New Britain Slip & Fall Attorney
Slip and fall accidents happen too often in New Britain. While some result in nothing more than a skinned knee, twisted ankle, or minor bumps and bruises, others could require emergency medical treatment and could have a lasting and possibly permanent impact on a person’s life.
Sometimes a bad slip and fall or trip and fall can result in injuries that prevent the victim from working for week or moths. In some cases, it could cause permanent and debilitating harm. When serious injuries are caused by someone else’s negligence, the injured person may be legally entitled to recover compensation by filing a personal injury claim.
At the Kocian Law Group in New Britain, we have seen how easily a slip and fall accident can impact the life of the victim and the lives of their family members. We believe that no one should have to pay for the negligence of a property owner, manager, employee, or anyone else who had a responsibility to keep them safe.
Our team is ready to stand up for you. Call us today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss how we can help.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall and Trip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents and trip and fall accidents can happen anywhere and are caused by many different hazards. Some of the most common causes include:
- Uneven surfaces
- Spills
- Wet floors
- Cluttered walkways
- Ice and snow
- Recently mopped or waxed floors
- Torn carpeting and loose tiles
- Poorly maintained stairways
- Potholes and other pavement damage
- Unmarked steps and edges
How Our New Britain Slip and Fall Lawyers Can Help You
The Kocian Law Group’s New Britain slip and fall lawyers can help you navigate every aspect of your personal injury lawsuit. From assessing the circumstances surrounding your fall, to advising which course of action would be most beneficial given your unique circumstances, we have you covered. Just a few of the many ways in which we can help are:
- Evaluating the merit of your potential claim
- Demonstrating that the defendant owed you a duty of care and breached that duty
- Calculating the full extent of all your losses
- Entering into settlement negotiations on your behalf
- If necessary, vigorously fighting for what you are owed in court
Types of Compensation Available in a Slip and Fall Claim in New Britain
The types of compensation that you may be entitled to depend on the nature and severity of the injuries you suffered. Personal injury law in Connecticut is primarily designed to compensate the injured person for their losses with a money that puts them back where they would have been had the accident not happened. The court should award a successful slip and fall plaintiff the dollar amount that represents their losses.
Some losses are easier to assign a dollar amount. For example, if a successful slip and fall plaintiff broke her arm in the fall and had to have surgery to fix it, the court would tally up all of her related medical expenses (the cost of the hospital visit, the surgery, any prescribed pain medication, the cast, and subsequent physical therapy sessions, for example) and any pay that she lost as a result of the injury, and require the defendant to pay her this sum.
The injured person almost certainly suffered additional losses that are not easily quantifiable. For instance, she was likely in a great deal of pain both before and after her surgery. Therefore, the court will assign a dollar amount to the plaintiff’s pain and suffering. The same goes for other non-economic losses such as emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life.
The court may also determine that a defendant acted so egregiously that punitive damages should also be awarded to the injured plaintiff in order to punish the defendant and deter this sort of behavior from happening again. This doesn’t happen often in Connecticut, but the court does have the ability to award punitive damages against a defendant who acted with “a reckless indifference to the rights of others” or intentionally or wantonly violated those rights.
What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident in New Britain
No matter where your slip and fall accident takes place, you should, if possible, follow the tips below:
- Fully document the scene of the accident. This includes taking photos and videos of the place where the fall occurred, as well as the cause of the accident (for example, uneven pavement, broken step, or spilled liquid). Also be sure to preserve the shoes and clothes you were wearing at the time and don’t wash them.
- Get witness information. Take down the contact information of anyone who saw the fall, as you may want to use them as eyewitnesses later. You may even want to film them stating what they saw while the incident is still fresh in their minds.
- Keep track of your related expenses. Be sure to keep copies of all related expense receipts, including those for doctor visits, surgeries, medication, crutches, bandages, physical therapy, etc.
- Act quickly. While getting the medical care that you need should be your number one priority, also be sure to act quickly in order to preserve your legal right to sue. Here in Connecticut, personal injury plaintiffs only have a limited amount of time within which they are allowed to file a claim. Be sure to consult with a local slip and fall accident attorney about your legal options without delay.
Talk to a New Britain Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer Now
The Kocian Law Group is ready to answer any questions that you may have related to pursuing compensation for a slip and fall injury in Connecticut. Our firm understands that medical bills can pile up quickly in the wake of a slip and fall accident. That’s why we don’t charge our clients a cent unless they win their case.
We want to sit down with you, discuss your case, advise you on your legal options, and take the next steps to seek compensation for you. To get started, give our New Britain office a call today. Our consultations are always 100% free, and we won’t charge you anything unless and until we win your case.