A slip and fall accident case is a type of personal injury legal matter involving a victim getting seriously injured from slipping, tripping, or falling on an unsafe surface on public or private property.
Common injuries that people sustain in slip and fall accidents include back and neck injuries, head trauma, concussions, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, bruising, dislocated joints, soft tissue injuries, internal injuries and traumatic brain injuries.
If someone is injured on the premises of a private or public property owner, that property owner may be held liable if it can be proven that their negligence led to the accident. Victims are encouraged to retain professional legal counsel from experienced personal injury attorneys to prove negligence. Please get in touch with our law firm for legal guidance today.
What Is the Average Settlement for a Slip and Fall Claim?
Unfortunately, it is difficult, if not impossible, to give an exact settlement amount for your case’s worth. Slip and fall settlement amounts vary depending on several factors, such as the severity of the injuries and the level of negligence of the property owners. However, in most slip-and-fall accident cases, settlements in California range between $30,000 to $60,000.
In cases with minor injuries, the average slip-and-fall workers’ compensation settlement in California ranges between $5,000 and $25,000. For a personal injury settlement involving minor injuries, the approximate settlement ranges between $10,000 and $30,000.
For slip-and-fall cases with moderate injuries, workers’ compensation settlements range between $25,000 and $75,000, and personal injury claim settlements range between $30,000 and $100,000.
Workers’ comp settlements range between $75,000 and $200,000 in cases of catastrophic injuries. Meanwhile, the average slip-and-fall personal injury settlement involving a catastrophic injury may vary between $100,000 and $300,000.
With all that being said, no website can claim to say what your case is worth with any absolute certainty. An experienced legal team will need to assess the facts of your case before giving you an idea of the value of your personal injury claim. Please contact our California law firm to schedule your free consultation with our legal staff today.
How Can a Personal Injury Victim Maximize Compensation in a Slip and Fall Case?
After a slip-and-fall accident, victims must take certain steps to ensure their well-being and strengthen their personal injury cases.
The sooner you seek medical attention after a slip-and-fall accident, the better off you will be from a legal settlement standpoint. Not only will seeking emergency medical care look after your well-being and the severity of your injuries, but it also creates essential documentation and evidence in the form of comprehensive medical records. Personal injury victims’ medical records can establish the severity of their injuries and what treatment is required to help them recover. If you delay getting medical treatment following a personal injury accident, not only could it endanger your health, but it could also weaken your claim. Insurance companies could potentially claim that your injuries were not severe enough to be reimbursed if you did not seek immediate medical attention.
You will want to file an accident report with the property owner or management staff soon after the accident. Your accident report creates an official record of the incident that can be valuable evidence for your personal injury lawyer. Your report should include all relevant information about the fall, including where it happened, when it happened, your injuries and when you contacted 911.
It is also essential that you gather evidence to help support your personal injury claim. Take photographs and videos of the accident scene from multiple angles, including taking photographic evidence of your injuries, where the accident occurred and the dangerous condition that caused the accident. Additionally, do not clean or dispose of the clothing you wear during the accident. Maintain your clothing and property in the same condition as when the accident occurred.
What Factors May Affect the Value of a Slip and Fall Accident Settlement in California?
Slip and fall accident settlements vary wildly depending on several factors unique to each case.
Factors that could determine your slip-and-fall case payout include the following:
- Â The severity of your injuries plays a crucial role in determining the settlement amount for a personal injury case. Typically, the more severe the injury, the higher the compensation. Severe injuries such as broken bones, new disabilities, paralysis, and other catastrophic injuries usually result in higher settlement amounts
- Medical bills are a significant factor in determining how much your settlement amount will be. The more that you will have to pay in medical expenses following the accident, the more the potential compensation there will be to cover these costs
- When severe injuries result in victims missing time from work, their lost wages could be calculated into the total settlement. If the injury is catastrophic enough that it alters the victim’s ability to return to work, their earning potential could be reduced, which can also impact total compensation
- Insurance policy limits can sometimes cap the compensation amount. In many cases, property owners have liability insurance. However, the final settlement may still be limited by the coverage of the property owner’s insurance policy
How Is Pain and Suffering Calculated in CA?Â
Pain and suffering and other non-economic damages can be difficult to assess in a personal injury case. The state of California does not have a specific formula to follow for calculating damages like emotional anguish, mental distress and physical pain and suffering.
An experienced personal injury attorney can help calculate the impact of physical or mental pain and suffering in your personal injury case to help maximize your potential settlement.
Common examples used to determine pain and suffering in a personal injury case include evidence derived from ongoing mental health therapy sessions meant to help victims cope with anxiety, stress, depression or trauma that resulted from the personal injury accident.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation With Experienced California Personal Injury Attorneys Today
If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall accident, it is strongly recommended that you retain professional legal representation from personal injury lawyers in your area. Our legal team has years of experience representing clients in various personal injury cases, and we would be proud to represent your legal rights as you seek justice and financial compensation.
To learn more about our legal services and how we may assist you in pursuing the maximum compensation for your injuries and other losses, please contact our California law office to schedule your free initial consultation today.Â
Jeffrey Nadrich
Jeffrey Nadrich is a nationally-recognized California plaintiff’s personal injury attorney. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley and UC Hastings College of the Law. He has successfully represented thousands of injury clients over the last 40 years.
