Brampton Slip and Fall Lawyer: Slip And Fall Accidents: Common Injuries and How To Prevent Them in 2019

Whatever the season, slip and fall or trip and fall accidents can and do happen out of the blue. However, the onset of winter does increase the risks, especially for older people. Though these accidents happen in a split second, the after-effects can last for a very long time. Sometimes, they change the life of the injured persons and their families forever.

Victims who have been seriously injured in such accidents face enormous physical, financial and emotional trauma. They may be unable to work for a long time or even permanently. This leads to loss of income and regular wages. The financial crunch affects the entire household who may be dependent either completely or partially on the victim. Medical treatment and rehabilitation costs can become overwhelming, while the psychological aspects of serious injuries can range from depression to panic-attacks, suicidal tendencies, dependence on alcohol or drugs etc. Pain and suffering become an intrinsic part of the injured person’s life.

To compensate for these injuries, victims are entitled to seek a just and satisfactory monetary compensation from those whose fault or negligence caused the accident. If you or a dear one has been injured, contact your trusted lawyer in Brampton or your trusted lawyer in Toronto. We can help you get the compensation you deserve.

Consult A Physician Immediately 

Most people feel embarrassed when they slip or trip and fall. They want to quickly get up and leave the place, hoping no one has seen them fall. They also assume that their injuries are minor and are in a hurry to forget about the incident.

However, many injuries that appear insignificant initially can turn out to be serious much later. Elders and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable. It’s important to consult a qualified physician immediately no matter how minor you feel your injuries are. This is important from a medico-legal point of view.

Why Such Accidents Occur

Though these are termed “accidents” the truth is that they’re rarely “accidental.” Most of them are caused due to someone’s fault or negligence. Typical reasons include:

  • Slippery surfaces
  • Broken, damaged tiling
  • Loose or unanchored carpets/rugs
  • Torn carpeting
  • Freshly-washed/mopped flooring
  • Unmarked elevation changes
  • Liquid spills
  • Gaps/Cracks in the flooring
  • Missing fences, handrails
  • Broken or damaged stairs
  • Uneven steps
  • Poor lighting
  • Debris or clutter
  • Failure to clear ice, snow or fallen leaves
  • Water pooled under air-conditioning units
  • Failure to provide warning signs
  • Uneven surface in parking areas
  • Bright lights causing glare on shiny floors
  • Open drawers or cabinet doors

What The Law Says

Under Ontario’s Occupiers’ Liability Act, all property owners have a duty of care and responsibility to ensure that their properties, and areas in it such as stairs, driveways, etc are kept in a reasonably safe condition for all those who visit them for a legitimate purpose. This includes both private and municipal properties, public places, rural and urban areas, etc.

Essentially, this means that the property owner or those who have been authorized to maintain the property should ensure that they conduct regular inspections, prompt repairs and provide sufficient warning to unwary visitors.

The questions that determine property owner liability include:

  • The property owner should have foreseen the danger
  • Their conduct should have been reasonable in ensuring safety
  • If the danger existed for some time, did they know about it?
  • What steps could have been taken to prevent accidents?

How To Prevent

Property owners can prevent slip/trip and fall accidents by taking a few simple precautions, staying alert and reacting promptly. Good housekeeping practices like mopping up spills, putting down signage to mark wet/uneven floors, keeping aisles and driveways free from debris/clutter, displaying signs to warn people of uneven floors and elevation changes, ensuring bright lighting in parking lots and staircases, repairing broken/damaged tiles, replacing old flooring, etc.

The public can also be careful about wearing the right footwear, paying attention while walking, avoid distractions like listening to the radio or texting, being aware of the kind of floor, using a flashlight if it’s a dark area, taking more care while carrying or pushing things, etc.

When And Why You Need An Injury Lawyer?

When victims seek compensation for their injuries, the insurance company representing the property owner has to make the pay-outs. They may use several tactics to avoid making the payment being for-profit organizations. Typically, they may question the nature and extent of injuries, their impact on your life, whether you were in some way negligent or careless yourself and contributed to the accident. They may also delay or deny your claim on technical grounds.

Get the help of an injury lawyer to claim insurance. We can help you to understand your rights and entitlements in such cases and also safeguard your interests. These claims can be a complex mass of legal, medical and insurance issues.

As the Most Rated Lawyer in 2018 we have the experience, knowledge and expertise to deal with a variety of such claims. Though every case is unique, the laws are clear on victim rights and compensation. We ensure that a robust claim is filed, backed by strong evidence and documentation, expert/witness testimony, employment records, maintenance records, camera footage if available etc. We make sure that the paperwork is filed within the stated deadlines and at the right venue/jurisdiction.

This leaves you and your family free to focus on your recovery and getting your life back on track.

I’m Suffering Mental Anguish After My Slip and Fall Accident: Claiming Compensation

Slip and fall accidents can happen to anyone at any time and in any location. While many of these result in a range of reasonably minor injuries like sprains, bruises or shallow wounds, others can result in serious head, neck and spine injuries, facial and dental damage, disfigurement, brain injuries, permanent disability or even death.

