Second only to motor vehicle accidents, slip and fall accidents account for 29% of workplace injuries due to slip and falls. Accidents involving slip and falls, send millions of people to the emergency room each year. Each year more than three million people in the United States seek medical attention because of a slip and fall injury, which is more than 2 thousand people each day. Slip and fall accidents can be very serious, whether you are at work, home or anywhere else. For those who have been injured in a slip and fall accident, working with a knowledgeable attorney in the State of Florida is the best way to get back on your feet. Here are 7 facts about slip and falls to show you how serious an injury of that type can be.
- Slip and Fall can be costly
The majority of people don’t know how expensive a slip and fall accident can be.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are very costly, specially on older adults. Slip and fall accidents cost an average of $34 billion each year. These costs devastate families and these bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy.
- More than 3 million people visit the emergency department each year due to slip and fall accidents
Each year more than 3 million people seek medical attention due to a slip and fall accident. There are approximately 800,000 hospitalizations and 28,000 deaths.
- Slip and Falls involve broken bones or fractures
Broken bones or fractures are very common and cause severe injuries in 20 to 30 percent of cases.
When you fracture or break a bone, an acute pain usually occurs immediately. A fracture can cause severe pain, swelling, deformity, pain that gets worse when you put pressure in the area that was injured, inability to bear weight and loss of function. Recovery time ranges from six to eight weeks, but it can vary depending on the type of injury and where the fracture is. If you are suffering from serious injury because of a slip and fall, you may be able to recover for pain and suffering.
- Slip and Falls are among seniors of 65 years or older
More than one out of four older people fall each year. The older you get, the more you are likely to fall, and the more severe your injury is expected to be. Among older adults, slip and falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of non-fatal trauma related hospital admission.
- Falls in the Workplace
In 2018, more than 5,250 workers died on the job, on average more than 100 workers a week or more than 14 deaths every day. Construction workers are most at risk for fatal falls from height. New database shows that 42 percent of construction worker deaths involve falls, 54 percent of the workers deaths did not have access to a personal fall arrest system and 23 percent had access to a personal fall arrest system but decided not to use it.
Slip and falls accident in the State of Florida can occur for any number of reasons. It could happen from a broken sidewalks, walkway, and damaged stairs, most likely when workers are carrying an object and prevent them from seeing where they are stepping their feet. Other causes include fluids such as water, tar if the workers are working on a roof, or grease on the floor.
- Slip and fall victims could miss time from work
In addition to pain and suffering and accumulated unpaid medical bills, slip and fall accident cost the victim time off from work, resulting in a financial burden. A slip and fall accident results in an average of 11 lost day of work. This could also cause a lost or work productivity which may affect the company you work for.
Lost work productivity might be significant in cases of serious injuries. You may be able to get compensated for lost income in addition to your pain and suffering and other damages.
- Most slip and fall cases settle out of court
Every slip and fall claim are different and the outcome is always difficult to foresee. If you think you might have a valid slip and fall claim, you are probably thinking what to expect if you decide to pursue a case. A slip and fall case will most likely settle out of court, often before a lawsuit is even filed. Every case is unique, and you might have a lot of questions such as; how long will it take for the case to settle? What might the case settle for? How much is the case worth?
A typical slip and fall accident case in Florida will result in the following:
- Medical treatment- you will have to treat for your injuries for a period for your injuries.
- Initial Demand- In support of the claim, your attorney will include your medical records, medical bills and a detailed description of your injuries. He will also ask for a dollar amount to settle your claim.
- Insurance Company response to the Demand - The insurance company will respond to the demand either by rejecting the demand and instead will offer a different amount to settle the matter. It is possible that the insurance company might argue that you were negligent and will try to say that you should share fault on your own injuries.
- Negotiation/Settlement- After several phone calls between the attorney and the insurance company, the insurance company will make a final offer to try and settle the claim. Your attorney will present you the offer, after considering the cost of litigation, attorney’s fees if a lawsuit were to be filed and if the case went to trial, and the unpredictability of how a jury might decide the case. After taking all these facts into consideration it is now time to decide on how to proceed with the case. The client could either accept or reject the offer.
