Sustaining an injury because of a slip and fall accident in San Antonio, Texas, can be devastating. Contact the San Antonio slip and fall accident lawyers at George Salinas Injury Lawyers at (210) 672-1662 to learn how we can help you. We offer a free consultation and work on a contingency fee basis.
We understand that you have suffered a severe injury. Our legal team works to get you the compensation you deserve from negligent property owners who allowed your injury to happen. Our Law firm handles all kinds of personal injury cases, including San Antonio pedestrian accident claims, car accidents, product liability, truck accidents, medical malpractices, workplace accidents, and more.
How George Salinas Injury Lawyers Can Help You if You’ve Been Hurt in a Slip and Fall Accident
Your injury was most likely avoidable. Property owners’ negligence and carelessness cause most slip and fall accidents in San Antonio, Texas. You shouldn’t have to suffer the financial consequences of an accident that was not your fault.
Let George Salinas Injury Lawyers fight to get you the money you deserve for your injuries and losses. We have represented thousands of clients and recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and jury verdicts. Our San Antonio personal injury lawyers have been recognized nationally and locally for their legal services.
When you hire George Salinas Injury Lawyers to handle your case, you can expect our attorneys to give you the personalized attention you deserve by:
- Handling all aspects of your slip and fall case from the investigation through settlement or trial
- Thoroughly investigating your case to gather evidence and identify all parties responsible for your injuries
- Documenting your damages to calculate the maximum value for your claim
- Working with leading industry experts, specialists, and professionals to build a solid case
- Pursuing every available insurance and personal injury claim
- Negotiating a fair settlement amount based on the strong case we prepare
- Having an experienced, skilled San Antonio trial lawyer argue your case in court, if necessary
Let our San Antonio premises liability attorneys do the work for you. Contact us to schedule your free case evaluation.
Meet Our Top-Rated San Antonio Slip-and-Fall Attorneys
We Handle All Types of Slip and Fall Claims in San Antonio, Texas
A slip and fall accident can happen anywhere. You could be at a retail business, government office, public area, or private property when you are injured. All property owners have a duty of care to provide safe premises for the individuals who visit their properties.
George Salinas Injury Lawyers represents individuals who have slipped, tripped, and fallen at locations throughout San Antonio, including:
- Recreational and sporting facilities
- Bars, restaurants, and clubs
- Government buildings
- Shopping malls, home improvement stores, and other retail businesses
- Hospitals and nursing homes
- College campuses, private schools, and public schools
- Museums and attractions
- Workplaces
- Private homes and other residential property
Before you talk with an insurance adjuster, make sure you understand your legal rights. We can ensure you understand all your options for recovering compensation for a slip and fall injury. Our slip and fall accident attorneys are available to answer your questions and explain the accident claims process in San Antonio.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in San Antonio, TX
Slip and fall accidents happen every day in Texas. In fact, 28.3% of adults ages 65 and over reported falling in Texas over the prior 12 months, according to the United Health Foundation. Falls can happen to people of all ages, although seniors are especially susceptible to slips and trips and are more likely to be seriously hurt when they do occur.
Sometimes we slip, trip, and fall because we get distracted. However, many slips and falls occur because a property owner fails to ensure the premises are safe for you and others.
Texas premises liability laws hold property owners, businesses, landlords, government entities, and others accountable when they fail to take reasonable steps to discover, fix, or warn of hazards on their property.
Common hazards and causes of slip and fall accidents in San Antonio include:
- Slippery or slick surfaces
- Broken or damaged steps and stairs
- Broken tiles
- Missing or damaged handrails
- Loose electrical wires and cables
- Damaged or torn carpeting, floorboards, and other flooring
- Changes in flooring surface, such as when a floor shifts from wood to tile or carpet to wood
- Changes in elevation such as when there is a step down or up
- Puddles from the weather
- Spilled substances
- Unsecured rugs, carpets, and other floor coverings
- Inadequate lighting
- Poorly lit walkways or aisles
- Debris in the walkway
- Narrow walkways
- Uneven stairs
- Broken stair treads
- Narrow stair treads
- Uneven floors and surfaces
Slips and falls can occur inside a building or home. You can also fall in parking lots, on sidewalks, or outside. Property owners are responsible for conditions in every area of the property.
In many cases, the conditions that result in a slip and fall are entirely preventable if property owners exercise a reasonable degree of care. Unfortunately, sometimes owners fall short. They allow visitors, including customers, friends, or neighbors, onto their property despite the fact that there are unreasonably safe conditions there.
If a slip and fall accident occurs as a direct result of the negligence of any property owner — or anyone occupying the property and responsible for maintaining it — those who should have kept the premises safe can be held legally liable for resulting losses. George Salinas Injury Lawyers will help you pursue a claim against those property owners or occupiers who are responsible for the conditions that result in a fall.
Texas law allows victims to hold negligent property owners accountable as long as those property owners were at least 51% responsible for causing the injury to occur under the state’s modified comparative fault rules. These rules are set forth in Texas Code Section 33.00. So, even if you share some responsibility, ultimately the property owner can be held accountable.
When Are Property Owners Liable for Slips, Trips & Falls?
Property owners are not responsible in every single situation when someone trips on their property. The key question is whether the owner lived up to the legal obligations that they have to the person who was hurt.
A case called Rosas v. Buddies Food Store explains very clearly that “the duties owed by a landowner depend upon the role of the person injured on his premises.” There are three different categories of visitors that could come to someone’s premises. These include:
- Invitees: Invitees are defined by Rosas v. Buddies Food Store as individuals who enter into the land of another person “with the owner’s knowledge and for the mutual benefit of both.”
