While falls happen almost every day, the consequences are anything but ordinary. Victims often suffer debilitating injuries and incur thousands of dollars in medical expenses and other losses. Our slip and fall lawyers in Las Vegas have seen the adversity caused by these accidents, and we are proud to help the injured and their families fight for fair compensation.
If you were injured because of the actions or inaction of a negligent property owner or occupier, you may be able to recover compensation for many of the damages you’ve incurred. At Maier Gutierrez & Associates, our legal team has decades of combined experience representing slip and fall accident victims in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada. Reach out to us at 702-629-7900 to connect with one of our lawyers.
Common Cases Our Slip and Fall Lawyers Handle
While most trips, slips, and falls are minor accidents, there are some that can lead to catastrophic injuries. Whether it’s falling from great heights or landing on a particularly vulnerable part of the body, irreparable damage can happen in the blink of an eye. Our slip and fall lawyers in Las Vegas have handled cases involving all sorts of injuries including catastrophic, chronic disabilities.
In the United States, slip and falls are ranked as one of the leading causes of death among older adults, but even younger people are injured and killed in these types of accidents every day. While many of these incidents can be chalked up to clumsiness, there are some that are caused by negligent property owners who failed to clear, repair, or adequately signpost hazards on their premises.
Let’s look at a few common types of injuries that can result from a slip and fall:
- Traumatic Brian Injuries (TBI): Hitting your head after tripping, slipping, or falling could cause damage to the brain. Even relatively minor brain injuries can lead to a lifetime of health complications; while a particularly severe fall could result in a debilitating TBI that could make it impossible to live independently ever again. A TBI can cause behavioral, cognitive, and physical impairments that will usually require ongoing care.
- Soft Tissue Injuries: When tendons, muscles, or ligaments are damaged in a fall, these soft tissue injuries can lead to excruciating serious health complications and excruciating agony. Recovering from such injuries can be a long and painful journey with some victims requiring extensive physical therapy before making a full recovery. Additionally, such injuries can also inhibit your ability to live a normal life, preventing you from driving, working, and tackling other everyday tasks.
- Broken Bones: While our bones are resilient and will almost always heal over time, such injuries often require long-term healthcare interventions. For instance, a broken hip bone might need to be replaced, resulting in exorbitant medical bills and a prolonged recovery.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: Damage to the spine can lead to permanent disabilities such as paralysis. Victims might require long-term hospitalization, extensive rehabilitation, and home modifications to accommodate limitations stemming from their injuries.
What Evidence Can Help Strengthen My Slip and Fall Claim?
After a slip and fall, it can feel like the world has changed overnight. Instead of returning to your normal routines, you’re probably staring down a long road to recovery and grappling with a litany of new limitations. As your costs continue to add up, you may be wondering what evidence you will need to support your personal injury claim. Fortunately, once you’ve hired one of our Las Vegas slip and fall attorneys to oversee your case, you can focus on your health and let our legal team handle the logistics of your case.
Here are a few types of evidence our personal injury lawyers might use to support your claim:
- Surveillance Camera Footage: If you were injured on a commercial property, the business’s surveillance cameras may have captured footage of the moment you fell. Such footage is usually date stamped, potentially giving you convincing proof that the property owner is liable for your injuries. Additionally, if someone else captured footage of the incident using their smartphone, such recordings could also help you prove fault. As surveillance camera footage is routinely erased, you will need to obtain these videos quickly before they are no longer available. If the property owner is withholding these files, our attorneys may be able to apply legal pressure to get hold of these recordings.
- Eyewitness Statements: If a staff member or patron saw you fall, their deposition could help tie your injuries to the incident and help prove that the property owner is liable. As such, if you are physically able to do so, you should write down the names and contact details of any eyewitnesses. Your attorney may want to reach out to these individuals to determine whether their deposition or testimony could help corroborate your version of events.
- Photographs of the Accident Scene: Using your smartphone, you should take pictures of the hazard that caused you to fall and snap photographs of your injuries. Your attorney and/or an accident reconstructionist may be able to use these pictures to piece together what happened and identify the liable parties.
- Maintenance Records: Many properties keep records of any maintenance that happens on the premises. These records may also document slip and fall incidents that happened prior to the date you were injured and a list of hazards that still need to be repaired or cleared. Your attorney may be able to use such records to show that the property owner was aware of the hazard that caused your injuries but failed to take sufficient steps to prevent the accident.
- Documentation: From pay stubs showing your lost wages to detailed medical records documenting your injuries, your attorney will probably use a wide variety of different documents to help demonstrate your losses. As such, you should make copies of any documents you have already obtained and keep them in a safe place. If, for example, you haven’t managed to obtain copies of your medical records or the official incident report, your attorney can likely do so on your behalf.
Discuss Your Situation with a Las Vegas Slip and Fall Accident Attorney
Life after a slip and fall accident can be both physically and emotionally exhausting. As such, it can feel like you barely have a second to spare to start the process of filing a personal injury claim. Thankfully, the Las Vegas slip and fall attorneys at Maier Gutierrez & Associates are here to help.
We can grab the reins, helping you gather the necessary evidence to build a convincing case and representing you throughout proceedings. Dial 702-629-7900 or head over to our Contact Form to request a free consultation.
