I Slipped on a Wet Floor in Elgin, SC. How Can I Seek Slip and Fall Accident Compensation?

April 30, 2018

Slip and fall accidents can be especially dangerous.  If you slipped on a wet floor in Elgin, South Carolina, you probably felt embarrassed, and all you could think about was how to get up and leave that place before anyone notices. Perhaps you still blame yourself for not looking where you were going, walking too fast, or not wearing shoes with a better sole grip.  Slip and Fall accidents

Instead, you should be wondering whether the owner or manager of the property could have done anything to prevent your fall, especially if you incurred serious injuries that cost a fortune to treat. If the answer is affirmative, you probably have the right to seek compensation for any or all of the following:

  • Treatment and recovery costs
  • Pain and suffering
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity
  • Home care and disability adjustment costs

The best way to find out what your rights are, what compensation you can hope to obtain, and what obtaining it would entail, is to discuss your case with a slip and fall lawyer in Elgin, South Carolina.  As your attorney will explain, the success of your claim will depend on several aspects, detailed in the following lines.

Aspects That Can Influence You Right to Seek Compensation for Your Slip and Fall Injuries in Elgin, SC

In order to assess your right to seek compensation after you slipped on a wet floor, consider the following aspects:

  • The reason for your presence on that property – If you were a guest, an invitee, or even a licensee, you could be entitled to compensation. However, if you were trespassing, you should probably give up the thought.
  • The circumstances in which the slip-and-fall occurred – If the floor was wet, there were no warning signs, you were in an area open to the public, and you were not running, texting, or doing something else that may have contributed to the fall, you should be able to seek compensation. If you were in a restricted area, you disobeyed warning signs, or the property owner or manages simply could not have known of the condition of the floor and had no chance to remedy it, your chances of obtaining compensation are low to none.
  • The severity of your injuries and their connection to the slip-and-fall – You have to be able to prove that you injured yourself when you slipped on the wet floor and that the injuries could have been avoided had the property owner or manager acted on time. You also need to be able to document the costs of treatment and any other expenses, damages, or losses you wish to recover.
  • The status of the property and its owner or manager – If you slipped and fell on private property and the owner or manager does not carry insurance, obtaining compensation for your injuries will be difficult. Another challenging scenario is when the property owner or manager is a government agency or some other public institution. Your best bet is to go against companies with wide insurance coverage.
  • When the slip and fall took place – Compensation claims are subject to strict time limits. In South Carolina, the statute of limitations for civil actions imposes a deadline of three years for filing a personal injury claim when the defendant is a private person or company and of two years when it comes to government agencies and public institutions.

As mentioned above, the best person to help you assess whether you have the right to seek compensation, teach you from whom to claim it and how to do it, and help you avoid some of the inherent hassles is an experienced personal injury lawyer.

Even if your case seems simple and you feel you are able to obtain compensation on your own, a consultation with an attorney could reveal aspects you had not considered. For example, the liability for your slip-and-fall may not belong to the property owner or manager, but to the plumbing or cleaning company they were working with.

You owe it to yourself to hear what a lawyer has to say, what they can do for you, and how much their services cost. If, after the preliminary consultation, you decide you can handle everything yourself or it is simply not worth paying for legal consultation, you can just walk away. If you like what you hear and the lawyer inspires confidence, you will have someone to count on and turn to whenever things get tough.

Contact an Experienced Slip-and-Fall Injury Lawyer in Elgin, SC Now!

It is bad enough that you slipped on a wet floor and injured yourself. The last thing you need is to spend a fortune on treating injuries caused by someone else’s negligence. At Connell Law Firm, we can help you recover the cost of the treatment and any other losses or damages you may have incurred, and provide all the advice and assistance you may need. Call 803.310.5700 now and schedule a consultation with a reliable and experienced Elgin slip and fall lawyer.

View these other frequently asked questions pages:

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I’m Not Happy with the Verdict for My Personal Injury Claim in Camden, South Carolina. Can I Appeal?