There’s a certain age when the roles start getting reversed and you find yourself taking care of your mom just like she was taking care of you as a child. And that’s why when anything unpleasant happens to her, you find yourself not only concerned, but also frustrated. Especially when things happen because someone was lazy, didn’t do their job properly or just wasn’t cautious enough. At that stage, it’s not just about making these entities or individuals pay the price for hurting your mom, but also teaching them a lesson to prevent these accidents from happening to someone else.
Here’s what you can do if you find your mom is a victim of a slip and fall case.
Be prepared
Winning a slip and fall case isn’t as easy as it may seem, especially when you’re up against a company who has the resources to hire people who can get them out of it. That’s why the first thing you need to do is get a slip and fall advice that will help you determine exactly what you need to present to get your case accepted. Seeking advice will help you understand if your mom is entitled to a settlement and just how strong the case is depending on many criterias.
Proving negligence and liability
In order to prove that the entity you’re suing is in the wrong, there are certain things that must be proven for the case to move forward:
- The first point is to prove that the accident was caused as a result of unsafe conditions in the work environment, store or wherever the incident took place.
- It is also necessary to verify that the property owner was well aware of the safety hazard, or that they should have known about it to have fixed the situation before resulting in such an accident.
- There should also be evidence to prove that there is no way that your mom could have predicted the danger or prevent the accident from happening.
When it comes to slip and fall liability cases, the facts of each case are different and therefore, the slightest changes could affect whether or not the claim will be accepted.
Be familiar with the time frame
For each location, there is a limited amount of time where your mom will be able to file a claim; however, once that period is over, the property will no longer be held accountable as it will be very difficult to prove that they were negligent or knew about the cause of the accident without trying to prevent it. In most cases, a victim usually has up to two years to file a slip and fall claim, but it is always necessary to check the time restrictions according to the laws in your area.
Hire a lawyer
Proving that your mom’s accident was as a result of a safety hazard on a person’s property will be quite difficult and that’s where a lawyer can help. A personal injury lawyer will have the experience necessary to know how to get the most out of the situation, as well as how strong your case is. They will also be able to help you collect the proof you need to establish your entitlement as well as negotiate settlements with insurance companies on your behalf. If the case ends up going to trial, a lawyer will also prove worthy by fighting for a win at trial. Having a lawyer will give you better odds of winning, as they will know how to fight this case properly.
Prove how serious the damages are
The settlement your mom will be entitled to will depend on many factors. But, when showing the restraints that this injury has caused, the settlement could be increased accordingly. Let’s say that your mom lost her job as a result of the injury or that It prevented her from performing her job for a certain period of time, the settlement will need to cover the expenses she lost as a result.
It will also need to cover medical bills, hospital bills and compensate her for the emotional and physical damages she had to go through. Understanding these implications and being able to demonstrate the impact of the injury on not only your mother’s life, but those around her, will make the case a lot stronger and increase the amount she should be compensated.
Resort to PR methods
There are times when a company will not be willing to admit that they were at fault or that they could have avoided the injury in anyway. In cases like these where the company knows how to get away without paying a dime, it is worth resorting to publicly calling the company out to hold them accountable in the eyes of the public. Finding other victims that have gone through similar situations will make your mother’s case a whole lot stronger; however, if that isn’t within your reach, sometimes, just resorting to social media and getting the public’s sympathy could make your post go viral and the company will have to respond.
When a company’s reputation or image is at risk, they will be required to take action in order to save face. Other forms of media are also possible depending on the size of the company and the severity of the action that happened. With big companies, the press will want to hear about your mom’s case and will help in disgracing the company’s image, forcing them to react.
When an accident happens because a company wasn’t following safety precautions, they deserve to pay the price, especially when the damages happen to someone as important to you as your mother. Seeing your mom hurt, in pain or unable to get up and do even the small things because someone wasn’t cautious enough is quite infuriating. While money won’t make up for the damages that occur when they’re permanent, it is still necessary to follow through with the claim and make sure that the person is held liable and such an accident will not happen again.