming pools.
What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident
Following a slip and fall accident, it is extremely important that you seek immediate medical attention—even if you do not believe you are that badly hurt. All too often, a person who suffers a slip and fall accident is embarrassed and simply wants to go home. Later, the victim of the slip and fall accident realizes he or she suffered more serious injuries than first believed. At this point, if the slip and fall victim failed to seek medical attention, he or she may not be believed later on, when a personal injury claim is filed. If you are medically able, it is extremely important to take photographs of the scene of the accident—the hazard which caused your slip and fall. If there were witnesses who saw you fall, it is equally important that you obtain witness contact information. These two steps can be incredibly important down the line should you decide to file a slip and fall personal injury claim.
How a Palace Law Attorney Can Help with Your Washington State Slip and Fall Accident
If you have been involved in a Washington state slip and fall accident, it can be very beneficial to speak with a skilled Washington slip and fall attorney from Palace Law to discuss your options and plan for the future. Our experienced attorneys can provide a prompt, thorough investigation which is essential to proving your claim. Your Palace Law attorney has extensive knowledge of the laws in the state pertaining to slip and fall accidents and personal injury claims in general.
We will fight aggressively for your rights, ensuring your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering are properly compensated. At Palace Law, you never pay unless we recover compensation on your behalf. We have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for our clients and are available 24/7 to assist you following your slip and fall accident. Contact a Palace Law attorney in Tacoma today for an evaluation of your slip and fall accident.