Slip and fall accidents are a daily occurrence inside and outside the home. Serious fall injuries can lead to costly medical bills, painful rehabilitation, and lost wages. When you’ve fallen due to the negligence of another person, you may wonder whether you should hire a Philadelphia Slip and Fall Lawyer. For many, deciding to hire an attorney can be a difficult decision.
Understanding what a lawyer does for their clients and how a legal professional can benefit their case is essential to making this choice.
Focusing on Benefits of Hiring an Attorney
When already facing mounting medical bills, many injury victims are concerned about the costs associated with hiring an attorney. However, personal injury lawyers bring several valuable skills to the table that can be crucial to receiving compensation.
Knowledge
Lawyers are licensed to practice law. This means that they not only had years of education but have proven that they have the requisite knowledge.
Experience
Navigating injury claims and civil cases is challenging if you have never done it before. With their personal injury experience, your slip and fall attorney can ensure that your claim moves smoothly through the legal process.
Persuasion
Insurance companies, judges, and juries can be a tough crowd. Lawyers can persuasively present your claim, negotiating a fair settlement with the insurance company and securing a verdict in your favor.
Resources
Time is one of the most valuable resources. Lawyers are advocates, and it is their job to dedicate their time to your claim. Moreover, they have connections with experts that can be critical to obtaining a positive outcome.
Understanding Complexities of Liability
Slip and fall victims must understand three critical components to liability in Pennsylvania: premises liability, elements of negligence, and comparative negligence.
Premises Liability
Slip and fall cases fall into a category of injury cases known as “premises liability.” Property owners and business owners have a duty of care to maintain a safe environment. This means that an owner can be held responsible for any injuries caused by a hazard they knew about or should have known about. Failure to fix or warn about a hazard can be considered negligence.
Negligence Elements
When pursuing a slip and fall case, the injured party needs to show that the property owner acted negligently. There are four elements of negligence:
- Duty: The defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care.
- Breach: The defendant breached that duty.
- Causation: The breach caused the plaintiff harm.
- Damages: The plaintiff suffered losses as a result.
To recover damages, the plaintiff needs to prove all four of these elements to establish that the property or business owner acted negligently.
Comparative Negligence
To make matters more complex, Pennsylvania is a comparative negligence state. This means that if you are more than 51% at fault for your damages, you cannot recover compensation. Moreover, any fault less than 50% will modify your damage award. For example, if you are found to be 20% at fault for the accident, your compensation will be reduced by 20%.
Conclusion
If you’re wondering whether it is worth hiring a lawyer for your slip and fall case, it is essential to focus on the benefits for you and your claim. Navigating Pennsylvania’s complex liability laws and the claim process can be daunting. Legal professionals are here to help.
At The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C., we have seen the benefits of legal help in slip and fall cases firsthand. Slip and fall lawyers provide injury victims with an advantage when pursuing compensation, resulting in higher settlements and time to physically and emotionally recover.
