Slips and falls can be extremely dangerous. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has labeled slips and falls one of the “fatal four”—one of the four leading causes of workplace fatalities in the construction industry. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that once per second, an older adult falls in the U.S., making falls the leading cause of injury-related deaths and non-fatal injuries in the 65+ age demographic.
Slips and falls can lead to a wide range of injuries, from traumatic head and brain injuries to spinal cord damage, broken bones, torn ligaments, nerve damage, and more. If you fall down the stairs or an open hole, you can be killed, and even a fall to the ground on the same level can lead to serious injuries such as a broken hip or pelvis. If you need a Miami broken hips or pelvis caused by slip and fall lawyer, the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine may be able to help. Just call 1-800-747-3733 today.
How Hip and Pelvis Injuries Occur in Slip and Fall Accidents
There are many ways in which you can slip and fall. Hip and pelvis injuries are not the only injuries you can sustain in a slip and fall accident, but they are common in such mishaps.
Slip and fall accidents can occur in many different settings, such as nursing homes, workplaces, on public property, in commercial zones or business areas, and on private property. You can slip and fall at school, in a retail store, or in recreational areas as well.
Slips and falls may be the result of:
- Worn or torn carpeting
- Changes in floor traction
- A lack of safety gear or fall prevention equipment
- Cluttered floors or walkways
- Uneven, unstable, or cracked/damaged flooring
- Water, snow, or ice
- Liquid spills
- Slippery rugs, mats, or carpeting
- Poor lighting
- Narrow stairwells or stairs that do not have railings
- Inadequate or missing hazard signage
- Maintenance or service/repair issues
- Potholes, cracks, or other forms of damage on the road
Depending on where and how your slip and fall accident occurred, there are different parties that you may be able to hold liable for the resultant damages—including treatment expenses for hip and pelvis injuries and any other direct or proximate damages from your accident. To understand how liability is determined in personal injury cases, you need to understand negligence and the duty of care, which we discuss next.
Negligence and the Duty of Care
Employers owe their workers a duty of providing a safe working environment, adequate training, and access to the safety gear and equipment needed for whatever work the employer does. Businesses owe their workers, guests, and patrons a duty of keeping their premises safe and free from fall hazards or related dangers. Nursing homes owe their residents a duty of care to provide similar safety assurances to their residents in the form of railings in stairwells, non-slip mats where needed, and assistance and security when and where it is needed.
A failure to prevent harm from being inflicted on someone to whom you owe a duty of care is a form of negligence. It all depends on where the slip and fall accident in question occurred, how it occurred, and what the at-fault party could have or should have done to prevent a slip and fall from occurring. Most slip and fall accidents involve some form of premises liability, but they can also involve basic negligence, a failure to meet workplace standards, or reckless endangerment of the public.
For example, depending on the setting and context in question, a hospital, retailer, factory, business, nursing home, or owner of private property who does not provide doctors, employees, guests, residents, or visitors with no-slip footwear, signs to indicate slip hazards, on-time maintenance and repair of slip and fall hazards, or basic, reasonable safety can be guilty of negligence.
If the actions—or negligent inaction—of an at-fault party can be connected to an accident and the accident causes losses for a victim, the at-fault party guilty of not fulfilling the duty of care can be held liable for those losses and damages suffered by victims in the accident.
As a victim, what you need to do is establish a connection between the actions or the reckless or dangerous inaction of an at-fault party and the accident that you suffered. You must also show that your accident caused you to sustain damages, losses, or injures, such as a hip or pelvis injury. If you are in this situation, a Miami broken hips or pelvis caused by slip and fall lawyer may be able to help you. Contact the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine at 1-800-747-3733 today to learn more.
How a Lawyer May Be Able to Help You
There are many ways in which an attorney may be able to help you with your personal injury claim for the hip and pelvis injuries you sustained in a slip and fall accident in Miami. Our lawyers may:
- Identify the at-fault party responsible for your accident
- Estimate the value of all economic and non-economic damages you suffered in your accident
- Gather the evidence needed to show that an at-fault party that owed you a duty of care failed to fulfill that duty
- Show that a breach of the duty of care was the direct or proximate cause of the accident you suffered
- Show that the accident you were involved in led to the injuries, damages, and/or other losses mentioned in your claim
- Make sure you understand which insurance policies apply to your case and how to apply for compensation using the right policies
- Make sure you do not miss important deadlines that relate to filing a claim, providing evidence, or completing other important administrative or legal steps
- Negotiate a settlement with the insurer of the at-fault party and represent you in court if your case goes to trial
If you want assistance from a Miami broken hips or pelvis caused by slip and fall lawyer, contact the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today. Dial 1-800-747-3733 to reach our offices. Our team can provide you with a free consultation and guidance regarding what you should do next to protect your legal rights.
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