Hughey Law Firm of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina focuses on personal injury cases. When an individual is injured due to the negligence of another party, the aftermath will likely include times of extreme financial stress and a recovery period away from his or her work. During this trying time, it is in your own best interest to seek legal representation. The personal injury attorneys at Hughey Law Firm know how to assist you and want to protect your rights.
Our team wants you to recover, physically and emotionally, while our trusted attorneys seek a just outcome for your accident and any injuries you have incurred. Our team will fight for justice and ensure that you receive any compensation you are due because of a property owner’s negligence. Contact us to learn more and allow us to answer any questions you may have.
Hughey Law Firm’s Case Results in Slip and Fall Cases
If it is appropriate for your case, our lawyers will file a lawsuit and aggressively pursue your claim. Because of our extensive experience in matters related to property damage, injury, wrongful death, and uninsured parties, many of our fellow attorneys consult us when they need a seasoned slip and fall attorney in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. Attorney Nathan Hughey, formerly an attorney for insurance companies where he defended vehicle accident and slip and fall cases, has accrued invaluable experience that has enabled our firm to earn our clients the best recovery possible.
- $1.625 million settlement – When a woman was vacationing at a Cherry Grove home, a dock collapsed and crushed her leg. Later the woman underwent dozens of surgeries. She required a wheelchair and was not able to resume her retail job position. It was established that the realty company and the homeowner were at fault for not inspecting the dock.
- $1,500 million settlement – Awarded in a premises liability case when a client was injured in a club.
- $671,125 settlement – Client suffered an amputation because of a dangerous condition on another person’s property.
These verdicts and settlements are representative of past results and are no guarantee of similar results in any particular case.
Slip and Fall Injuries
According to SpinalCord.com, slip and fall injuries can range from slight to life-threatening. The fact that the falls are sudden and can occur anywhere to anyone means an incident can also emotionally affect an individual who experiences such a fall. This type of accident can cost millions of dollars in lost wages and medical bills. Except for vehicular accidents, slips and falls are the most common variety of accidental injuries. The types of injuries that can follow a slip and fall accident include:
- Soft tissue injuries such as ankle and wrist sprains;
- Tears in tendons and ligaments;
- Chronic pain;
- The danger of potential future injuries;
- Head injuries such as concussions;
- Traumatic brain injuries;
- Leg, arm, head, and hip abrasions;
- Spinal cord injuries (possibly life-threatening);
- Quadriplegia;
- Paraplegia;
- Broken bones; and
- Pelvic fractures, and more.
In most cases, it is critical that the individual who slips and falls sees a doctor immediately.
Who Is Responsible?
A party who has disregarded the safety of others by failing to act reasonably is negligent. Some examples of negligence in slip and fall cases are:
- A leaking ceiling;
- A pothole;
- An uneven surface;
- A wet surface;
- Poor lighting;
- Lack of company enforcement; and
- Lack of reasonable justification.
Potentially liable parties might include:
- Business owners;
- Homeowners;
- Realty companies;
- Contractors;
- Builders;
- Retailers;
- State or city officials;
- Rental companies;
- Schools;
- City, State, or national government facility operators/ the government;
- Property owners; and
- Medical malpractice.
Standard scenarios for slip and fall accidents are:
- Unmarked slippery floors;
- Dangerous or defective property;
- Damaged floors, steps, or sidewalks;
- Unmaintained sidewalks, streets, and public venues; and
- Crosswalks or unmarked potholes.
Three case studies:
- According to the Eagle Mat Company, in 2013, Melissa Horton was walking in Target and suffered a slip and fall accident due to stepping on a recently mopped floor. Horton maintained that the mopping was “careless” and had scattered water outside the zone that had been marked with warning cones. Horton tore her hamstring. She was awarded $2.1 million, $1.4 million for past noneconomic damages and $700,000 for any future noneconomic damages.
- Tenant Verification Service, Inc. shares a case in which a tenant was injured when she fell down the stairs. Construction debris was left on the stairs after a repair. The landlord agreed to pay $350,000 to the tenant who underwent surgery for her broken ankle and required months of physical therapy.
- An Alabama man was awarded $7.5 million after he fell when retrieving a watermelon at a Walmart store, writes Ivana Hrynkiw of com. When Henry Walker grabbed his watermelon, his foot was caught in a wooden pallet on the floor. He turned to reach his shopping cart, and the stuck foot caused him to fall. He suffered several injuries, including a broken hip.
Questions to Ask after a Slip and Fall Incident
To discern if your slip and fall was avoidable, ask yourself these questions:
- If the property owner had been more careful, would the accident have occurred?
- Were you aware of the surroundings?
- Did you make an effort to avoid the dangerous condition?
- Did the property owner take reasonable steps to ensure his or her property was free from potentially dangerous conditions?
- Was the property owner aware that a dangerous condition existed on his or her property (the property owner or one of his or her employees should know if a hazardous situation exists and should fix it)?
- Did the property owner or his or her employee know there was a dangerous condition but neglected to fix it?
- Did the property owner or his or her employee cause the dangerous condition?
The answers to these questions are sometimes difficult to determine. Our experienced slip and fall attorneys in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, are well-equipped to sort through these types of scenarios.
Damages
The kinds of recovery that are potentially awarded in slip and fall cases could include:
- Lost wages;
- Pain and suffering;
- Medical costs;
- Loss of future earnings;
- Disfigurement;
- Emotional distress;
- Loss of consortium (deprivation of the advantages of a family relationship due to injuries);
- Future medical expenses;
- The necessity for home services; and
- Mental anguish.
Filing a Complaint
Once the party who is responsible for the accident is served with your complaint, he or she may:
- Totally deny the charge;
- Deny certain points;
- Blame someone else not named in the complaint;
- Disagree with technical portions of the incident;
- File a motion to dismiss;
- Counter-sue; and
- Miss the deadline for the response.
Getting the compensation you deserve can be time-consuming, confusing, and arduous. Legal assistance from attorneys who have worked on hundreds of cases similar to yours can make a substantial difference: slip and fall cases are often surprisingly complex.
Other Areas of Law Practiced by Our Firm
Hughey Law Firm of Mt. Pleasant can also assist its clients in the areas of law listed below:
- Automobile accidents;
- Nursing home abuse and neglect;
- Workers’ compensation claims;
- Traumatic brain injuries;
- Product liability;
- Wrongful death;
- Civil and business litigation;
- Harbor Workers’ Act / Jones Act claims;
- Personal injury;
- Boating accidents;
- Truck accidents;
- Construction litigation;
- Insurance bad faith litigation;
- Admiralty / longshore claims; and
- Medical malpractice.
What Is the Cost?
Our team of Mt. Pleasant slip and fall attorneys represents people and parties in personal injury cases on a contingency basis. This means our fees are contingent upon our reaching a settlement or obtaining a successful judgment in your case.
Hughey Law Firm in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, fights for what is right. We have done so for our previous clients, and can do it for you. If you have experienced personal injury due to someone else’s negligence, give us a call at (843) 881-8644 or write to us online. Consultation with one of our attorneys is provided to you at no cost; let the experienced, accomplished, and compassionate members of our firm assist you today.