Slip and Fall Lawsuit Settlements
Falls always happen when you least expect them, often because you are in an unfamiliar environment where you don’t expect to encounter obstacles or tripping hazards. When you slip and fall in a public space, it is often due to someone’s negligence. If you are injured from your fall and file a lawsuit, you have a good chance of being awarded damages.
Slip and fall accidents are often caused by walking surfaces that should be safe, but have been made hazardous through someone’s failure to maintain them. Common causes for falls include:
- Potholes and cracks in parking lots and driveways
- Rickety, wet or cluttered staircases
- Torn or ragged carpeting
- Loose floorboards or rotting wood
- Wet or cluttered hard-surface floors
- Icy walkways
Common Slip and Fall Injuries
An unexpected fall can lead to serious injuries that can be temporarily debilitating, or even cause long-term disability. For older adults, slip and fall injuries can be especially harmful, fracturing fragile bones that are often slow to heal. For elderly people taking blood thinner medications, a fall that breaks the skin can cause them to bleed out and die before help arrives.
The most common types of slip and fall injuries include:
- Head injuries that cause TBIs (traumatic brain injuries), ranging from a mild concussion to a serious TBI that causes seizures, cognitive issues and fluctuations in mood. Because head wounds bleed a lot, they are especially dangerous for the elderly.
- Wrist and shoulder injuries are common in falls because we instinctually extend our arms to try to break the fall. Fractures, rotator cuff ruptures, nerve damage and other issues can mean lengthy and painful recovery and rehabilitation.
- Lower extremity injuries are common in a fall, ranging from fractures to the femur or tibia, to ACL ruptures at the knee, and serious ankle sprains.
- Hip fractures are especially common in older adults, with 90 percent or more resulting from a fall. A hip fracture requires surgery that may include a prosthetic hip replacement. Rehab from a broken hip can take months, and many seniors never regain their mobility after a hip fracture.
Most slip and fall injuries require costly medical treatments and months of physical therapy. When added to lost wages, a disability that keeps you from working and months of pain and suffering, the cost of a slip and fall accident can soar to tens of thousands of dollars.
Factors that Determine Slip and Fall Settlements
If you decide to file a lawsuit for a slip and fall injury, your first step should be to contact a personal injury attorney with experience in slip and fall cases. Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, meaning they get paid a percentage of the settlement award. If you have a solid case, you won’t need to worry about paying legal fees up front.
Before your lawyer files your lawsuit, they will gather all necessary documents to affirm that you have a good chance of winning a settlement. Your likelihood of winning your case will depend on 3 things:
- Negligence: To prove negligence, your lawyer must establish whether the party you are suing either did something they should not have done, or neglected to do something they should have done.
- Liability: Once negligence is established, you will have to prove that the defendant’s negligence actually led to the incident that caused your injury.
- Your part in the incident: It will have to be made clear whether you contributed to the circumstances that caused your injury. For example, if you were clowning around with your friends and tripped over a clearly marked obstacle, it may reduce your chances of winning your case, or substantially reduce the amount of your settlement.
The Litigation Process for Slip and Fall Lawsuits
Your attorney will do everything they can to see that you get a settlement that holds the negligent party fully responsible. However, insurance companies may drag their feet, making the settlement time frame uncertain. Meanwhile, they may try to take advantage of your situation, badgering you to accept a low settlement to drop the case. Also, sometimes In the process of establishing liability, unexpected circumstances arise, and your settlement amount may hang in the balance.
If your fall has left you temporarily or permanently disabled and unable to work, you need funds to cover medical expenses, pay your bills and care for your family. In desperation to make ends meet, you may be tempted to accept the first lowball settlement offer thrown your way, just to take the pressure off. That’s where slip and fall settlement funding comes in.
Cronus Fronts Cash for Slip and Fall Lawsuits
Slip and fall settlements are often a waiting game, and insurance companies hope you will tire of waiting and settle for less than you deserve. Cronus provides slip and fall lawsuit loans to people like you, so you can take care of your expenses and hold out for the biggest settlement possible. The friendly staff and Cronus makes the application and approval process quick and easy.
If your application is approved, Cronus will give you a “no-recourse” cash advance. Unlike a typical loan, a no-recourse cash advance only needs to be repaid if you win your case. Once your case is settled, Cronus will be repaid with a certain percentage of your settlement award. If you lose your case, you owe us nothing!
Call Cronus Capital Group today at one of our convenient New York locations in Queens or NYD, or apply online, and take the pressure off your finances while you wait for you case to be settled.