OfficeMax Slip And Fall Injury Lawyer

Many slip and fall accidents happen every year, and those injured in slip and fall accidents make over one million visits to emergency rooms annually. However, tripping over your own feet doesn’t qualify as a slip and fall accident. For the victim to obtain compensation, the accident must occur on someone else’s property due to their negligence.

The Legal Definition of Negligence

According to the Legal Information Institute, negligent behavior is a “behavior that fails to meet the level of care that someone of ordinary prudence would have exercised under the same circumstances. The behavior usually consists of actions but can also consist of omissions when there is some duty to act.” Indiana law requires property owners and those who lease property to provide a safe environment for legal visitors, known as a duty of care. To be found guilty of negligence, property owners or business employees must know or should know about a hazardous condition and fail to take steps to fix it. In addition, when a safety risk is found, barriers or warning signs must be placed to warn people about the hazard. Failure to advise customers, employees or other visitors about existing safety issues is also considered negligence.

Slip and Fall Accident Claims

Grounds for a valid slip and fall accident claim must include four things:

The defendant owed the victim a duty of care.
The defendant didn’t meet that duty of care due to negligence.
The victim slipped, fell, and sustained injuries from an accident.
The negligence directly caused the accident and resulting injuries.

Proving negligence is sometimes tricky. That’s why so many slip and fall accident victims turn to personal injury lawyers for assistance. Hiring an attorney immediately after your accident can be beneficial. Crucial evidence might be lost if you delay. Every lawyer from Hensley Legal Group will hit the ground running to gather information and evidence as soon as you hire us.

Common Hazards Causing Slip and Fall Injuries

Many things can cause people to slip and fall, and every accident is different. However, several common factors leading to injuries are:

Uneven or loose flooring, including mats and rugs with turned-up corners
Spills, including water leaks and broken merchandise
Snow or ice on parking lots or sidewalks
Inadequate lighting
Improperly covered electrical cords
Loose, damaged or missing handrails
Debris or clutter on the floor or ground
Poorly maintained equipment

Slip and Fall Injuries Can Be Serious

Unfortunately, slip and fall accidents can cause severe medical conditions that are sometimes permanent. Some of these injuries are:

Neck, back and spinal injuries
Concussions and traumatic brain damage
Herniated discs and joint dislocations
Bruises, cuts and fractured bones
Internal injuries

Recoverable Damages

A sudden accident can cause severe financial repercussions. Medical expenses can pile up quickly, and you will lose wages because you can’t work. You might need assistance with childcare or other daily needs. Those are some of the economic damages you may recover in a successful slip and fall accident claim. Non-economic damages can impact your life as well. These include:

Pain and suffering
Permanent disability or disfigurement
The inability to enjoy life
Loss of affection
Emotional and mental distress

These subjective conditions aren’t always apparent to others. Expert witnesses such as doctors and therapists must examine and assess you to prove that these damages exist. You don’t have to worry about finding these people when Hensley Legal Group is on your side. We will provide everything you need to recover these damages.

Slip and Fall Accident Examples

Suppose you visit OfficeMax to purchase copy paper. As you make your way towards the store, you slip and fall on untreated ice on the sidewalk and suffer a broken hip. If the OfficeMax staff has had enough time to either clear the sidewalk of snow and ice or post warning signs but failed to do so, you may qualify for compensation. If precipitation is still falling, proving negligence is more difficult. Now, let’s say you made it into the store without falling. A large water cooler bottle is broken on your way to the paper aisle and water is standing on the floor. You slip on the water and fall, resulting in a head injury. If the bottle just broke and store employees didn’t have time to be aware of the spill or clean it up, you may not have a valid claim. However, if the water was present for a longer period of time without employees addressing the issue, you may be entitled to compensation. OfficeMax employees may qualify for slip and fall injury cases as well. In addition, the injured employee can file a workers’ comp claim. It’s more practical for an injured worker to hire one knowledgeable attorney to assist with their personal injury claim.

Reasons to Hire Hensley Legal Group

We have several offices that serve the entire state of Indiana, and our legal team is familiar with the relevant laws that govern all types of personal injury claims. Whether your injury resulted from a slip and fall at OfficeMax or elsewhere, we will:

Assess your potential claim and give you your options by phone, in our office, in your hospital room or home, or during a virtual consultation.
Answer all your questions and give you the personal attention you deserve.
Use our team of investigators to gather evidence for your case, including witness statements, video surveillance recordings, and medical assessments and recommendations.
File all necessary paperwork on your behalf.
Serve as your point of contact for insurance companies.
Use our years of experience to negotiate a fair settlement with insurance companies to compensate you for damages .
Represent you in litigation if we don’t settle out of court.

Best of all, hiring our firm poses no risk to you. We work on a contingency basis, so you don’t owe anything unless we recover compensation for you. We offer several ways for you to reach out to our legal team. You can call us at (317) 943-3897, use our live chat option, submit our online form, or contact a specific attorney directly via our website. Don’t delay. Let us start fighting for your rights today.

Sources:
https://hensleylegal.com/slip-and-fall-accident/
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/negligent
https://nfsi.org/nfsi-research/quick-facts/
https://www.indianainjuryblog.com/indiana-slip-and-fall-accidents-caused-by-snow-and-ice/