What Does A Slip and Fall Lawyer Do?

A Michigan slip and fall lawyer can assist an accident victim recover compensation and money damages for their injuries by holding negligent property owners accountable for the hazardous conditions on their property. An attorney can help you recover compensation if you’ve been injured. 

One important thing that makes slip and fall and premises liability cases different from other types of injury cases is the timing of when an investigation begins. It’s important to hire a Michigan slip and fall lawyer as soon as possible after an injury occurs.  That’s because most of the critical legal investigation and discovery needs to be conducted right away in order to document the hazard or dangerous condition as it existed at the time of the accident – and before the property owner alters the condition or repairs it. 

Working with an experienced slip and fall attorney early on after your injury can make all the difference in proving negligence, and therefore in your ability to successfully win a slip and fall settlement or trial by holding a negligent store or premises owner legally liable for the injuries you suffered on their property.

If you or a loved one has been injured or if you’ve lost a loved one in this type of accident, then you need to speak with an experienced Michigan slip and fall lawyer to ensure that your rights are protected and that you and your family recover all of the compensation and money damages you’re legally entitled to.

What will your slip and fall lawyer do?

Your slip and fall lawyer will do the following: (1) gather and preserve key evidence; (2) document the accident scene; (3) identify all of the negligent parties; (4) determine what insurance coverage and assets the property owner can use to pay your settlement; (5) prove your case to an adjuster, judge or jury.

Here are more details about what an attorney will do for your case: 

1. Serve “preservation” letters to stop property owners from destroying key evidence that proves their negligence. 
2. Gather the evidence you will need to prove your case, including photos, reports, diagrams, videos, witness statements and surveillance footage of your slip and fall accident. 
3. Document the hazard or dangerous condition that caused your injury as it existed at the time of the accident. 
4. A Michigan slip and fall lawyer top you from giving a damaging, unprepared, and incomplete recorded statement to an insurance adjuster and/or signing a release or liability waiver that the adjuster has presented to you and is improperly pressuring you to sign quickly. You must talk to an attorney first. Remember, the adjuster is trying to protect the negligent store or property owner, not trying to help you get the medical care you need and the compensation you deserve. When you are contacted by an adjuster for an insurance company that insures the property owner or commercial business that caused your injuries, remember the claims adjuster is trying to minimize the insurance company’s liability for the injuries, damages and harms caused by their insured’s negligence, not helping you get the compensation you deserve.
5. Identify all the potential negligent parties that may be at fault and therefore legally liable for causing your injuries.
6. A Michigan slip and fall lawyer will identify all the sources of insurance coverage and assets that the property owner can use to pay a fair settlement that reflects the true value of your case.
7. Work with some of the best premises liability experts in the country to prove your case.
8. Use subpoenas and requests to produce to force the property owners to provide incident reports,  maintenance records,  past reported injuries and accidents that can establish notice and negligence on the part of the premises owner.
9. Take depositions of the property owner, property manager and employees and witnesses who knew (or should have known)  about the dangerous condition or hazard.
10. A Michigan slip and fall lawyer will debunk claims by property owners and managers that they didn’t know about hazardous, dangerous, or unsafe conditions on their property.
11. Show the insurance adjuster – or a judge or jury – how the dangerous condition that caused your slip and fall was neither open nor obvious to the average person.
12. A Michigan slip and fall lawyer will make timely filings to comply with the necessary notice requirements. Depending on the state law and the potential negligent party, you may be required to file your notice of intent to sue within as little as 60 or 120 days after your slip and fall injury. 
13. File your lawsuit within the 3-year time period set out in the slip and fall statute of limitations.
14. Negotiate a settlement to get you a fair settlement recovery that reflects the true value of your harms and losses. It’s important to remember that hiring an experienced attorney is proven to increase the value of a settlement. The insurance industry’s own data shows that a person who is represented by an experienced attorney who has a proven track record of success can significantly increase the settlement amount and settle your case faster than people who are not represented by an attorney.

Injured and need help? Call our attorneys now for help

The stakes are high for you and your family if you’ve been seriously injured as a result of a slip and fall accident. We can help. The attorneys at Michigan Slip and Fall Lawyers are here to help you and your family fight to get the best possible legal settlement for you and your family. Call now for a no-cost, no obligation, free consultation with one of our attorneys to discuss your legal rights to pain and suffering compensation and to money damages to help you and your family pay your medical bills and make up for the wages you’ve lost because your injuries have disabled you from working. To speak with us about your injury, call us now, or fill out our contact form for a free consultation.