Mississippi Slip and Fall Injury Lawyers in Oxford, MS
Mississippi Law Firm for Slip and Fall Injury Accident Claims
Most of us have tripped, slipped, or fallen at some point, suffering only a bruise or two. Sadly, in many cases, a slip and fall results in very serious injuries or, in the most tragic cases, loss of life.
At Tannehill Carmean, our slip and fall attorneys in Oxford, Mississippi, have experience working on serious, catastrophic, or fatal fall claims, representing victims and their families. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a slip and fall accident in our city, please don’t hesitate to call our law firm directly for a free consultation and fall attorneys that will provide the support you need. We can assist you to file a slip and fall claim and manage every aspect of your claim or lawsuit.
What Are the Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in Mississippi?
Slip and fall injury cases are commonly caused by walking hazards or unsafe conditions on a property. Common causes of slip and fall accidents include:
- Spills of food, drink, or other substances
- Wet and slippery walking surfaces
- Oil on walking surfaces
- Torn or uneven carpet
- Missing or broken handrails or railings
- Broken steps
- Broken elevators and escalators
- Depressions on walking surfaces
- Uneven walking surfaces
- Objects in walkways
- Walkways falling objects
If you or a loved one was injured in a slip and fall accident due to a hazard on a property that should have been remedied promptly, please call our Oxford law firm to find out about filing a claim or lawsuit to seek compensation. A fall accident claim for serious injuries requires the assistance of a slip and fall accident lawyer in Mississippi.
What Are Common Fall Injuries in Slip and Fall Accidents?
Slip and fall accidents cause very serious injuries and often do. Elderly adults are at exceptionally high risk, but people of any age can become fall accident victims and sustain severe, catastrophic, or fatal injuries. Common types of injuries from a slip and fall can include the following:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): A victim in a fall may hit the head with force, affecting the brain and leading to long-term consequences, including loss of cognition, abilities, or loss of life.
- Broken Bones: Fractured bones are a common injury sustained in a slip and fall accident.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: When the individual slips and impacts the spinal cord, it can damage the nerves in the spinal cord, leading to extreme pain or, in the worst cases, paralysis.
- Back Injuries: Ongoing back pain can result from a slip and fall, with the victim living with severe pain or disabilities.
- Sprains, Strains: When the ligaments and tendons have been damaged, the consequences can be severe, requiring extensive rehabilitation, surgeries, or other medical problems.
- Internal Injuries: An impact in a slip and fall can damage the internal organs or lead to internal bleeding requiring surgical intervention.
- Joint Injuries: Damage to the hips, wrist, elbow, shoulder, or other joint can require medical intervention, including surgery.
- Death: In some tragic cases, the victim passes away due to the injuries sustained in the slip and fall.
What is a Premises Liability Claim? Fall Attorneys in Mississippi
The property owner may be liable for their injuries when a slip and fall accident occurs due to hazards on walking surfaces. In these cases, the victim can seek financial compensation for all losses. Slip and fall claims are filed as premises liability claims. A premises liability claim can be filed if a property owner fails to maintain reasonably safe premises for visitors, employees, clients, customers, guests, or vendors. If a property owner fails to maintain safe premises and another party is injured, the owner can be held liable for the injuries and other losses. To win a premises liability suit, the plaintiff in the claim must be able to prove the following elements:
- The property owner owed the plaintiff a duty of care. Property owners have a legal duty to maintain their properties in a reasonably safe condition and to remedy any known hazards within a reasonable amount of time. This duty is extended to those who are lawfully on a property. Property owners owe no duties to trespassers other than to refrain from causing willful or wanton harm. If you were not lawfully on the property when your injury occurred, you may be unable to file a claim against the property owner for damages.
- A hazardous condition existed on the property. The plaintiff must prove that a dangerous condition existed on the property. This condition could be broken stairs, uneven walking surfaces, objects in walkways, a spill in a grocery store aisle, or other unsafe conditions.
- The property owner knew or should have known of the hazard. This factor is one of the more challenging elements of a slip and fall claim. Producing evidence that the property owner knew or should have known of the hazard is necessary. Reviewing repair and maintenance logs and video footage of the property can assist in establishing this element.
- The property owner failed to remedy the condition in a reasonable amount of time. It’s not enough to prove the property owner knew or should have known of the condition; you must also prove that they failed to remedy the condition in a reasonable amount of time. What’s reasonable is often situational—it may take 60 seconds to mop up spilled milk in a grocery store, but fixing a defective escalator or elevator could take a week or more.
- The hazardous condition was the proximate cause of injury. Finally, in addition to proving that the property owner owed the victim a duty of care, that a dangerous condition existed on the property, that the property owner knew or should have known of the condition, and that the property owner failed to remedy the condition in a reasonable amount of time, the plaintiff must also prove that their accident and injuries would not have occurred but for the hazardous condition and the property owner’s failure to remedy it.
What Damages Can Be Paid in a Slip and Fall Injury Claim in Mississippi?
Every case has unique facts and must be valued on an individual basis. If you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries in a slip and fall accident, our fall accident lawyer at Tannehill Carmean, a leading Oxford, MS law firm, is here to help you seek justice and fair compensation. The types of damages that could be pursued include the following:
- Economic Damages: These damages are the actual financial losses of the slip and fall accident. These include medical bills, surgery costs, nursing care, rehabilitation, ongoing medical interventions, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and other hard costs.
- Non-Economic Damages: These damages are paid to a victim for more personal losses, including pain and suffering, reduced quality of life, emotional anguish, and loss of consortium (the loss of companionship, affection, or support from a spouse or close family member).
Do You Need a Mississippi Lawyer For a Slip and Fall Claim?
Proving the above elements of a slip and fall case can be challenging. The most urgent issue is to focus on your health and recovery. When you hire experienced Oxford slip and fall injury lawyers from Tannehill Carmean, you can count on our Mississippi law firm to handle your slip and fall injury claim with professionalism, dedication, and legal skill. Our legal team will advocate for a settlement that reflects the extent of your injuries and your other losses, physical, personal, and emotional.
How Can a Slip and Fall Accident Attorney Help?
The support we offer our clients includes investigating the fall accident, contacting and interviewing any eyewitnesses to the fall, evaluating medical records, and calling on resources such as medical experts, financial experts, and other resources. The burdens related to the legal issues surrounding the accident will be managed with professionalism and the goal of seeking the maximum possible compensation based on the facts in the case. We have over 20 years of experience serving the people of Oxford, MS, and the rest of Mississippi, and are recognized for legal excellence in personal injury claims of all types.
At Tannehill Carmean, our personal injury cases, including slip and fall accidents, are represented on a “contingency fee” basis—you will only pay our legal fees when we achieve a settlement or jury verdict. To learn more about your rights and how our lawyers can help you recover compensation after a slip and fall injury accident, visit our law office today, message us, or call us directly at (662) 337-7868 for a free consultation.