Mercer County NJ Slip and Fall Injury Attorneys

Personal Injury Lawyers with Offices in Hamilton and Pennington, NJ

Property owners are required to keep their premises safe for visitors. This includes preventing hazards that could cause slip and fall accidents. When property owners fail to safely maintain their premises, innocent visitors can suffer severe, life-changing injuries and even wrongful death.

If you or someone close to you has been injured in a trip and fall accident, it is important to consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. The opposition could have a team of lawyers building evidence to deny your claim. You need an attorney who knows how to back up slip-and-fall accident claims with compelling evidence, including an immediate and professional investigation on your behalf.

The experienced slip and fall lawyers at Cohen & Riechelson can provide you with the knowledgeable advice and advocacy you need at this time. Time is of the essence! You only have a two-year statute of limitations before you lose your right to sue for compensation for your medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. Contact us online or by telephone at (609) 528-2596 to arrange a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable NJ premises liability lawyers.

What Are the Main Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in New Jersey?

Property owners have a legal duty to take reasonable measures to ensure the safety of visitors to their premises. When a property owner is aware of a hazardous condition on the premises they have an obligation to warn visitors of the potential dangers. A few example of hazardous conditions that can result in serious injuries are:

• Uncleared snow or ice on walkways: Melting snow and ice during the day can freeze again at night.  Property owners are obliged to clear snow and ice from their parking areas, sidewalks, entrances, and exits. 
• Wet surfaces or floors: The most common cause of slip-and-fall accidents is slippery floors. Wet floors caused by unattended spills in grocery stores, supermarkets, or restaurants are a hazard for customers. Poor weather conditions can also make the entrances and exits of an establishment wet and slippery. Overly or newly waxed floors can also create a hazard.
• Uneven flooring surfaces: Many times, raised floor panels or worn carpet edges can cause someone to trip and fall.
• Cracked sidewalks: Cracked sidewalks and potholes in the parking lot are also dangerous, especially during winter when there is snow or ice. Loose gravel or sand creates slippery conditions that can cause a fall.
• Poorly maintained property: Falls can happen on properties with water leaks, which create puddles on the floor, broken tiles, uneven flooring, loose or broken handrails, and shallow or broken steps. 
• Insufficient lighting: Poor lighting in stairwells, indoor and outdoor parking lots, sidewalks, and paths can increase the risk of a possible fall, especially in older people whose vision is not as acute as it was in their younger years.
• Unsecured scaffolding and debris on construction sites or areas where maintenance is conducted can cause slip-and-fall accidents.
• Malfunctioning and faulty escalators: Improperly maintained, unrepaired, or defective escalators can cause a dangerous fall when the steps collapse or the escalator suddenly stops.

What Are The Most Common Places for Slips and Falls?

The most common places are supermarkets and convenience stores where spills may not be cleaned up correctly or at all. Similarly, department stores and drug stores are often frequent sites where spills may be left unattended for an extended period. The restrooms of any establishment can also provide hazardous environments with leaks or faulty plumbing. Stadiums and concert venues are especially precarious as not all staircases have handrails, and spilled refreshments can make them slippery. Public pools or those in hotels can have slippery tiles both around the pool and in the changing rooms. Restaurant floors can be very tricky if spilled food or drinks are not cleaned up quickly. Any public building, apartment complex, or commercial building is a potential location for a slip and fall. Driveways, sidewalks, paths, and walkways, if not tended to regularly – including snow and ice removal- are sites where injuries can occur.

Who is Most at Risk of Slipping and Falling?

Slip and fall accidents cause 8 million emergency room visits each year.  According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), of those injured, 1 in 127 will die as a result of their injuries. The majority of injury-related deaths are those who are 65 years old or older; in fact, they are six times more likely to suffer a serious injury from a fall than younger people. People over 85 are the most likely age group to experience more than one slip and fall accident while in that age range.  They are also the most likely to experience serious injuries or death. According to the NFSI (National Floor Safety Institute), more than 20,00 people die annually from this kind of accident. Half of all accidental deaths occur from this kind of accident. Five percent of those who sustain an injury from a slip and fall have broken bones, particularly elbows, arms, hips, and wrists.

Have You Been Injured in a Slip-and-Fall Accident in New Jersey?

According to the National Floor Safety Institute, accidental falls are the leading reason for emergency room visits in the country, costing an estimated $60-80 billion a year. At the same time, an increase in fraudulent slip-and-fall claims has cast a shadow of skepticism over legitimate claims, so it is very important to back up any claim you might file with all the evidence you can gather. Our early investigative team and experts provide the evidence necessary to defeat the insurance companies’ resounding “NO” to your claim.