- Licensees: As a case called Wilson v. Nw. Tex. Healthcare Sys, Inc. explains, licensees enter and stay “on the premises with the owner’s consent and for the licensee’s own convenience
- Trespassers: Finally, trespassers enter without permission.
Property owners owe the highest duty to invitees. Customers to a restaurant or store would be an example of invitees. Property owners must take reasonable steps to make the property safe for them, including inspecting for issues, correcting problems, and warning visitors if there are issues that cannot be fixed or hazards that can’t be removed.
Licenses are owed an intermediate duty of care, with property owners also expected to take reasonable steps to correct dangerous defects or warn about them. Licensees might be friends or neighbors who are visiting a property for social purposes.
Finally, trespassers are unwanted and uninvited guests, so the duty owed to them is unsurprisingly limited. Property owners do have an obligation not to specifically create hazards for trespassers, and if there are known trespassers and an especially dangerous situation, property owners are supposed to warn them about serious risks.
If property owners create an inviting hazard likely to bring trespassers onto their property, then they have a greater obligation to ensure their safety. For example, if a property owner installs a swimming pool, they must secure this “attractive nuisance” to prevent injury to trespassers.
An experienced San Antonio slip and fall accident lawyer will provide help in understanding your status and can assist you in proving that the property owner failed to fulfill their obligation to you based on why you were in their space.
Our Legal Team Will Work Hard to Recover Compensation for Your Slip and Fall Injuries
An insurance adjuster might argue that your slip and fall was not serious. They might call it a “minor accident,” but there is nothing minor about falling. Slip and fall accidents can cause serious injuries and permanent impairments.
At George Salinas Injury Lawyers, we take all slip and fall cases seriously. Our lawyers help you recover compensation for injuries caused by falls, including:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Broken bones and fractures
- Spinal cord injury
- Back and neck injuries
- Soft tissue injuries, including nerve damage, strains, sprains, and whiplash
- Paralysis
- Ankle and wrist injuries
- Concussions and skull fractures
- Facial injuries
If you fall on another party’s property, report the fall to the property owner, manager, or another person in charge. It can help your case to take pictures and make a video of the area to document the conditions.
You should also seek medical treatment for your injuries as soon as possible so you have medical records to prove the fall caused your injuries. If you wait until your symptoms worsen to see a doctor, the insurance company and property owner might argue that you are merely trying to get money and the fall did not cause the injuries you claim.
What Damages Can We Recover for a San Antonio Slip and Fall Accident?
Damages are the monetary award or settlement you receive for a slip and fall accident.
Your damages include economic damages to reimburse you for your financial losses. Slip and fall injuries can be costly. You can also receive non-economic damages to compensate you for the pain and suffering you experience.
A settlement or jury verdict for a slip and fall injury could include compensation for the following:
- Medical bills and expenses
- Rehabilitative therapies
- Loss of enjoyment of life or quality of life
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Lost wages, benefits, and other income
- Physical pain
- Impairments and disabilities
- Diminished earning capacity
Don’t let an insurance company convince you that your slip and fall case is worth less than the full value of your damages. Instead, call George Salinas Injury Lawyers to have a San Antonio slip and fall accident lawyer review your case for free. Our legal team will aggressively fight to get you the settlement you deserve.
What To Do if You’re Injured in a Slip and Fall Accident
If you are injured in a slip and fall accident, there are a few key steps you should take in the aftermath. Here’s what you should do:
- Obtain contact details of witnesses. If someone saw you fall on a property, you should get their contact details. If there is later a dispute over how you got hurt, the witnesses can testify as to what occurred and help you to prove your claim.
- Document the scene. Take photos, if possible, of the area where you slipped and fell. Be sure to document as much as you can, including the lighting, the conditions that caused your fall, and any warning signs — or lack of warning signs — in the surrounding area.
- Get prompt medical help. You will need to be able to prove that an injury occurred as a direct result of a fall if you’re going to be compensated by the property owner for it. See a doctor immediately after the incident, report all of your symptoms, and make certain that your doctor creates a detailed record in case you must prove the extent of your harm.
- Get legal help. An experienced San Antonio slip and fall attorney will assist you in gathering evidence and in negotiating a settlement with the property insurer of the person or entity responsible for harming you. Your attorney can also assist you in building a strong claim to go to court if necessary to recover full and fair compensation.
Texas Code Section 16.003 states that you must sue for personal injury no later than two years from the time that your cause of action accrues. If you are pursuing a claim for damages, you must act fast so your case isn’t time-barred. George Salinas Injury Lawyers will work with you to make your claim on time and get the money you deserve.
How Long Do You Have to File a Claim for a Slip and Fall Injury in San Antonio, TX?
Texas sets deadlines for filing personal injury cases. The statute of limitations for most slip and fall accidents is two years from the injury date. You must file your claim before the deadline to receive money for your claim.
Exceptions to the statute of limitations can give you more or less time to file a claim or lawsuit. Talking with our lawyers as soon as possible after an injury is the best way to avoid a problem.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire Our San Antonio Slip and Fall Accident Attorneys?
At George Salinas Injury Lawyers, we understand that a slip and fall injury could significantly impact your finances. You might be out of work for several weeks or months, depending on the severity of your injuries. Even with disability income, it could be challenging to make ends meet.
Therefore, we work on a contingency fee basis. We do not require you to pay a retainer fee to hire our lawyers. Instead, you agree to pay our law firm a percentage of the amount we recover for your case. You do not pay us until we recover money for you.
Call Now for Your Free Consultation With a San Antonio Slip and Fall Lawyer
You probably have lots of questions about slip and fall accidents and personal injury claims. We take the time to answer all your questions and explain your rights.
Call George Salinas Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with an experienced San Antonio slip and fall accident lawyer.