Whatever the nature of injury, it causes a disruption in the lives of victims and their families. Serious injuries can result in long term loss of income or wage earning capacity, high medical and rehabilitation expenses and care-giving costs. These aspects are immediately visible and the costs are easier to compute. However, the emotional aspect is a gray and largely ignored area that is equally critical to recovery and restoration of health. The after-effects of injury may last for a very long time in the form of psychological trauma. This may take the form of anxiety, sleep disturbances, depression, suicidal thoughts, fears and phobias, mood swings, aggressive behavior, drug or alcohol dependence etc.

Such mental anguish prevents the victim from leading a meaningful and responsible life. They affect the ability to work, sustain relationships or function in the manner in which they did prior to the accident. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to add them to your compensation claim. Our experienced personal injury lawyers can help you get the right treatment and also ensure that your rights and entitlements are fully protected while you are on the road to recovery.

Slip and Fall Injuries in School: Your Rights and Entitlements

It’s the duty of schools and school managements to ensure that children remain safe while they’re on the school premises. If your child has had a slip and fall accident and hurt themselves, get immediate medical attention, no matter how minor you think the injuries are. Once this has been done, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. You may be entitled to compensation.

In many cases, the accident may have been caused by the school authorities’ fault or negligence. For example, causing dangerous situations to exist like wet, slippery floors, worn/frayed/loose carpeting, cracked tiles/flooring, damaged staircases, broken/missing handrails, cluttered hallways, potholes, uncleared snow and ice, badly-maintained equipment including desks and chairs, poor supervision etc. These injuries are different from sports injuries and can be directly linked to Ontario’s Occupier’s Liability Act. Serious consequences include concussion, traumatic brain injury, fractures and broken bones, dental and facial damage, internal organ damage/bleeding, loss of function, spinal cord/neck damage, amputation or even death. School bus and field trip accidents also come under this category.

As children are minors and under the guardianship of their parents, parents have the right to file compensation claims on their behalf. They need financial help to deal with medical and rehabilitation expenses. The child may also require an income to support life in case of severe/permanent disability. Such claims are governed by strict filing and notification time limits, format in which claims have to be made etc. Our slip and fall injury lawyers can help you deal with the complex medical, legal and insurance issues involved.

Ensure You File An Incident Report: Your Slip and Fall Accident Claim

Under Ontario’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, businesses and other public/government/municipal spaces owners have a duty to ensure the safety of all visitors. Slip and fall accidents are often caused by the fault or negligence of the owners for which they can be held liable for injuries and damages. However, in reality, owners and their insurance-companies may not cooperate or act in good faith when claims are made.

The most important aspect of proving a negligence claim is proper documentation. All businesses are required to file an Incident Report if someone is injured on their premises, whether it is an employee or a visitor. Yet, not all businesses encourage injured victims to file this report, and they may falsely assure them that they will investigate/look-into/examine the circumstances and do the needful.

That’s why it’s crucial that you report the accident immediately to someone in authority. If you’re badly hurt, ensure that a loved one or trustworthy friend does this for you. Give the complaint in writing and get an acknowledgement. Your report should have the following:

  • Time and date of accident
  • Your complete information including full name, address, telephone-numbers, email
  • Site of accident with complete details and time/date-stamped photographs if available, including prominent landmarks and hazardous condition that caused the accident
  • Circumstances including lighting/weather-conditions, warning-signs or lack of them etc
  • Witnesses and their contact details
  • List of injuries suffered with photos if possible and medical treatment taken

An experienced slip and fall injury lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve.

Do You Know What To Do After A Slip And Fall Accident?

When slip and fall accidents occur and unless there are serious injuries, people generally react with embarrassment and hope that there were no witnesses to their humiliation! Unfortunately, a few hours later, they may find that they have suffered serious injuries that require medical attention.

Apart from the medical aspect of delay, the legal and insurance aspects are equally important when seeking compensation for injuries. Hence, it’s important to follow certain steps if you’ve had a slip and fall accident on someone else’s premises. No matter how minor you assume the injuries to be, these steps should be followed.

  • Get immediate medical attention so that your injuries are documented, thoroughly investigated and the right treatment provided
  • Report the accident to someone in authority immediately and get a written acknowledgment. If you’re badly hurt, make sure that a family-member/trusted friend does it on your behalf
  • Get contact details of anyone who may have witnessed the incident and make a note of any CCTV cameras in the vicinity that may have recorded it
  • If possible, take photographs on your cell-phone of the exact location with prominent landmarks
  • The photos should have time/date stamp and they should also show the hazardous condition
  • Never confront anyone, be persuaded to sign documents or give permission to access your personal information and records
  • Don’t enter into private settlements, apologize, blame yourself or neglect filing a report

Consult an experienced slip and fall injury lawyer immediately. We can protect your rights and interests while helping you get the compensation you deserve.

