Falls are one of the most common causes of injuries and the single largest cause of injury in older Americans. A fall can cause severe injuries depending on the height, ground surface, and position of the victim’s body as they fall. Even minor injuries from a fall can cause medical complications and affect a person’s ability to earn a living.
In many cases, a falling accident is due to someone’s negligent actions, such as a property manager failing to clean up a wet spill or leaving tripping hazards on the floor. If your fall was the result of negligence, you may be able to pursue a personal injury claim against the at-fault party. At Daniel, Daniel, & Newman, our attorneys are accomplished negotiators and litigators who will stand up for your rights and fight for your due compensation.
If you sustained an injury from a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall, contact Daniel, Daniel, & Newman today. You’ll speak to a Grainger County slip-and-fall attorney at a free, no-obligation consultation and learn about your rights to compensation.
Why You Should Hire a Grainger County Slip-and-Fall Attorney
Anyone who has sustained a serious injury can tell you that recovery is not easy. The financial stress and physical pain of your injuries can make even small tasks seem insurmountable. Injury victims don’t want to think about pursuing litigation or dealing with insurance companies when just getting better seems like a huge task.
When you have Daniel, Daniel, & Newman in your corner, a Grainger County slip-and-fall lawyer will take the lead on your claim and handle every aspect of recovering the compensation you deserve. We will investigate the accident scene thoroughly and gather all available evidence establishing the at-fault party’s legal liability. Our experienced negotiators know how to hold insurance companies accountable if they refuse to pay or try to underpay.
For over 80 years, Daniel, Daniel, & Newman has dedicated itself to providing Christ-centered and effective legal representation. Partner Evan M. Newman strives to continue the legal legacy that his predecessors, Creed Daniel and the late Dirk Daniel, started. One-size-fits-all legal representation is never appropriate, so we focus on providing a client-focused approach that meets them where they are in their journey.
To that end, we are tireless in our legal advocacy for the injured. We have extensive experience working within Grainger County’s civil remediation system and understand how to efficiently manage personal injury claims. We have an established track record as successful negotiators and litigators who will stand up for their clients when they need it most.
We will handle the difficult part of getting the compensation you deserve. All you need to do is prioritize your physical health and mental well-being.
What Kinds of Damages Can I Pursue in a Slip-and-Fall Case?
Slip-and-fall compensation is meant to reimburse you for any losses you have suffered as a direct result of your injuries. Depending on your case, you may be able to recover compensation for the following losses:
- Medical Expenses – A settlement should include money for your emergency medical expenses as well as any other costs required to manage your condition, including prescription medication and rehabilitative services.
- Lost Income – You can also recover any lost salary or hourly pay from missing work, as well as commissions, bonuses, perks, tips, and other work compensation with monetary value that you lost.
- Reduced Earning Capacity – A settlement or verdict can also compensate you for a change in your lifetime projected earnings if you must change to a lower-paying job or can no longer work at full capacity due to your injuries.
- Pain and Suffering – Tennessee also recognizes your right to compensation to account for the extent of your physical pain and conscious suffering.
- Wrongful Death – If a family member of yours has died in a slip-and-fall accident, you could recover compensation through a wrongful death claim.
Unlike many other states, Tennessee caps the amount of noneconomic damages (i.e., pain and suffering compensation) one can recover at $750,000 per incident or $1 million per incident involving catastrophic injuries.
Reach out to our law firm today to learn more about compensation you could be able to recover for your slip-and-fall claim.
Who Is Responsible for an Injury in a Slip-and-Fall Case?
Generally, the property owner is responsible when someone slips and injures themselves. Responsibility for slip-and-fall injuries typically falls under the concept of premises liability law, which outlines the general legal duty owners have to remove dangerous hazards on their properties. If a property owner either creates or negligently fails to fix a hazard and it hurts a guest, they can be responsible for any injuries the guest suffers.
For instance, say a store owner fails to inspect the fire sprinklers in their store and one of them starts to leak. The leak creates a puddle, and a customer slips and injures themselves the next day. In this case, the property owner would be liable as they were negligent in maintaining their sprinkler system, which caused an injury.
In the case of slip-and-fall injuries on public property, such as a sidewalk or intersection, the responsible entity is usually the local municipality charged with designing or maintaining the infrastructure.
How Long Do I Have to File a Slip-and-Fall Lawsuit in Tennessee?
According to Tenn. Code 28-3-104, the time limit for filing personal injury lawsuits — including slip-and-falls — in Tennessee is one year. In general, the one-year time limit starts counting from the date the cause of action accrued, but there are two important exceptions:
- If the victim was a minor when the accident happened, the deadline for filing a lawsuit is their 19th birthday.
- If the injuries were not detectable, the one-year deadline starts counting from when the victim discovered their injuries or could have reasonably discovered them through due diligence.
Tennessee’s statute of limitations is much shorter than many other states, so time is of the essence. If you wait for over a year, the courts will almost certainly reject any lawsuit you file, and you won’t be able to recover financial compensation.
The slip-and-fall lawsuit timeline may depend on the specific facts of your case. Your best option is to reach out to a personal injury attorney from Daniel, Daniel, & Newman to start on your slip-and-fall case promptly.
