The 5 Things You Need To Do Right Now If You Have Experienced Slips Or Falls On Ice
Slipped On Ice? Follow These 5 Steps.
A slip or a fall on ice can be devastating. The most common personal injuries are a broken wrist or broken ankle, but more serious injuries such as a hip fracture or skull fracture can also occur. A slip-and-fall accident can be serious due to the momentum generated by the slippery surface of the ice and the impact with the ground.
If you have suffered a personal injury in a slip and fall on ice (or even snow) there are five steps you should take right away.
- Get prompt medical treatment for your injuries. Be sure to tell the hospital or doctor that the fall was caused by ice or snow.
- Take photographs of the icy condition that caused the fall.
- Make sure you know the names and contact information of any witnesses.
- Notify the property owner or responsible party of the fall.
- Consult with an experienced personal injury or accident attorney before you give a statement that could end up hurting you.
Get Experienced Attorneys On Your Side
At the Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLC, we have handled many accidents caused by slips and falls on ice involving:
- — Ice patches in a commercial parking lot while shopping
- — Ice on the outside wooden stairs of a three-family house
- — Ice and snow on a sidewalk leading to a private home
- — Black ice on a driveway in an apartment complex
- — Ice on the sidewalk in front of a store in a strip mall
Be Prepared For The Insurance Run Around
In all of these cases we were able to show that the owner of the property, or the person responsible for the maintenance, failed to keep the property in a reasonably safe condition. Many times, especially in falls in commercial parking lots or store sidewalks, it is the maintenance company that fails to do a proper job of sanding or salting the sidewalk or driveway.
Insurance companies frequently try to deny liability in these types of cases, claiming that the owner did not have notice of the ice or snow or that the fall occurred while it was still snowing or sleeting (the “ongoing storm” defense).
The Insurance Company Thinks It Is Your Fault
Another tactic is to claim that it was the fault of the person who fell for not paying attention to the ice or snow. Sometimes the insurance companies contend that it was not their insured’s responsibility to clear the ice or snow, but another person’s obligation. The insurance companies have many excuses for not paying, but it all adds up to the same thing — if you have been injured in a slip or fall on ice or snow you need to engage the services of an experienced personal injury lawyer before you talk to the insurance company.
Get In Touch With Us. Call Today
At the Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLC, we want to protect your legal rights and help you recover compensation for your lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages caused by a fall on ice. We have been helping put lives back together for more than 25 years. If you need a slip-and-fall lawyer, we will review your case and advise you on the options for you to recover maximum injury compensation.
The main offices of our firm are located in Stamford, Connecticut, but you can reach us at any of our three convenient Fairfield County locations by calling or by contacting an attorney online with a brief description of your personal injury claim. You can speak with a lawyer directly about your medical bills.
Initial consultations are always provided free of charge. Evening, weekend and off-site consultations are available by appointment.
You will pay no fees or costs unless we recover compensation in your case.