You can help your case by taking the following actions as soon as possible after your fall:

• Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. Your attorney will put an investigator on the case to ensure that you have all necessary evidence to support your claim.
• Write down all that you can recall as to what happened in the moments immediately leading up to your fall.
• Write down exactly what caused you to fall.
• Take note of your surroundings, especially anything that might have contributed to the accident. Sometimes, our lawyers will call upon an expert witness to testify about the hazardous conditions that led to your fall.
• Take pictures of the scene if you can. Cell phones and smartphones make immediate photos readily available.
• Videos and photos are excellent resources for proving your case. Most businesses have cameras outside and inside. However, obtaining video evidence may be more difficult if the accident occurs in a public place. This is why it is so valuable to have an experienced lawyer representing you and requesting all of the available evidence and information that may support your claim.
• Note the time of day.
• Get contact information of any witnesses so our investigative team can get to them for statements before the insurance company does. Witnesses can provide an accurate description of what happened and support your side.
• If you are on or near a business or commercial property, seek out the management and file an incident report. Many businesses are required to complete an accident report, which is a valuable tool for any slip-and-fall case. 
• Seek medical attention. If you are hurt, politely saying you’re OK to avoid a scene will not help your case later on. Be sure to keep all documentation of your treatment in a safe place for later use, as it comes into play when proving the full extent of medical cost-related damages you should receive from those liable.

Do not hesitate to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Our roster of personal injury lawyers includes experienced senior attorneys who have been litigating and/or negotiating personal injury claims in NJ and PA for more than 50 years.

4 Essential Factors to Win a Slip and Fall Case

In New Jersey, four correlating factors must be proven in a slip and fall case. First, it must be demonstrated that the property owner had a duty of care to the injured party.  Business owners have the responsibility to ensure their property is free of hazards.  Second, the property owner was aware or should have been aware of the possible dangers that existed.  Third, the property owner had enough time to remedy the hazard or warn visitors about any potential risks but did not do so.  Lastly, due to their failure to take action, a slip and fall accident resulted in an injury.

The Slip and Fall Compensation Guide to Getting What You Deserve in New Jersey

The amount and kind of damages you are entitled to in a slip and fall injury vary depending on the seriousness of the injury and the characteristics of the conditions that caused your injuries. Under the law, you might be entitled to reimbursement for medical costs you incur as a result of an injury due to a fall. You might also be entitled to compensation for pain, suffering, life changes and/or missed work, depending on the cause and circumstances of the fall. Past and future medical expenses, physical therapy, missed or diminished income, and punitive damages are all within the realm of possibility.  For more serious injuries, loss of consortium or wrongful death damages are also possibilities.

How our Slip and Fall Lawyers can Increase Your Chances of a Successful Claim

Hiring our accomplished New Jersey slip and fall attorneys rather than handling the case yourself can be a game-changer, thus increasing your chances of receiving a just monetary settlement. First and foremost, our attorneys will collect the evidence needed to build your case. With our experience handling these claims, our legal team collects and organizes all relevant evidence to demonstrate the extent of your injuries and links them directly to the fall. This process usually begins with an in-depth review of the incident report (if one exists), which documents the details of the accident and any immediate actions taken by the property owner, to obtain the details of what happened.

From there, our lawyers typically gather and analyze your medical records, including medical treatments, emergency room visits, diagnostic tests, x-rays, and treatment plans, and interview your doctors if necessary to establish the severity of your injuries and their long-term impact on your quality of life. We will also review photos, video footage, witness testimony, repair records, and other pieces of evidence to investigate your case thoroughly.

Once we have assembled a compelling body of evidence to prove your claim, our skilled slip and fall attorneys can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf.  Insurance companies are businesses whose main concern is maximizing profits. Their adjusters and lawyers are practiced at defending the company’s interest, not yours.  Having our attorneys in your corner levels the playing field and gives you the best chance of obtaining a fair settlement. When they are simply unreasonable or unwilling to agree to a truly compensable settlement, we will use all of our background in litigation to aggressively fight for a just damages award at trial.

Contact our Princeton NJ Slip and Fall Injury Attorneys to Discuss Your Claim

A slip and fall accident can be financially, physically, and emotionally devastating. At Cohen and Riechelson, our goal is to protect your rights to receive a settlement that will compensate you fairly for your slip and fall injuries and the ramifications they have on your daily and future life.  We know how to present the evidence of your case to get you a favorable resolution while you rest and recover from your injuries. Our premises liability lawyers have more than 50 years of experience handling slip and fall accident claims and we use all of our knowledge and resources to obtain the compensation you deserve. 

If you or someone close to you has suffered a slip & fall injury due to property owner negligence, we are here to help you pursue compensation for your losses. Cohen & Riechelson has a proven track record of fighting for the rights of slip and fall victims in Hamilton, Princeton, Trenton, Titusville, West Windsor, and throughout Mercer County, Middlesex County, Burlington County, and the rest of New Jersey. Contact our law firm at (609) 528-2596 to speak with an experienced New Jersey premises liability attorney.

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