Bathroom Slip and Fall Accidents: What You Should Know About Compensation Claims

According to studies conducted by the US Center for Disease Control, nearly 240,000 people including teens and adults, are treated in ERs around the country for injuries suffered in bathroom slip and fall accidents.

Bathrooms are extremely hazardous places, especially for older people. Wet floors, slippery products like soap and shower-gel, poor lighting, inability to keep balance while stepping in or out of the tub or shower cubicle, falling while using the toilet or wiping down the walls and counters etc are some of the reasons for slip and fall accidents in bathrooms. Many of these injuries occurred when the person fell and hit the floor, other injuries happened when they hit their heads against the counter, WC or shelves. They may also hit themselves against the tub, bathroom fixtures etc. Most of these injuries result in broken bones, facial and dental damage, traumatic brain injury, concussion, loss of consciousness etc.

Bathroom floors in private and public places have to be kept safe and dry for use of all those who are legitimately allowed to use them. Regular cleaning, wiping, maintenance, warning signs regarding wet floors in public toilets etc are some of the ways to prevent these accidents. Owners of premises where these bathrooms are located have a responsibility to ensure that they are safe. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries due to a slip and fall accident in a bathroom caused by someone else’s fault or negligence, contact a personal injury lawyer immediately. You may be entitled to compensation.

Slipped, Fell and Hurt Yourself in A Store? How To Claim Compensation

Slip and fall accidents can happen at any time, to anyone and anywhere. One of the common places where such disasters happen is in a mall or store. They can happen while you’re entering or exiting or you’re within the premises, using the rest-room located inside etc. Not many people are aware that stores and retail spaces that welcome and invite customers into their premises also have a duty to ensure their safety. A dangerous or hazardous condition that exists in the store, that the owner was aware or should have been aware of, can cause serious injuries. The result can be severe physical, financial and emotional trauma to not just the injured victim but often to the entire family.

If you or a dear one suffers such injuries, contact an experienced slip and fall injury lawyer with expertise in dealing with similar cases. You may be entitled to compensation.

However there are several complex medical, legal and insurance issues involved. The term “premises” can cover land-ownership, business premises, rental or leased properties etc. and the liability may be different in each case. There may be multiple agencies involved.

Other agencies in charge of maintenance, cleaning, repairs etc can also be held liable in such cases. Lack of warning signs, poor lighting, damaged flooring, wet/slippery freshly-cleaned floors, loose carpeting, cluttered aisles, debris and waste etc can also cause accidents. In recent years, large store chains across many countries have faced liability actions for failing to ensure the safety of all legitimate visitors to their premises.

Brampton Slip and Fall Injury Lawyers: Because Living With Mistakes Is Hard!

Brampton personal injury lawyers Singh Barristers are regularly consulted by people who have been injured in a slip and fall accident through no fault of their own. They end up paying for someone else’s mistake, fault or negligence by bearing the enormous physical, financial and emotional consequences. 

Slip and fall injuries can be a life-altering experience if the injuries cause serious or permanent disability. Tragically, on hindsight it can be proved that most of these accidents are entirely preventable and avoidable. They may have occurred simply because someone somewhere down the chain of liability decided to cut costs, violate a few safety norms, neglect to conduct timely repairs or replace a tile or broken banister rail. 

If you or a dear one has suffered injuries in such an accident, contact the nearest personal injury lawyer in Brampton. You may be entitled to compensation. 

Premises Liability 

The Occupier’s Liability Act in force in Ontario places the responsibility of maintenance of premises in a state of reasonable safety for all legitimate visitors squarely on the property owner. All property owners have a duty of care to ensure that all premises owned by them are kept safe not just for the people who regularly live/work there, but also for visitors. 

When someone who legitimately visits the property suffers a personal loss due to an unsafe condition on that property, whether domestic or commercial, the owner of that property is liable to cover the consequences suffered by the injured person. 

Hazardous conditions on properties would include tripping/slipping hazards, slippery/badly-maintained flooring, lighting, etc. these conditions may have been caused by the property-owner. 

Ignorance/negligence by the property owner though they knew about the hazardous condition also makes them liable. 

If the property-owner was notified of the hazardous condition but failed to take corrective action, this is also a key factor in proving negligence. 

How We Can Assist 

Our experienced Brampton slip and fall injury lawyers can help you claim compensation for: 

  • Medical expenses
  • Loss of wages, income
  • Pain and suffering 

Proving negligence, establishing the correct ownership of the property, gathering evidence etc are areas where our legal and multidisciplinary teams can help you.

24×7 injury lawyers ensure that a strong and robust claim is presented so that you receive the compensation you deserve. 

If you, your family or a friend has been injured in an accident, please feel free to speak to one of our injury lawyers for a free consultation about how we are able to assist in making a personal injury claim. We consult in all cities across Ontario with a no win no fee guarantee. Our personal injury lawyers have helped victims secure millions of dollars in personal injury cases. Call us Toll Free On our 24/7 Injury Hotline: 1 – 844 495 7333 or Text a Personal Injury ‎Lawyer 24/7 and get instant help. (416 931 5015)