Slip and Fall Attorney in Athens, GA

If you were blindsided by a slip and fall injury, you have the right to fight for compensation. Through legal action, victims can receive reimbursement for their medical expenses, lost wages, and more. An Athens slip and fall lawyer from Poulin | Willey | Anastopoulo, LLC. can protect your rights and negotiate for fair compensation.

 

Working With a Slip and Fall Attorney

Slip and fall accident victims in Athens, GA, have the right to pursue compensation. However, if you’re unfamiliar with legal processes, or insurance claims, you may not know what to do next. Our team can act as your representative and guide. We can manage every aspect of your accident and ensure that you’re prepared for whatever your case brings.

Our legal services include:

• Gathering evidence and building your case
• Determining which damages you qualify for
• Handling communications associated with your case
• Negotiating with insurers and other relevant parties
• Aggressively protecting your best interests
• Fighting for a fair settlement
• Taking your case to court if insurers are uncooperative

While our primary goal is to secure your compensation, we can act as legal advisors, too. An Athens slip and fall lawyer from our firm can explain the following if you join us as a client:

• Your options as a slip and fall victim
• What you should or should not say to insurers
• What to do before a civil trial 
• How liability works

The Benefit of Contingency Fees

If you were involved in a slip and fall accident, you may have considerable medical expenses. While your insurance often covers some of these costs, it’s not uncommon to have unpaid bills. To avoid contributing to your financial stressors, we offer our services on a contingency-fee basis. This means we require no upfront fees and that we don’t get paid unless you win. If you have questions about our fee structure, we can discuss them during a free initial case evaluation. 

 

What Is My Slip and Fall Case Worth?

In Athens, GA, slip and fall cases are filed into the category of personal injury law. Personal injury cases work like this: someone behaves negligently, their negligent behavior injures another party, the injured party pursues compensation through a lawsuit or insurance claim. If the injured party wins their case, they win a form of compensation known as damages.

There are two types of damages you can receive:

• Economic damages: Economic damages reimburse you for out-of-pocket expenses imposed by your injury. This includes lost wages, medical expenses, property damage, and other similar losses. 
• Non-economic damages: A serious injury doesn’t just hurt your wallet, though. Via non-economic damages, you can receive compensation for the emotional fallout of your injuries.

 

Together, these damages include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Property damages
• Lowered earning capacity
• Ongoing medical expenses

 

Wrongful Death Damages

While less common, slip and fall accidents in Athens, GA, can result in a fatality. Our team is prepared to treat those who’ve lost a loved one with care and patience. A slip and fall attorney in Athens, GA, can pursue these wrongful death damages on your behalf:

• Funeral expenses
• Burial expenses
• Lowered household income
• Loss of companionship and other non-economic damages

 

Common Slip and Fall Cases in Athens, GA

Slip and fall accidents are relatively straightforward. They take place when someone slips and falls while on public or private property. These accidents can be caused by:

• Patches of ice
• Poorly maintained walkways
• Falling signage
• Liquid spills
• Debris
• Torn carpeting

This isn’t a complete list of potential slip and fall cases. If you’re unsure if you have a case, an Athens slip and fall attorney from our team can discuss your eligibility. 

 

What Is Premises Liability?

Premises liability is a sub-section of personal injury law. In simple terms, it deals with injuries that take place on another person’s property. If you get injured on someone else’s premises, they may be liable for your injuries. When someone is liable, they are responsible for reimbursing the victim.

 

Important Athens, GA, Slip and Fall Laws

Athens, GA, has several important slip and fall laws. Understanding these laws could improve preparedness. 

 

Duty of Care to Invitees

In Athens, landowners and businesses have a responsibility to ensure that their premises are safe for use. This responsibility is known as a duty of care. 

In simple language, this means that if you were invited onto a property, the owner could be held responsible for your slip and fall injuries. For clarity, entering a business during its open hours means you are an invitee. Common places where this duty of care applies includes:

• Airports
• Bars
• Restaurants
• Grocery Stores
• Apartments
• Homes

Comparative Negligence

Under contributory negligence, you cannot receive compensation if you were at all responsible for your injuries.

Thankfully, Athens, GA, doesn’t adhere to contributory negligence. Instead, it uses comparative negligence, which apportions settlements based on the degree of fault.

Here’s an example. Imagine you’re at a restaurant. You stand up to use the bathroom, open your phone to check your text messages, and slip on a wet floor. Based on this scenario, the involved parties are assigned the following degrees of fault:

• Your fault: Since you were looking at your phone before your slip and fall accident, you’re assigned 30% of the fault.
• The restaurant’s fault: Because the restaurant failed to clean up their wet floors, they assume 70% of the fault. 

Although you were partially at fault, you can still receive compensation. However, you can only receive 70% of an initial settlement offer. So, if your settlement was initially $100,000, you’d receive $70,000 in this example. 

Keep in mind that if you are more than 50% responsible for an accident, you’ll likely be barred from pursuing compensation. 

 

Who Is Liable for My Athens, GA, Slip and Fall Injuries?

Every slip and fall case is unique, meaning there are several potentially liable parties. They include:

• An individual property owner
• A business owner
• A property management company
• A larger business organization

Our team can gather evidence and determine who caused your injuries. If you cannot figure out who’s responsible, it may be difficult to receive compensation.

 

How Is Liability Established?

Liability is typically established by proving the following four qualifiers:

• That the liable party owed you a duty of care: As noted before, all property owners owe invitees a duty of care. This means that this qualifier is typically a given.
• That the liable party breached this duty of care: The evidence must show that the liable party behaved negligently in some manner. Failing to properly inspect the property for safety risks is an example of this.
• That you were injured: An Athens, GA, slip and fall lawyer from our team can use medical records to establish that you were injured.
• That your injuries are connected to the liable party’s negligence: For you to receive compensation, there must be a link between your injuries and another party’s negligence.

 

How Are Slip and Fall Cases Settled?

Slip and fall cases are settled in one of three ways:

• An out-of-court settlement
• A civil trial verdict
• An insurance claim

Insurance claims and settlements are similar. They involve negotiations between the injured party and the liable party. Some cases never make it to trial, but we are ready to represent you in the courtroom if necessary. 

 

Don’t Wait to Get Started on Your Slip and Fall Case

You generally have two years to file a slip-and-fall lawsuit. For this reason, it’s best to get a head start on your case. 

Our team is ready to take your call. Contact our offices at (800) 313-2546 to learn more about working with an Athens slip and fall lawyer.